Infrastructure Management

Infrastructure Management

Infrastructure management is essential for overall effectiveness. The purpose of IT infrastructure management is to provide structure and control of the functions responsible for diverse technical operations which generally involve hardware, software, and networking in both physical and virtual environments. The main goal is to minimize downtime and maintain business productivity. IT infrastructure is similar to building infrastructure in that it consists of physical components that support the activities and services that are required by users to support business functions. The term infrastructure describes the structures required for the operation of a physical facility or business operation. As mentioned earlier, infrastructure management has evolved to include the true backbone of business, technology.

System Management

Systems management covers a wide range of key activities within the overall context of IT infrastructure management, as it includes the administration of all IT assets normally found within a data center. A Technical Officer  is typically responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the data center and managing the integration of new applications and third-party services into the organization’s hybrid cloud environment. Systems management activities include security-focused initiatives such as intrusion detection and prevention, or security information and event management. Log management, workload automation, configuration management and the integration of cloud-based applications and services all fall under systems management.

Network Management

Network management is the discipline of managing security networks. IT security and operations analysts manage and configure networks to ensure that resources are properly allocated to applications and services where they are needed and that the quality and availability of services are maintained. Network management also includes an element of security, as IT operators must maintain visibility and transparency into the network to control the organization’s security posture and protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.

Storage Management

Data storage space is a limited and valuable asset for IT and business organizations. Therefore, a critical aspect of IT infrastructure management is the oversight of data storage technologies and resources, such as virtualization, storage provisioning, data compression and data security. Data compression and automatic storage provisioning can reduce data processing times and improve the performance of the data center. Automation and virtualization techniques can enable businesses to quickly re-allocate storage resources where needed. Other management techniques like data replication, mirroring and security help to guard against data loss or theft. Infrastructure management components include both software and hardware which provide some benefits are listed below.

 
  • Rapid response to changing and disruptive conditions
  • Reduce downtime by carrying out repairs more quickly
  • Proactively manage devices and networks in an agile and adaptable way
  • Identify threats to your network, responding promptly to mitigate their impact
  • Contribute to increasing customer satisfaction and business performance
  • Monitor service performance, detecting when service dips below the required standard.