Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
the largest and most widespread IT problem ever to be corrected in time
to avoid catastrophic results.
As the world has become more integrated through Internet connectiv-
ity, issues of high-level planning and strategy have an increased impact
on business viability. Strategic drivers for information technology expense
are not as clearly obvious now as in the days before the Y2K bug, but a
few guiding principles can make an equally valuable contribution to an
organization's long-term operational capacity.
This chapter focuses on high-level guidelines, providing a framework
for detailed strategic planning that will be examined in later chapters of
this topic. Before we delve into guidelines addressing enterprise informa-
tion management, data center practices, and protective planning concerns,
however, complexity issues warrant special attention,. These guidelines
are applicable to any organization that uses more than a handful of stand-
alone computers, storing no data of interest or worth.
Complexity
In the fourteenth century, a Franciscan friar called William of Ockham
expressed a maxim that is widely applied today to economic, medical,
and scientific endeavors. This maxim is generally known as “Ockham's
razor.” Commonly used as a practice for simplifying assumptions being
made when observable evidence has been taken into account, the original
form of Ockham's maxim is very applicable to the information technol-
ogy enterprise:
“Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity.”
The renowned physicist, Albert Einstein, noted much the same in his
famous statement:
“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not
simpler.”
Essentially, both statements suggest that we should always simplify when-
ever possible, but not oversimplify. These thoughts should be kept firmly
in mind whenever an enterprise architect considers any question of imple-
mentation or strategic planning.
