Introduction to Infrastructure

Tags

Getting Started

Owner

Zach

Verification

💡

We can utilize our Windows 11 Virtual Machine to explore different aspects of the infrastructure discussed in this section.

The core to every organization that utilizes technology. What makes up the infrastructure and what are the most important aspects of the infrastructure a student should know or understand as they are getting started?

Many people recommend CompTIA trifecta as a starting point. However, there is an abundance of information on these exams that simply do not apply to the real-world or are not relevant for beginning your IT journey. This class will focus on teaching you the foundational knowledge that you need to get started from a PRACTICAL and REAL-WORLD perspective, but what does this mean?

Our primary focus will be to teach you the important foundations that make up your standard IT infrastructure, but more importantly we will focus on teaching you how you can easily obtain the information that you need to be successful. What many other training providers fail to focus on is that IT is a learning journey and over time your knowledge base will expand. Instead of trying to cram as much information into you immediately, let’s focus on the the base level practical knowledge that can actually help you in a real-world IT position.

In this section we will take you through a journey that breaks down the foundations of networking, from the internet to the network switch to the computer ((visualize this process for everyone, show a home modem/router and discuss how traffic is routed from your comptuer, through your router, through a hub, through many other hubs and networks and switches to reach the destination intended and how packets are transfers — from a basic level!) End by talking about the reverse, from the computer to the switch to the comcast to wherever

Additionally we will introduce the other technology and devices that make up your IT infrastructure and discuss other common technologies, applications, and hardware found in IT environments.

As we move further through this course, we may often reference Policies and Procedures and how they are applied to the different technologies or scenarios we will experience in an entry-level IT position.

Desktops
Laptops
Tablets, Phones, & Mobile Devices
Peripherals
Printers
Servers
Network
Cloud

(overview of common PC hardware and software troubleshooting steps/scenarios)

Computer Hardware:

Desktops

Components

Common replacement items

PSU
RAM
HDDs

Damage

Capacitors
PSU

Laptops

Components

Common replacement items

RAM
HDDs

Damage

Keyboards
Screens

Servers

Components
Types of servers

Networking

Switches
Routers
Not your ordinary home routers

Printers:

Print servers
Print GUIs/Portals
Printing issues

Trays
Stalled print jobs/restarting print spooler

BIOS - this should be included in the desktops/laptops/servers section to some extent.

Why BIOS? Something every computer has that isn’t natively tied to the OS. This changes from manufacturer to manufacturer. Consider this the operating system for the computer itself. This is what tells the computer what to do during the initial bootup. So let’s talk about this and get yourself familiar with the BIOS so you can understand.

Different Function options per manufacturer.
Changing boot order/PXE booting
Updating bios/flash bios
TPM and that new secure shit everyone hates
Virtualization checks(highlight for course-specific because of VM installs)
Apply troubleshooting scenarios to applicable points.

Virtualization

VMWare

Vsphere, Vcenter, and the like.

VirtualBox
ProxMox
Apply troubleshooting scenarios to applicable points.

Cloud

Provide a general/understanding overview of how cloud services work, why we use them, and then potentially how a student would interact with cloud services in an entry level role.