IT Infrastructure

IT Infrastructure

Chapter 1Typical Modern

IT Infrastructure

Typical Modern IT Infrastructure

The selection of the components required for the setup infrastructure is based on the Need of the businessThe typical business may have online Transactionserver or mail serverMany times the selection of the infrastructure

components are based on PerformanceIn the selection of the infrastructure components the

brand plays an important roleThe production and the corporate centers have

Connectivity

Components of IT Infrastructure

The IT setup of any organization consists of desktop computers and Server farms The typical home network of any enterprise is shown below

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sample-network-diagram.png


Large Manufacturing Corporate Case Study TVS Motors

A comprehensive case study of the large manufacturing corporate business and the connectivity is discussed. We have seen an overview of the components of the infrastructure. In this we have seen that the desktops/terminals are connected to server through various topologies for accessing network resources like files, databases and Internet services.



This case study was about the 2-wheeler manufacturer, TVS motor company Ltd. unit. This unit required a last mile solution to go live with it’s my SAP R/3 ERP implementation at it’s primary and secondary manufacturing units. We have also had a look at the challenges faced in this project. The need of the company was it wanted a dedicated connection to rollout mySAP at its 2 manufacturing units.



The solution was that the company chose a last mile solution to connect its primary unit. We have also looked at the rollout benefits in this case as the latency is 25 milliseconds over the wireless link as compared to 600 milliseconds for the VSAT link that is used as a standby.TVS Motors 450 dealers and 200 suppliers can directly connect to its mySAP Server,The wireless solution was reliable & provide 100% uptime


Large Manufacturing Corporate Case Study2 WEB and SMS-based

applications

Web and SMS are used for business. Companies use the WAN which, is simple yet effective. In the case of New Holland Tractors,the web-enabled application enables CBU members to do forecast and prepare plans on a monthly and annual basis. They can also perform functions like enter collections and orders data into the system, view the outstanding details etc.



applications

The CBU application is protected with the help of firewalls and user authentication. The SMS engine is the backend infrastructure of the SMS system includes an SMS engine. This is a Nokia modem with a SIM card connected to an SMS server.In the start the system was push based. Pre-defined information was flashed to key personnel nationwide. This included details about the dealer outstanding etc.



applications

New Holland is planning to extend the scope of the system. It is presently working on enabling booking of orders through SMS. The web based solution for the New Holland

company is tightly integrated with the BAAN ERP system.The New Holland Company spent Rs 6 Lakhs for

web-enabling itself.The web based application has resulted in huge

costs savings for the New Holland Company



applications

The New Holland Company’s backend infrastructure includes an SMS engine, which is a Nokia modem.

The system for the New Holland company initially used the Push based information

The New Holland Company’s push and pull information occurs through an intermediate database

The SMS system has cut down a lot of communication cost with even the net connectivity coming down.



applications

Adequate security for SMS has been provided.The business logic does not allow any body to push or pull information unless SMS server authenticates the user .SMS has cut down a lot of communication Investment in this technology is low & other benefits are erroneous New Holland is planning to extend the scope of the system.It is presently working on enabling booking of orders through SMS.


Large Manufacturing Corporate Case Study Bank of Baroda

Bank’s enabled Business TransformationRoll out of Core Banking Solution(CBS)The bank technology initiatives are clearly focus on the customer.•All the banks and the financial institutions in India are in the process of web-enabling their service in order to offer internet banking to their customers.



Towards on line banking•This kind of an exercise has provided them with some benefits –• Greater reach to the customerso Quicker time to market o Ability to understand the customers needs.o Ability to introduce new product•Greater customer loyalty•Customer are given access to various locations



RBI Steps in RBI has created a comprehensive document which lays down number of security related guidelines and strategies for banks to follow in order to offer internet banking.The guidelines broadly talk about the types of risk associated with internet banking,the technology and security standards,legal issues involved,regulatory and supervisory concern Any bank that follows internet banking has to adhere to them as a legal necessity


Internet Banking

•Internet banking – some of the distinct features of this document are –• It removes the traditional barriers as it could reach customers across different countries.oIt has added a new dimension to different kinds of risks traditionally associated with banking.oIt provides a security of banking transactions.oIt poses a strategic risk of loss of business to those banks who do not respond to this new technology,being the efficient and cost effective delivery


Security-The key concern

Authentication – the assurance of identity of the person in a dealAuthorization – A party doing a transaction is authorized to do so.Privacy – The confidentiality of data and information relating to any dealData Integrity – Assurance that the data and information has not been altered.

