25 Jul Hardware (IT) Infrastructure and What It Does
Even when you rely on cloud computing to maintain and share your data, it is important to understand your IT infrastructure and what it does. This helps you understand which elements you are responsible for versus what your ISP or other people/entities might be responsible for when it comes to your network.
IT Infrastructure Examples
Your company’s infrastructure is all of the elements that go into your network. There are essentially 3 pieces to IT infrastructures: infrastructure hardware, software and networking. There is some overlap for these infrastructure components, but his table shows a quick snapshot of typical examples for each. Keep reading to get an in depth look at what makes up your IT infrastructure hardware.
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1. Hardware |
2. Software |
3. Networking |
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Related Reading: The Role of Network Optimization for Improved Performance
Infrastructure Hardware
Hardware is just one IT infrastructure example and consists of any IT component you can touch. Therefore, while your software and networking are part of your infrastructure, they are not part of your infrastructure hardware because they are not physical components. Hardware includes but is not limited to the items listed below:
- Servers
- Mobile devices
- Hard drive
- Network cables
- Printer
- Storage devices
- Laptops
What Infrastructure Hardware Does
Hardware IT infrastructure does a number of things, including allowing you to connect to your network and have access to the outside world. It also stores your data, and allows you to recover and use your data. Any infrastructure that involves more than one computer or person should also provide a means by which to communicate with the people or devices involved in the network.
The responsibility for the maintenance of the IT infrastructure falls to the owner. For example, you might own your own server, but you might not own the router that allows your network to access the outside world and others in the network. That may belong to your ISP and be their responsibility.
Types of IT Infrastructure
Traditional Infrastructure
Traditional infrastructure includes all of your hardware infrastructure, software infrastructure and networking infrastructure that are owned, managed and maintained on-premise. Traditional infrastructure includes desktop computers and software installed locally on individual machines as well as on-premise servers.
Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud infrastructure includes both private internal cloud as well as infrastructure-as-a-service systems. It may also include cloud systems delivered via a managed hosting provider and software-as-a service.
Hyper-converged Infrastructure
Hyper-converged infrastructure is virtualization IT infrastructure. It is a software-based infrastructure that virtualizes the components of conventional hardware-based infrastructure.
Related Reading: VPN vs. VDI vs. RDS
Conclusion
IT Hardware Infrastructure is essentially any component in your overall IT infrastructure you can touch like servers, desktops and even smartphones. With the rise of cloud computing, the demand for in-house hardware infrastructure is shrinking as more data systems are being moved off-premises.
You can even use cloud computing in your infrastructure, provided you have access to it. Contact CyberlinkASP today to learn more about the details of your infrastructure and how to maintain it, as well as how to use the power of cloud computing to reduce the responsibility related to your on-premises IT infrastructure.
Are you ready to move more of your IT infrastructure off-premises to save money and improve mobility? CyberlinkASP has managed hosting services to deliver complex IT ecosystems in the cloud.