Information technology infrastructure (IT infrastructure) consists of everything that plays a role in IT operations for an organization. All of the hardware, including servers, computers, switches, hubs and routers, and other equipment in the data center is a part of the IT infrastructure for that organization. All of the software used by the organization, such as their productivity apps like email and calendaring, customer relationship management (CRM) products, enterprise resource planning (ERP) products, and security and access management products, are part of the IT infrastructure. All networking components and software, and even the facilities that house the data center are considered part of the IT infrastructure.
Today, enterprise IT infrastructure includes components that are internal to an organization and deployed in its own data center facilities, as well as components deployed in a cloud computing system.
An organization’s IT infrastructure allows it to deliver IT services and products to its employees, customers, and partners. The ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) framework is a set of detailed best practices around IT infrastructure design and management, and is designed to align IT services with business needs. ITIL is published in five volumes and describes processes, procedures, tasks and checklists that are technology neutral and can be used to integrate IT services with the organization’s business strategy. IT professionals can become certified in ITIL by demonstrating their mastery of the five books.