Comprehensiveness and Indian bank

The RBI guidelines are very exhaustive& extremely comprehensive .But are the Indian banks follow the guidelines accordingly?Experts at global E Secure limited ,a security solution company say that none of Indian banks which offer internet solutions have a IT security policy as stipulated by the RBI.While banks have been asked to file monthly reports to show compliance to the guidelines ,most of them sought time to satisfy the security policy criteria


A Practical Approach

IDBI bank has successfully implemented a robustInternet banking infrastructure for its customersRBI guidelines are stringent ,but not vary difficultTo implement if one goes about in systematic fashion The rule which stipulates that the bank must have a client level certificate.,is somewhat difficult and expensive to implement in a retail banking scenario.The guidelines also prescribes certain functions be authorized at the board level.this provision has potential to introduce delays in deployment.


IDBI Bank’s e-banking Infrastructure

•Some of the equipment used is –

o Hardware – Web servers, App. servers and Database servers o Software – System and application.o Services – Application integration with core banking, Scalability testso Security – Firewalls, Certification, Server level.o Networking – Isolation from the main network.


Bs7799 Standard

ISO17799 and BS7799 are security policies and standards procedures. The standard was initially known as a British standard called BS 7799, developed by the British Standards Institution. Later, it became the ISO IEC 17799 standard when it was adopted by the ISO IEC technical committee for international use.Such a committee is called ISO IEC JTC 1 and is currently responsible for all information regarding technology standards, and the BS7799 refers specifically to Information Security

http://www.tech-faq.com/bs7799.shtml


Bs7799 Standard

Management Standard formally approved during the year 2000. This standard defines a set of recommended information security management practices, although it is probably better to say the standard is a set of recommendations, as the ISO IEC recommends that you consider each suggestion as you try to improve your information security program, and not view each suggestion as an inflexible obligation to follow

Bs7799 Standard

Depending on your information security needs you may accept or not accept the BS7799 standards. So, if a particular recommendation helps you to address any important security matter then accept it, otherwise, ignore it. ISO17799 and BS7799 include an open approach to most of the common information issues related to electronic files, data files and software files, and paper documents. Information related to hand written notes, printed materials and photographs, recordings, video recordings and audio recordings,



Bs7799 Standard

general communications including conversations, telephone conversations, cell phone conversations and face to face conversations, as well as messages such as email messages, fax messages, instant messages, video messages, physical messages, among many other items are considered as definition of the term "information".Since the information has value and is therefore an asset, it needs to be protected just like any other corporate asset.





Bs7799 Standard

Information should be protected just as the infrastructure that supports this information, including all the networks, systems, and functions that allow an organization to manage and control its information assets. BS7799 explains what you can do to protect your organization's information assets.Today, organizations are faced with a wide range of security threats, from equipment failure to human errors, fraud, vandalism, theft, sabotage, flood, fire, and even terrorism in many countries, that is way the information needs to be protected.



Bs7799 Standard

BS7799 suggests focusing your attention on three main points to guarantee your information security, which are integrity, confidentiality and availability. Integrity refers to the need to protect the completeness and accuracy of the information as well as the methods used to process it. Confidentially refers to the assurance that the information can only be accessed by the people who have the authorization to do so. And availability refers to the guarantee that those who have been authorized to use the information have access to it and all associated assets when needed.

Stock Exchange

Online exchange facilities faster transactions by providing online trading portals and brokerage houses ease & flexibility Experienced stock traders and investors recognize that trading stocks with momentum is among the fastest & most effective ways to harvest BIG piles of cash in the stock market. Why? Because certain stocks with momentum bring the possibility of gaining as much as 100% on the same trading day. Some may only rise 20% on a few minutes, which means that you could make a cool $200 on a $1000 investment on the same day.

