Concepts, design, implementation, and security of network-based
IT infrastructure. The course is organized around the OSI model,
with an emphasis on Internet-centric backbones and pipes, TCP/IP
applications, cloud infrastructure, digital services, and
security. Also covers capacity planning, architecture,
virtualization, and scaling of IT infrastructure, applications,
and services.
Athena Title
IT Infrastructure
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in MIST 5640E
Prerequisite
MIST 4600 or MIST 4600E with a minimum grade of C and MIST 4610 or MIST 4610E with a minimum grade of C
Semester Course Offered
Offered every year.
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to understand fundamental network-based IT infrastructure concepts and the design and implementation of IT infrastructure.
Students will learn how organizational needs and imperatives influence technical decisions about IT infrastructure.
Students will be able to understand the security implications and tradeoffs associated with design choices in IT infrastructure. They will also learn about the cybersecurity challenges and approaches associated with specific IT infrastructure design choices.
Students will be able to understand the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network model spanning the application, transport, internet, network, and physical layers.
Students will be able to understand TCP/IP applications and their varied architectures (e.g., cloud computing and client-server) and their connection to data management (with an emphasis on big data and data streams).
Students will learn about the physical components of Internet backbone and last-mile networks as well as the associated protocols.
Students will learn about how the design of various IT infrastructure components affects their security, performance, and scalability.
Students will learn about the interdependencies among scalability in infrastructure, data, and applications.
Students will learn about the implications of IT infrastructure design at the enterprise level for application layer-level design choices.
Students will learn about capacity planning, load balancing, and virtualization. In-class exercises and cases will be used to demonstrate the application of the themes in the course.
Topical Outline
The course will cover fundamental concepts, design, implementation, and security of network-based IT infrastructure. It will follow the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) network model spanning the application, transport, internet, network, and physical layers.
The course will cover all three facets of modern IT portfolios: Foundational IT infrastructure, TCP/IP applications, and data. The emphasis will be on how these facets are influenced by the business needs and priorities of an organization.
Physical layer: Students will learn about the physical components of Internet backbone and last-mile networks and the associated protocols.
Network and Transport layers: Students will understand the standard Internet protocols.
Security implications: Students will examine the strengths and weaknesses of TCP/IP and how to design and manage a system from both the client and server side. The security implications and tradeoffs associated with each architectural design choice for IT infrastructure at various levels of the overall IT portfolio will be covered.
Architecture: Students will learn about the security, performance, and scalability implications of various enterprise-level IT infrastructure design choices and application layer-level architectural design choices (e.g., cloud computing versus client-server).
Scalability: Students will learn about vertical versus diagonal scalability in infrastructure, data, and applications.
