The Computer as a System

IT332_M2 The Computer as a System

Purdue University Global

Building an ideal architecture for the company will require a lot of decisions by our

Senior Leadership in order to move forward. There are many things to look at with the many

different architectures and their many differences. Our company is not a one size fits all

organization and we need to look at what is going to be the most cost effective and efficient

for our company. We will also want to look at scalability of the architecture for our future

growth.

As the company moves forward with this project, we will need to look at a great many

things, but the main thing will be what are the protocols that our company will need to move

forward. We will need to determine how and when we process data, what security will need to

be in place, how our information is stored and formatted for sending and receiving. System

protocols are in place to help build and form a network.

As a company we have several options of architectures we can choose from one of

which is client/server architecture. This architecture allows for the company computers to

gain access through one central server. The company will utilize the server in order to restrict

access to a great many things, such as programs, files, or even the system itself. This

architecture allows for a whole system of computers to access the one server at one time. In a

client/server architecture the server itself is connected by an internet connection, a network

connection, or by a direct connection. This architecture requires space in order to house the

physical hardware and infrastructure, because of this it may not be our companies’ best option

.

The next architecture is peer-to peer architecture, with this architecture all computers

on the network are treated in the exact same fashion. Each computer has the same

responsibilities and capabilities. Often computers are organized to specific criteria which can

lead to specific topologies or properties. A few drawbacks to peer-to-peer are bandwidth

issues, processor power, and storage. Also, as demand increases the capacity on the entire

system increases and can cause issues with slowness in the system .

The last architecture I want to discuss is web-based architecture which is a software

architecture that is designed for websites or web applications. Web based architecture is a

type of client/server that relies on service-oriented architecture for services such as rest API’s.

Web based architecture have rented or purchased by a provider. This type of architecture is

best suited for companies who do not want on prem servers or do not have the physical space

for an infrastructure. Web based is also good for companies that are located everywhere and

do not utilize a central hub.

Our company will need to determine which architecture is best suited for our current

and future state. All of the architectures could arguably work for our company and they all

have advantages and disadvantages to their use. Personally, I would recommend moving to a

web based or cloud architecture. This allows us a lot of options and does not require us to

house the physical infrastructure. We will have the ability for our computers and the

computers of our clients to access our programs and systems while maintaining our security.

We will have a provider maintaining and upkeeping the servers and creating backups and

disaster recovery for our system. We can still determine access levels and determine how our

data needs to be sent and received.

There is an obvious cost to any architecture we choose along with either purchasing

the servers or renting them we will need to ensure we have proper physical equipment as well.

I believe that even if we rent or purchase cloud-based servers, we will still come out ahead

since we have so many locations and not necessarily the space to house them on prem, we will

also not have to absorb the cost to maintain the servers and will have less need for additional

employees to take care of the system.

Our company will also need to look at all protocols used in our business and how we

best translate those to the web-based architecture. Some of the protocols are HTTP and FTP

for transferring and receiving files. TCP which helps determine rules around text exchange, IP

that sets rules for sending and receiving messages at the internet address level .

I would like to propose moving forward with the web-based architecture as I believe it

will be the most cost effective and efficient architecture for our company. It also allows for

protocols we already have in place and gives us scalability for future state of the company IT

system.

PART 2

ISO-OSI model is considered as a reference model because it is really an educational tool used in explaining networking and how networks operate and how the many layers fit and work as one cohesive unit.

Network layer protocol is different from transport layer protocol in that transport layer protocol is used to provide a logical communication of processes that run on many different hosts. In network layer protocol is about providing the communication between different hosts.

What is a protocol and what is a standard? Do all protocols need to be standards as do standards need to be protocols? Protocol is a set of rules and a standard is invented by someone such as a set of rules hence a protocol. Having standards and protocols in place help employees better deliver needed results.

Internet protocol standards are devised through the efforts of thousands of people all over the world regardless of their having any background in data communications. On the other hand, proprietary protocols are created by a much smaller group of people, all of whom are directly or indirectly working for the same employer. In looking at these

Virtualization is a concept that has taken on major importance in the early 21st Century. Explain what is meant by virtualization. Virtualization is the creation of some type of virtual source. This could include desktops, servers, various operating systems, file transfer, various types of storage, networks plus a few others. Virtualization helps with scalability and future growth.

• What advantages and disadvantages do you think are offered by each approach? Which would produce a better product? Which would produce a product more quickly? Smaller groups tend to get the best results due to less voices and less people who have to approve or buy in to a process. When you deal with smaller groups, they tend to align more to each other and help each other come to a unified vision.
• Locate a current reference that lists the important protocols that are members of the TCP/IP protocol suite. Explain how each protocol contributes to the operation and use of the Internet. Some of the TCP/IP protocols are ARP which is used to associate an IP address to a MAC address. This is super important when connecting hardware to the central architecture.