Stock Exchange

The problem is that if you don't know what stocks to look for and how to approach them while limiting your risk, you won't even get close to making some profits. You don't necessarily have to trade momentum hot stocks all the time. But you can learn how to take advantage of them when you encounter the best opportunities while at the same time limiting your risk.

Stock Exchange

Online exchanges facilitate faster transactions by providing online trading portals and brokerage houses ease and flexibility. Here's a look at the core infrastructure of NSE, BSE, and some trading portals. by Soutiman Das GuptaAs promised by technology visionaries and forecast groups over the last decade, the Internet has indeed opened up new avenues for conducting business. Stock exchanges worldwide now conduct a bulk of its business online through its brokers and partners, a major shift from the traditional method.

Stock Exchange

Online exchanges facilitate faster transactions by providing online trading portals and brokerage houses ease and flexibility. Here's a look at the core infrastructure of NSE, BSE, and some trading portals. by Soutiman Das GuptaAs promised by technology visionaries and forecast groups over the last decade, the Internet has indeed opened up new avenues for conducting business. Stock exchanges worldwide now conduct a bulk of its business online through its brokers and partners, a major shift from the traditional method.

Stock Exchange

In developed countries, almost all exchange transactions are conducted online. The trend has slowly picked up in India and two of the largest exchanges, the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) have been conducting online trade successfully for sometime now.

Stock Exchange Why late?

Indian exchanges and brokering houses have been slow to move their transactions online. This has been mainly due to Government regulations. There was initial delay in laying down specifications for creating Closed User Groups (CUGs). The issue was resolved between the DoT and the Finance Ministry around 1998 and soon trade portals like ICICIDirect.com, motilaloswal.com, and smartjones.com came into being.Connectivity was perhaps the most important technological factor. The cost of leased lines and VSAT links has been traditionally very high and the reliability of the links has been low.

Stock Exchange Why late?

It also took a long time to commission the links as one had to make an application and wait for a few weeks for the link to be up and running. Other issues like security, and backup and recovery procedural costs were also deterrents.Thankfully, along with the resolution of regulatory issues, India no longer has any pressing connectivity and bandwidth issues. With, the entry of private players into the broadband scenario and the government opening up the telecom sector, these issues are almost non-existent. Security solutions and services available in the market have matured and it doesn't cost a pretty packet anymore to put a simple backup solution in place.

Indian Stock Exchange

•Bangalore Stock Exchange•Bombay Stock Exchange•Calcutta Stock Exchange•Delhi Stock Exchange•Madras Stock Exchange•National Stock Exchange of India

http://206.252.12.4/bgse/

http://www.bseindia.com/

http://www.cse-india.com/

http://business.vsnl.com/dse/

http://www.mseltd.com/

http://www.nseindia.com/


India's oldest and first stock exchange: Mumbai (Bombay) Stock Exchange. Established in 1875. More than 6,000 stocks listed.•Total number of stock exchanges in India: 22•They are in: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi etc.•There is also a National Stock Exchange(NSE) which is located in Mumbai.

http://www.bseindia.com/


•There is also an Over The Counter Exchange of India (OTCEI) which allows listing of small and medium sized companies.•The regulatory agency which oversees the functioning of stock markets is the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which is also located in Bombay. SEBI's website location is at http://www.sebi.com but you need a password to access it.

http://www.sebi.com/


The NSE and BSE are among the largest exchanges in the country. They handle very large daily trading volumes, support large amounts of data traffic, and have a very large nationwide network.The trading volume figures in both the exchanges are huge. The average daily turnover in the capital markets segment at NSE is around Rs 2300 crore and in the derivatives segment, around Rs 1300 crore. The average daily traffic volume is around one million trades per day in the capital markets segment and around 50,000 trades per day in the derivatives segment.


