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An IT Architecture for Emory University

Adopted by CIRT

Document 2: Designing Emory’s IT Architecture

February 20, 2002

ITA Version 2.6.1

© 2000 Emory University

A message can be sent at any time without waiting for the receiver to

indicate that it is ready.

The "official" process or system that maintains a piece of data, and the

place where data validity issues and creation and update rules for that

piece of data is addressed.

A product or service that is so standardized that the main differentiator

between suppliers of it is price.

A part that has a clearly defined usage, function, or purpose and that can

be accessed in a defined way without knowledge of its internals. A

component can be a hardware part, software, a database table, a

software routine, a code module, a server, a database, a system, etc.

Factual material such as numbers, text, sounds, or images suitable for

communication, interpretation or processing. It is raw and without

meaning. Cf. Information.

In the context of organizational scope, it is all sites of the Emory

The entire legal entity to which the University and Emory Healthcare

highly discrete

Built of as many parts (called “components”) with clearly defined usage,

function, or purpose, as are distinctly useful.

Information is data with meaning understood in context.

infrastructure, IT

The foundation on which IT systems are run. The basic stuff you need to

have in place before you can start to build IT solutions. It provides

storage, bandwidth and processing power. It consists of the components

of a computing setup: the wiring, routers, switches, operating systems,

middleware, mainframes, servers and sometimes desktop machines.

Use of Internet technologies to deliver IT services internally to an

organization. It is typically an internal internet that is separated from the

global Internet by at least one firewall, and may employ additional Internet

technologies to increase security.

Information Technology

loosely coupled

Components depend as little as possible on knowledge of the state or on

the performance of other components in order to use them.

Unencumbered specifications are freely available, independent branding

and certification processes exist, and multiple implementations of a single

product may be created.

Anything the university has for the purpose of pursuing its mission. An IT

resource is any information technology that is a resource.

Of a resource: Responsible to the owner of the resource and sets policy

for the resource. Typically has an active, working knowledge and

understanding of a resource and its needs. Often a senior university

official with planning and policy level responsibility for a resource created

or maintained within a functional area or business process of the

university. May empower a custodian to manage the resource.

University, the

In the context of organizational scope, it is the enrolled students and the

employed faculty and staff of Emory University no matter where they are