Sound IT infrastructure management is essential in any business that makes use of networked computers. In fact, it’s important for pretty much any company that uses computers in any way. With this truth in mind, here is a quick guide to the three core aspects of IT infrastructure management.
Systems Management
Systems management is an area of IT infrastructure management concerned with the provision of end-user technology and IT as a service. Systems management operations are usually carried out under the supervision of a chief information officer or chief technology officer.
Third-party IT specialists like bridgehampton.io are also frequently hired by companies to complete systems management tasks and long-term planning.
Tasks carried out as part of systems management include:
- Gathering System Requirements
This involves working out what upgrades and maintenance work a company needs to fund. Careful research is required to figure out the ideal capabilities of a system and match this with an achievable plan.
- Equipment And Software Purchase
Systems management staff are responsible for the negotiation of purchases. They are expected to achieve the maximum capability for the lowest cost.
- Equipment Setup And Distribution
Systems management staff are responsible for planning and completing the setup and distribution process and getting the technology where it needs to be.
- Monitoring Performance
Not all IT systems work as they are intended to. All systems need to be monitored so that improvements to distribution can be made and upgrades can be planned.
Storage Management
The management of storage infrastructure is crucial within any business that deals with large amounts of data. Data is one of the most important resources that a company can acquire, and in the increasingly data-driven society of today, companies need to deal with more information than ever before. As such, modern data use has led to an increase in the adoption of cloud storage technology – one of the big steps forward in infrastructure management as a whole.
Using the cloud as a data storage tool is useful because it allows remote access, easy expansion, and reduced maintenance costs. IT infrastructure management teams across the world have been working hard to help businesses migrate to the cloud quickly and painlessly – so it’s never been easier to take on this current level of IT within a business.
Infrastructure teams are also responsible for the purchase and upkeep of more traditional storage systems such as in-house servers and hard drives. Plus, they are additionally responsible for the prevention of data silos – isolated pockets of data that can lead to huge amounts of unnecessary duplication.
Network Management
All IT systems operated by a business are connected as part of a network. The planning and maintenance of a quick, secure, and user-friendly network are some of the key roles of an infrastructure team.
In modern businesses, infrastructure managers need to develop secure wireless protocols, which are digital rules that enable a network to communicate wirelessly without being at risk of compromise.
Wireless routers, local servers, local area networks (LAN), and a whole host of other network tools are under the supervision of a network infrastructure management team – and that team is a crucial part of any modern business operating in today’s world.