Computer Systems and Networks
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Interoperability
Computer systems and networks have different structures, some of which exists within other structures also referred to as infrastructures. Such structures play a role of support or service provision of their kinds. Information technology architecture includes the hardware, software and information, both of which work together to promote businesses, processes, and enable people carry out their routines effectively (Cummins and Haag, 2010). To be effective, such components must share resources and information as necessary even from different producers, enforcing jurisdictions and policies as an organization demands.
In everyday life, it is hard to keep up with same line of products or producers. So to say, people tend to acquire different products from varied manufacturers yet in the end use them concurrently complementing one another. For instance, music systems may fail to perform and the user in the end may not obtain similar speakers from the same producer after all. Any sound speaker of similar capability should perform on the same music system. Lately Organizations are establishing printing units with scanners and printers that are shared among multiple staff members. Such members are probably using different desktops or laptops all connected to the common printer. In the end, all of them must get their work done irrespective of the computers they use.
Cummins and Haag (2010) discussed the enterprise resource planning software, one of which has a variety of modules that can be replaced overtime by its users. The organization can decide to acquire the best software solution that meets its operation demands and market needs, and replace the initial software module with it. Such modules can be obtained from different vendors and still operate in the system without any failure or malfunction. This is the concept of interoperability, which can be considered sustainable, since more modules can still be developed and plugged into the system with proper functionality.
Different vendors of infrastructures and other products always produce their products in a manner that they can share resources with products from other vendors. For instance, a USB cable that connects devices is standard and can be used across devices irrespective of their manufacturers. Mobile phone chargers on the other hand are common, with phone producers developing uniform ports for the connection of a charger. In the moment which every producer or vendor would produce a product peculiar to itself and that cannot share resources with others, it would be hard for the users to maintain them, and that’s the moment, which interests towards the product will diminish.
Computers are connected to form a network, where they can share resources, information and peripheral devices. The sharing of resource enables processes to be undertaken where they can be efficiently done (Cummins and Haag, 2010). People can tend to use different network infrastructures depending on their preferences or organizational designs. Distributed networks allows for storage in different locations. Client server networks are another form of infrastructure where processes are distinguished between the server and the client. The server tends to overload in case of many clients that in the end may load the network capacity. Tiered infrastructure is layered to enable functions performed in different layers leveraging the load of operations (Cummins and Haag, 2010). All these concepts explain how interoperability is applicable in the technology world, and how it makes work and operations easier for users of systems and technology products.