IT Architecture For Dummies

From IT Architecture For Dummies by Kalani Kirk Hausman, Susan L. Cook

When planning and implementing your IT architecture, ease the process by reviewing critical information: major
IT architecture concepts such as common IT architecture tasks, standardizing technology, and consolidating and
centralizing technology resources; collaboration solutions to institute across the enterprise; and system
maintenance processes that can be automated to help you increase savings and reduce administrative overhead.

Identifying Common IT Architecture Tasks

Taking on an IT architecture project means dealing with myriad detailed
tasks. No matter the nature of your IT architecture project, however, be sure
to cover this abbreviated checklist of common, high-level tasks:

Eliminate resource silos: Getting rid of separate information resource silos

through consolidation and centralization makes many other projects
possible.

Identify data requirements: Determine the type of data your organization

uses, its location and users, as well as any associated business
requirements.
Identify and integrate existing resources: Identify resources currently in
use and determine whether they should be integrated into the new
architecture, replaced with an alternate solution, or retired.

Define technical standards: Define the rules and guidelines that your
organization will use when making decisions regarding information
technology.

Identify security requirements: Implementation can't start until the

security requirements have been identified. Remember, information is an
asset to be protected.

Justify changes: Ensure that changes provide value to your organization in

some fashion.

IT Architecture: Standardizing Technology

Standardization of technology is a common part of IT architecture projects.
A standardized technology reduces complexity and offers benefits such as
cost savings through economy of scale, ease of integration, improved
efficiency, greater support options, and simplification of future control. Some
common targets for standardization include

User workstation environments: This includes desktop hardware,

operating system, and user productivity suites.

Software development: Consider standardizing not only programming

languages, but also software development practices.

Database management systems: Try to standardize on a single database

platform, such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL, mySQL, or PostgreSQL.

IT Architecture: Consolidating and Centralizing

Technology Resources
A good IT architecture plan improves efficiencies. When your IT architecture
program includes consolidation and centralization of technology resources,
particularly in the data center, you gain improved resource use, document
recovery, security, and service delivery; increased data availability; and
reduced complexity. Some elements that you can consolidate or centralize
include

IT personnel: Consolidate IT personnel into centrally managed, focused

support groups based on need and skill sets.
 Servers: The number of physical servers can be reduced by implementing
virtualization or simply eliminating redundant functionality.

File storage: Get local file repositories off multiple file servers and onto a
centralized storage solution such as a storage area network (SAN).

Directory services: Provide a common directory service for authentication

or implement a single sign-on or federated authentication solution to
bridge multiple directories.

IT Architecture: Collaborating Across the Enterprise

Collaboration solutions facilitate IT architecture teamwork by allowing team
members to communicate, share data, and create repositories of collective
intelligence, regardless of location or scheduling complications. They may
decrease travel and telephone costs significantly. In IT architecture, common
collaboration solutions include

Social networking: Social networking tools, such as chat, blogs, and

forums, provide new and flexible methods for sharing information.

Groupware: Groupware allows employees to work together regardless of

location by using integrated tools that facilitate communication,
conferencing, and collaborative management.

Enterprise portal: Portals aggregate content from multiple sources,

bringing it all into one place for easy access and creating a single point of
contact.

IT Architecture: Automating System Maintenance

Part of IT architecture includes improving efficiencies by restructuring
enterprise resources. The more system maintenance processes that you
automate in the IT architecture, the greater cost savings you can realize from
reduced administrative overhead and support.

Operating system patches/updates: Most operating systems have some

type of native automated patch management solution, and third-party
solutions are also available.

Application updates: Some applications have the ability to update

themselves automatically, while others may be updated through logon
scripts or push technology.

Anti-malware updates and scans: Use enterprise-level anti-malware

solutions that update frequently and scan regularly to improve security.

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