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UFEEP4-15-M - Week 4 The IT infrastructure challenges of a large organisation

Understand and evaluate the diverse challenges facing heterogeneous IT infrastructures, from security to costs, through interactive discussions. Identify solutions for alignment, flexibility, and effective communication.

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UFEEP4-15-M - Week 4 The IT infrastructure challenges of a large organisation

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  1. UFEEP4-15-M - Week 4 The IT infrastructure challenges of a large organisation Looking at the challenges that face a large heterogeneous IT infrastructure, in terms of security, scale, communication, IT literacy / competence, autonomy v standards, total cost of ownership, etc. This will be a mainly interactive / discussion based session giving the students the opportunity to reflect on the IT challenges within their own organisation. Alistair Sandford

  2. Agenda • Theory • Look at a range of infrastructure challenges • Practical • Evaluate which infrastructure challenges affect your organisation and the resulting impact

  3. Main Challenge • Alignment to the needs of the business • Flexible • Allow the business to effectively respond to change • Responsive to the needs of the business and deliver change in a timely manner • Cost effective • Help overcome the disconnect between the business and IT The organisational change/IT infrastructure disconnect: an opportunity for corporate performance gain The Bathwick Group, 27th March 2006

  4. Scale • Technology Sprawl • Number of Computers: desktops, laptops • Applications: number of apps, platform requirements • Data centres: servers, storage, power, cooling • Network: miles of cabling, multiple switches, routers • Geographical: sites(inc SOHO), time zones, languages • Number of users (employees & customers) • Administration, support, identity management, permissions

  5. Complexity • Caused by evolution of infrastructure • Piecemeal expansion, plugging gaps, papering over the cracks, tactical development rather than strategic • No individual person (or team) understands every area • Integration at all levels is often ‘flaky’ • Multiple systems perform similar functions

  6. Security • Large attack surface • ‘Trust’ is more difficult to achieve • Increased risk of accidental error • More administrators - “too many cooks spoil the broth” • Harder to achieve appropriate levels of security (functionality v lockdown) • Security policies become overly complex, which then becomes restrictive

  7. Acceptance of Requirements • There is often little recognition of the value of the IT infrastructure? (until it breaks!) • There is routinely a disconnect between the business and IT • There are many drivers / stakeholders • users (employees and customers), business and IT strategy, competition, IT industry, managers ...) • Very rare that everyone agrees (politics)

  8. IT literacy / competence • Diverse range of IT skills • Continually changing skills profile • IT does not allow users to stand still • Differing opinions of skills level

  9. Total Cost of Ownership • Many factors affect TCO • Support, Capital (hardware, software, services), Recurring costs (maintenance), Downtime, Environmental, Training • Some factors are hidden / difficult to calculate • No individual stakeholder owns all of the affected budgets and relevant SLA’s

  10. Change • People generally resist change • Majority prefer to avoid it • Some proactive try to block it • Infrastructure changes often provide no obvious benefit, just new ways of doing the same thing. • Different parts of the business may respond differently to each change dependant on needs and benefits • Managing change is key to IT success

  11. Autonomy v Standards • Difficult to identify and achieve the balance • Correctly applied standards • Ease support burden, increase user confidence, reduce TCO, improve service levels • Overly strict standards • Restrict usability, inhibit business agility, increases TCO • Full autonomy • Offers unlimited usability, gives individual satisfaction, leads to chaos, causes confusion, inhibits business agility, increases TCO • Getting the balance right is an enabler - getting it wrong can be a business disabler

  12. Communication • Knowing who to communicate with • Identifying which communication tools to use • Finding the best time to communicate • Avoiding communication overload • Getting your message heard above the noise • Most people are not interested in IT

  13. Questions ? alistair.sandford@uwe.ac.uk

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