There are many possibilities when referring to IT infrastructure, which includes almost everything except people themselves (though infrastructure without people is a fairly useless thing). An easy way to define infrastructure might be “everything located between and inside walls” which means just about any useful hardware or software. That can include any and all networks as well as every “thing” within the facility itself. This also means almost anything related to development, testing, control structures, monitoring processes, and support.
And this in turn can be servers, routers, switchers, firewalls, data centers, and all facilities that carry out the above actions. Therefore, let’s go a little deeper into each area.
Cabling – In the facility itself, we have all type of network cables running throughout the offices, data center, server rooms, etc. These are things that cannot be ignored, as they are carrying the life blood for all functions. These cables could be fiber optic or just CAT categories. Within these categories we have several subtypes, and these affect both distance and speed required. All in all, this area of infrastructure is the most fundamental and therefore the most important, as without a good foundation one cannot build a good house.
Switchers & Routers – Network switchers make for solid connectivity between devices on the LAN (local area networks) and the routers move things between those networks. Switches contain ports for physically connecting network devices (and other switches and routers with the server). In short, these switches allow key devices to communicate with each other in the most direct and practical manner, whereas the routers give separated devices the easy opportunity to chat with each other.
Servers – Network servers are actually only other computers, yet usually more powerful. They give the opportunity for many users to utilize and share information and resources. There are a fairly wide number of server types that include File Servers, Web Servers, Directory Servers, Application Servers, Data Servers, or Print Servers, etc. All of these handle multiple functions from allowing/preventing user access, or a central database of accounts, centralized management duties, providing files via web browsers, accessing user resources, and many more useful things. In short, servers are all about sharing files and resources.
Firewalls & Security – At the corners of our network lie the “security guards” we refer to as Firewalls. By defining the limits of that security, we allow/block traffic that is either useful or could harm out computer/software. Rules are created that manage ports of traffic flow from one device to another. This is very useful if hosting a web server, as you can control both source and destination ports/protocols (source being the original device/port, and destination the IP address). Firewalls are pretty complex items and need a fair amount of attention to be most effective.
People & Management – As mentioned, although people are usually not considered as infrastructure, without them nothing functions, so I include them in the equation. Well qualified professionals are needed for running all operations that include all of the above, and managers are necessary to manage the teams who in turn handle the multiple functions; therefore, what is IT infrastructure management? Basically, it’s tantamount to providing good infrastructure and at a company like Alcor, setting up infrastructure management for IT companies is their expertise in Ukraine. The main service of Alcor is building offshore development centers for foreign tech companies in Ukraine with further full operational support. It includes recruitment, HR payroll, legal compliance, and office maintenance.
Server & Data Centers – There is always a central place in all organizations, and for IT infrastructure that place is normally some type of data center. From this central area everything comes and goes (the network core) and it’s here that most servers are placed. If you are in need of a new server or need access to a data centre, you can visit 4d data centres official website to learn more about what these companies have to offer.
And finally, the Software – Although a rather “ephemeral” component of infrastructure, still – like the people who populate data centers – the software plays a crucial part in multi-user operating systems, as without it nothing can operate and function.