There are around 13,000 registered users in both segments and an average of around 9500 users are logged in at a time.At BSE the average daily turnover in 2001-2002 (April-March) was Rs 1244.10 crore and the number of average daily trades was Rs 5.17 Lakh.

Network Design

Needless to say, any online exchange needs to be always-on, secure, redundant, and have adequate backup and recovery processes. G.M Shenoy, VP, NSE-IT, talks about the design philosophy of his online exchange. "The basic design objective was to provide fair, equal, and transparent access across all our nationwide locations. An important aspect was to provide connectivity to our trading members as soon as possible."

Network Design

"The telecom sector is fairly liberal today. Back in 1993, the technology was maturing and was costly. Leased lines cost almost ten times as much as it does today. Satellite technology was a boon since it allowed quicker deployment than leased lines. NSE now has the country's largest VSAT network with over 3000 VSATs and expects to grow to more than 4000 VSATs soon."

Network Elements

A look at the massive trading volumes and traffic bulk is enough proof of the critical nature of systems. It makes one shudder to think of the expected losses in case of a ten minute downtime when daily trade crosses Rs 3000 crore. Network elements like storage, security, backup and recovery processes, availability, and the different applications must be carefully planned and commissioned. Then one has to follow stringent RBI regulations to store at least 7 years of transactional and financial data.Storage For such high amounts of critical data it's natural to deploy network-based storage like NAS or SAN. NSE is implementing a SAN as it feels that its data volumes have grown 'phenomenally'.

Network Elements

Security This should be a vital and integral part of the design architecture. The hardware and software elements should be built around a layered security architecture. And it should be held in place with a well-documented security policy.All applications have been built with a conscious approach towards security. The security policies are tightly integrated and regularly scrutinized to leave no room for compromise. All the applications and OSs are hardened periodically for safety."

Network Elements

Backup and recovery This has emerged as one of the vital aspects of business continuity. When online exchanges were designed a few years ago, perhaps a lot of emphasis was not placed on this aspect, as it is today. However it's not difficult to add business continuity processes to an existing network.As a backup to our VSAT network, a terrestrial-based trading network was deployed in the middle of 2000. We have more than 850 leased lines connecting our nationwide locations.

Network Elements

We are the only stock exchange in the country to have a fully-redundant business continuity site in Chennai."Availability Ideally online exchanges should have 'five-nines' availability. Exchanges usually prefer to host its infrastructure in-house and not use the services of an external data center.NSE claims to achieve uptime greater than 99.9%. "This is mostly due to internally formulated procedures and continuous review of SLAs with hardware vendors,"

Network Elements

Applications It's difficult to deploy out-of-the-box applications at exchanges as each has a unique architecture based on factors like operations flow, trading volumes, number of members, number of users, and number of locations. The applications like trading, clearing, risk-management, surveillance, index computation, listing, membership, and accounts may be developed in-house or by external software developers.

Network Elements

The 'big two' architecturesNSE and BSE, the 'big two' exchanges believe in updating and upgrading its technology systems to keep delivering according to commitments and promises made to its members, partners, and customers.NSE architecture - NEATNSE has deployed NIBIS (NSE's Internet Based Information System) for real-time dissemination of trading information over the Internet and NEAT a client-server-based application to help its operations.

Network Elements

NEAT stores all trading information in an in-memory database at the server end to achieve minimum response time and maximum system availability for users. The trading server software runs on a fault-tolerant STRATUS mainframe and the client software runs on Windows PCs.The telecommunications network uses the X.25 protocol and is the backbone of the automated trading system. Each trading member trades on the NSE with other members through a PC located in the trading member's office.

Network Elements

The trading members on the Wholesale Debt Market segment are linked to the central computer at the NSE through dedicated 64 Kbps leased lines and VSAT terminals. These leased lines are multiplexed using dedicated 2 MB optical-fiber links. The WDM participants connect to the trading system through dial-up links.The exchange uses RISC-based Unix servers from Digital and HP for back office processing. Applications like Oracle 7 and SQL/Oracle Forms 4.5 front ends are used for the exchange functions.

