Analysis of Barclays Hardware Systems

Analysis of Barclays Hardw ar SystemsReason for choosing organisationA couple of clientelees were considered for the report. Both had a suitable IT system that was an integral part of their day to day operations and was suitable to investigate. Ultimately, Barclays IS team was chosen because they were far more accessible.Data collection is a planned approach to acquire information from a source or sources to form a clear understanding of a especial(a) area of gratify (Davies, 2007). Various methods goat be employed to collect data such as questionnaires, interviews, observation, and group discussion (Denscombe, 2013).The primary method of data collection was by dint of with(predicate) a face to face interview. A questionnaire was developed to find out about the architecture and infrastructure of the companys computer systems. The responses were then written down as they were given (Appendix).Hardware and Operating SystemsEveryone in the office has a ThinkPad t410 or a similar s pec laptop. These will either run Windows 7 or Windows 10 depending on what the person needs. Its worth noting that site uses hot desks with employees plugging in their laptop at any available workstation.Several Windows servers of various specs are used. These are built to the specification required of the application/function to be hosted on them.Mainframes using z/OS (MVS Multiple Virtual Storage)VMs with RHEL5/6/7 (Red Hat Enterprise Linux)Hpnsk, by hp (tandem)Legacy servers with AIXSoftwareThe employees laptops all eat up Microsoft software management, Microsoft Exchange for email, Atlassian Jira, and Cisco Jabber for VoIP. Both laptops in like manner use NAS (Network-attached storage) for most their storage. A lot of the other software depends on the OS that the laptop runs. Windows 7 laptops use Microsoft Office 2010 and have the ability to ready bespoke software with local admin access (special permissions have to be given for this). By contrast, the Windows 10 laptops u se Office 365, a software package accessed through Microsofts cloud service, and are only allowed to use thin clients, a client that relies on the cloud for its computational processes.Network facilitiessplit into several domains, depending on security department requirements. DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) for connecting to third parties. Mqipt, certification.Security MeasuresThere are a wide range of security measures in place at Barclays. In terms of physical security, all access on site requires swipe cards with access only being given when necessary. In addition to this, tailgating someone is a removable offence for both parties involved.For virtual security, the estate has several measures in place. They have an external and an internal firewall (the DMZ is in the midst of these two firewalls). Any admin rights need individuation and Verification checks to be allowed. Service accounts (non-login accounts with personal access controlled via major powerBroker) allows for the use r to perform certain admin tasks without needing root access, essentially reducing abuse of privilege.In terms of redundancy, Barclays has a few different levels of this depending on how critical it is to the business. For the lowest tier, they use offsite backup servers to ensure that data is not lost in the event of a hazard (i.e. flood, fire, theft). For important services that need to be kept online, they can use active-active. This hosts the service in two distinct geographical locations with incubus balancing between them. If one of the hosts were to close for any reason, the load would pass onto the 2nd host.Not all software is capable of this active load balancing, for these instances active-passive is used. This is similar to active-active but without the load balancing instead, if the active instance closes, the passive instance takes over.Hardware and software implementationBarclays thoroughly reviews and tests any new hardware or software in the beginning it is employ to try and find out what effect it will have on the estate. This extends to new versions and patches of software already in use. Every new pick must be suitable for the task, and it must be compliant with the businesses regulations. The disruption is causes should be within business expectations, for example, a critical patch would be implemented regardless of how disruptive it is by contrast, a less important patch would be scheduled to create a minimal impact.Some software (particularly open-source) have features of the program modified or removed before it is introduced into the business. After this, it is packaged and distributed according to the businesses patching schedule.Legal and Ethical requirementsAs a bank, Barclays handles incredibly crude data and must adhere to the law regarding it.According to the Data Protection Act (1998), anyone using data must follow data protection principles.They must make sure the information isused fairly and lawfullyused for limited, spe cifically stated purposesused in a way that is adequate, relevant and not excessiveaccuratekept for no longer than is absolutely necessaryhandled according to peoples data protection rightskept safe and securenot transferred outside the European Economic Area without adequate protectionThere is the legal obligation of duty of care that must be adhered to when dealing with customers data, therefore its of uttermost(a) importance that the rules and regulations are followed with absolute compliance. This is because if the business is found to be not following them, it can result in up to 5 years in prison. In addition to this, it will hurt the businesses reputation lowering trust that customers place in them. As for ethical requirements, theres no specific drawn up rules however there were specific areas within the businesses where ethics do come into play for example keeping customers information up-to-date and accurate, respecting their privacy and finally of way of life ensuring i ts protected. There are in addition ethics for the workers for example using the systems in a responsible way, making sure computers and software is kept to a particular standard and finally keeping system procedures etc. documented so workers can know how to use them to full potential.Finally, where software is obtained and used on a fair usage policythis is something always kept too.Effect of emerging technologiesBarclays IS team has very much embraced cloud technology and integrated it into a keen deal of their systems. All the employees laptops use NAS and many use the cloud for other applications. This has the effect of reducing costs in terms of processing power and memory. It has also allowed for many employees to work from home, something which they do regularly.Open source software is software with its source code made available to the public, in most cases people can study and modify the software. The adoption of open source is something many large businesses are current ly going through. The key effect of open source, from a business perspective, is that it is far cheaper than traditional proprietary software, but it does have other effects. It is much easier and quicker to obtain and implement OSS than proprietary.Some older applications are currently unable(p) to work with open source and cloud technology. These applications will likely have to be rewritten to be used in the future.Lenovo ThinkPad T410 SpecificationScreen 14.1-inch WXGA+ (1440 x 900) light-emitting diode Backlit (Matte finish)Operating System Windows 7 Professional (64bit)Processor Intel Core i5-540M (2.53GHz, 3MB Cache)Memory 4GB DDR3 RAM (2GB + 2GB)Storage 320GB Seagate 7400.4 HDD (7200rpm)Optical Drive DVD+/-RWWireless Intel 6200 802.11AGN, Bluetooth, Gobi 2000 WWANGraphics NVIDIA NVS 3100M with 256MB DDR3Power 94Wh 9-cell, 90W 20V AC adapterDimensions 13.13 x 9.41 x 1.09-1.26?Weight 5lbs 9.3oz