IT Infrastructure Components, Virtualization, and Cloud Models

This chapter covers the infrastructure components that support modern information systems. The key is to understand enough about the environment to judge control implications, operational risk, and reliability of system output.

In This Chapter

• Hardware Components: Servers, End‑User Devices, and Networks introduces the core physical and network building blocks of IT environments.
• Operating Systems and Virtualization Concepts explains the software layers that manage resources and support system flexibility.
• Cloud Computing Models (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) and Deployment Architectures covers the service models and deployment choices that change control responsibility.

How to Use This Chapter

• Read this chapter before deeper systems and control topics if infrastructure concepts are still fuzzy.
• Focus on how architecture choices affect access, availability, and control ownership.
• Revisit it whenever an ISC question depends on understanding the environment supporting the application.

In this section

• Hardware Components, End-User Devices, Networks, and Related Risks
  Hardware, end-user devices, networks, and related control risks.
• Operating Systems, Hypervisors, Virtual Machines, and Containers
  Operating systems, hypervisors, virtual machines, and containers.
• Cloud Service Models, Deployment Options, and Shared Responsibility
  Cloud service models, deployment options, and shared-responsibility concepts.