BSE Architecture - BOLT

BSE has deployed an On Line Trading system (BOLT) on March 14, 1995. It works on a Tandem S74016 platform running on 16 CPUs. The Tandem Himalaya S74016 machines act as the backend to more than 8000 Trader Workstations networked on Ethernet, VSAT and Managed Leased Data Network (MLDN). The systems claim to handle up to two million trades a day.BOLT has a two-tier architecture. The trader workstations are connected directly to the backend server which acts as a communication server and a Central Trading Engine (CTE). Other services like information dissemination, index computation, and position monitoring are also provided by the system.

BSE Architecture - BOLT

A transaction monitoring facility in the Tandem architecture helps keep data integrity through non-stop SQL.With the help of MTNL, BSE has setup a MLDN Network comprising 300 2 Mbps lines and 1500 64 Kbps lines which connect all regional stock exchanges and offices in Mumbai. Access to market related information through the trader workstations is essential for the market participants to act on real-time basis and take instantaneous decisions. BOLT has been interfaced with various information vendors like Bloomberg, Bridge, and Reuters. Market information is fed to news agencies in real time. The exchange plans to enhance the capabilities further to have an integrated two-way information flow.

Online Trading Portals

Online trading is the investment activity that takes place over the Internet without the physical inclusion of the broker. An end user (investor) has to register with an online trading portal like ICICdirect.com, motilaloswal.com, smartjones.com, and sharekhan.com. The investor thus gets into an agreement with the firm to trade in different securities according to the terms and conditions listed down on the agreement.


Since the servers of the online trading portal are connected all the time to the stock exchanges and designated banks, order processing is done in real time. Investors can also get updates on the trading and check the status of their orders either through e-mail or through the interface.Portal designHarish Malhotra, Chief Technology Officer, Motilal Oswal Securities Limited, says "the portal should be simple to navigate, full of useful and relevant information which is available with the lowest number of clicks, and should be personalized."


However a very important aspect is that the systems should be able to interface directly with that of the online exchanges without incompatibility issues.ICICIdirect.com uses 128-bit encryption enabled Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to ensure that the information transmitted across the Internet is safe and cannot be accessed by a third party.Users are usually given options to link their bank accounts, Demat accounts, and brokerage accounts into a single interface. There is also a single window for all exchanges and a single screen for the complete order routing mechanism.


The hardware used comprises Web and application servers, switches, routers, firewalls and security devices, and specialized appliances.Motilaloswal.com uses Compaq servers for applications and database, Cisco routers, and Checkpoint firewalls. The systems have been customized by its in-house team. The trading applications are outsourced. "We also have offline storage which is backed up periodically at separate locations," says Harish.


Portal successThe success of a trade portal will definitely depend on its bouquet of services for an end-user. Most portals charge a small registration fee and brokerage based on various conditions. However it's important for the organization to keep focused on customer-centric services and delivery models to actually enjoy the most attention.

Contact Centers Building a Call Center (Case Study)

National Stock Exchange System Architecture

X.25 Network

NSE NET

Trader Workstation

Data center operator Trading System

Insat3b

VSAT

Trader Workstation

Clearing system

MTNL

NMSRouter

MLDN Modem

Help Desk

Internet

Firewall

LAN

Disaster back up

VSAT Network

Surveillance System

http://www.networkmagazineindia.com/200211/20021120nse.jpg

Building a call center (Case study)

Manjushree Infotech wanted to enter the IT Enabled Services space and decided to set up a call center in Kolkata. Although inexperienced in the call center business, the company decided upon the appropriate technology and solution platform after evaluation. by Soutiman Das GuptaManjushree Infotech decided to enter the IT Enabled Services (ITES) space because it felt that this area had a lot of business potential. It received a mandate from the Health Management Organization (HMO) in USA to support its call center in Tampa, Florida. And in order to support the operations of this facility, Manjushree Infotech decided to set up a call center inKolkata with the required infrastructure.


THE SOLUTION PLANThe plan was to build a small setup comprising 25 seats which could scale up when business picked up and new clients were acquired. The company had to keep a number of aspects in mind in order to plan the setup."We had to look for a technology platform and a call center solution that would be quick to deploy keeping in mind our customer's need, address our expansion plans, and support a future need for convergence," said Sam Swaminathan, CEO, Manjushree Infotech.


