Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
not represent a true enterprise, but more an extended workgroup,
due to the variety of equipment and software that may be present
in even very small environments. This is not a supportable solution
for well-integrated enterprises beyond the smallest scale, although
personally owned mobile devices are become increasingly common.
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Surplus
—Volunteer organizations may at times be forced to employ
only donated equipment, while unfunded organizational elements
may only have access to technology resources retired from active
service from funded elements. Such surplus-technology enterprises
often press equipment beyond system lifespan and warranty cycles,
increasing enterprise complexity and the potential for operational
disruption due to equipment failure. Surplus-technology enter-
prises may include strategies for component-level harvesting and
reconstruction of “Frankenstein” systems, requiring significant per-
sonnel for technology maintenance and support. This is an enter-
prise solution that is only used when no other option exists, when
a temporary proof-of-concept enterprise element is needed to test
an emerging business function, or when retired equipment is con-
sumed for compute cycle farming in distributed high-performance
computing environments.
Software
Although hardware selection and management present the most visible
elements of the modern enterprise network, software and services define
the boundaries and functions that separate an enterprise from a simple
collection of devices. Minimizing variation in deployed operating sys-
tems and applications reduces support skill requirements and improves
flexibility in user assignment within the extended enterprise by provid-
ing a common experience when accessing resources across multiple busi-
ness elements.
Like hardware, software must be regularly updated to meet emerging
functional and operational mandates as well as to resist the ever-evolving
spectrum of threats to network security and resource availability. Strate-
gies for software deployment and update must balance the need for regu-
lar, rapid update response with the need to minimize user environment
disruption—all while attempting to schedule updates only during off-
