Weekly Questions: Week Six - Enterprise Architectures

Chapter five questions

1. What is information architecture and what is information infrastructure and how do they differ and how do they relate to each other? Information systems (IS) store and process data and IS key concepts include, Information architecture identifies where and how information is stored, maintained and secured. Information infrastructure includes the hardware, software and telecommunications equipment, it supports organisations goals. They relate to each other by being part of the same plan. They differ as Information architecture is the plan in place within a business and the information infrastructure is the actual implementation of the plan.
2. Describe how an organisation can implement a solid information architecture. It must have the three primary areas of information which are - back up and recovery, disaster recovery and information security. 
3. List and describe the five requirement characteristics of infrastructure architecture. The five requirements characteristics are, Flexibility for example being a flexible multi language business, Scalability must have room to grow, Reliability always available to customers, Availability ensures the system runs correctly and Performance of quick reliable system.
4. Describe the business value in deploying a service oriented architecture, SOA is a business driven IT architectural approach. The value of having this system in place is it supports business innovative by adapting to changes within a business. While increasing business flexibility of processes and reusing existing IT investments. The key concepts are SOA allows businesses to run current business processes and lowers downtime in creating another process, it allows businesses to plug into new services or upgrade existing ones. It allows Interoperability where computers can share information and loose coupling where services can be joined together on demand to create composite services. (XML)
5. What is an event? Where the internet sends data from one system to another through a "Event" which is a business procedure of an electrical message sending information. It detects threats and opportunitites through monitoring business process. For example when someones credit card exceeds the credit limit.
6. What is a service? Runs when an event happens it is the software products and appeal to a large audience. It is a valuable business process that business people can use over multiple products and businesses.
7. What emerging technologies can companies can use to increase performance and utilise their infrastructure more effectively?