The solution had to be scalable enough to support the company's expansion plans. It had to be built on an integrated single infrastructure in order to exploit the convergence in data, voice, and video. It was compulsory for the WAN to have QoS features since voice would be the primary medium of communication. And the solution had to support multimedia applications and use the benefits of convergence to deliver multiple modes of interaction with customers


It was also important to build the converged, multi-service infrastructure based on IP. The availability of a wide variety of applications on IP for voice, data and video were highlighted as key drivers for the adoption of technology. And this infrastructure had to interoperate seamlessly with legacy PBX, based on TDM voice in the US. "Since we had no prior experience with call centers and there were various solutions available in the market to address our needs, we decided to adopt an extensive evaluation process.


All vendors presented their suggested technology direction for voice and video to our decision-makers and teams of technical consultants belonging to our customer in the US," said Amit Choudhury, Principal Consultant, Manjushree Infotech.The company conducted discussions with various vendors like Lucent, Nortel, and Cisco for architectural designs and directions for the call center technology."We chose Cisco because it had the requisite experience and expertise in setting up call centers. Cisco also promised to stay focused on customer satisfaction and offered an end-to-end solution," said Swaminathan.


IMPLEMENTATIONThe implementation process began with the setup of a WAN, which connected Kolkata to the Tampa Florida-based call center. A 512K leased line link was set up via satellite. The link connected to the LAN at the Manjushree call center in Kolkata. This allowed the call center agents to communicate with HMO's US customers.The company deployed Cisco's IP Voice Gateway and LAN gear, like the Cisco 3600 series routers and the Cisco 4000 series switch. The IP Voice Gateway was linked with the legacy PBX in the US and supported TDM voice call termination in the US. It also allowed the conversion of calls to IP for transporting to India.


The company then deployed Cisco IPCC (IP Contact Center) and Cisco IP Telephony solutions at the call center LAN at Kolkata.Cisco's IPCC & IP Telephony solution comprised:•Cisco Intelligent Contact Management (ICM) •Cisco IP IVR (Interactive Voice Response) •Cisco Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) Desktop •Cisco Collaboration Server •Cisco Call Manager •Cisco IP Phones


There were a few delivery issues with the equipment which were solved quickly. The Call Manager software needed to be tuned a bit and router software versions had to be upgraded", said Choudhury. The functionsThe solutions helped to combine software Automated Call Distribution (ACD) functionality with IP telephony in a unified environment. The call center can also extend its current infrastructure to connect other geographically distant contact centers it may open in future.


The ICM software provides ACD functionality including monitoring and control of agent state, routing and queuing of contacts, CTI capabilities, real-time data for agents and supervisors, and historical reporting. The IVR unit performs self-service functions and call treatment messages to queued callers.The CTI Desktop delivers a set of customer-specific information collected from the Internet, carrier networks, IVRs, databases, and other applications to the desktop of the call center agents. The agent can view the data and get pop-up screens which provide more information.


The Cisco Collaboration Server provides customers multiple communication choices like e-mail and Web-based chat. And the Cisco Call Manager software provides traditional PBX telephony features and functions like basic call processing, signaling, and connection services to a packet telephony device like an IP phone.A VoIP gateway was deployed at the Tampa Florida call center.FRUITS OF LABORThe call center began operations on January 04, 2000 and now handles around 1,600 incoming calls a day. Each call consumes around 11.2 Kbps bandwidth.


The company is able to integrate PSTN and Web-based communication channels through Web collaboration and e-mail response management capabilities. Since the solution is on IP, the architecture is open, and able to support interoperability with other vendor devices and applications.The solution also provides multiple reporting capabilities with various views of resource utilization. It enables the company to track expenses and agent productivity and provides dynamic reporting to end-customers.IN FUTUREThe company plans to increase the number of seats to 100 and perhaps more when new customers are acquired. It also plans to upgrade its WAN link to 2 Mbps.

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