Parts of a here'n now workin' setup

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When we’re talkin’ ‘bout operational architecture, we mean all the parts that together make up a company’s IT infrastructure. That’s networks, servers, storage, services, and security, and how it all ties together.

What in tarnation is an Operational Architecture?

An operational architecture is a lay o’ the land showin’ all the IT components in a setup and how they’re connected. Think of it as a map o’ the whole IT system. It includes everything from physical hardware to software and security measures.

For a small outfit, this might be as simple as a router, a server, and a few PCs. For a bigger operation, it could include hundreds o’ servers, multiple networks, cloud services, and a whole heap more.

Network Components

The network is the bedrock of any operation’s architecture. Without the network, no gear can talk to each other.

Component What it does Example
Switch Hooks devices together in a local network (LAN) Unifi Switch, TP-Link
Router Sends traffic between different networks Your home router, ISP router
Gateway The entry point between your network and the internet Often hitched to the router
Firewall Filters traffic and blocks unwanted folks from gettin’ in pfSense, OPNsense, Unifi Gateway
Access Point (AP) Provides wireless connection to the network Unifi AP, TP-Link AP

Hvordan henger det sammen?

A typical order be:

Internet → Router/Gateway → Firewall → Switch → Devices (PCs, servers, APs)

That switch hooks everything up internally, and the router/firewall keeps watch on what’s comin’ in and goin’ out.

Easy Task 1 - Map Yer Home Network

What kinda network gear ya got at home? Most folks got at least one router from their internet provider. Try and figure out:

  • Ya got a router, a switch, or a combination of both?
  • Ya got a separate access point, or is the WiFi built right into the router?
  • What’s the IP address of yer router? (Hint: ipconfig in the terminal on Windows)

Servers and Clients

In an operational architecture, we distinguish between servers and clients:

Role Description Example
Server A machine that offers services to others Web server, file server, print server
Client A machine that uses the services the server offers Your PC, mobile, tablet

A server don’t need to be a big, fancy machine. An old laptop runnin’ Linux and sharin’ files over the network is technically a server. It’s about the role, not the size.

Formfaktorer

Servers come in different physical formats:

  • Tower - Looks just like a regular desktop PC. Good for small outfits.
  • Rack - Mounted in a server rack. The standard for big data centers.
  • Blade - Compact modules tucked into a chassis. Used in them big data centers.

Storin’

Data gotta be stored somewhere, ya see. In a proper setup, there’s a few options:

Type Explanation Example
Local disk Storin’ right there in the machine itself SSD, HDD in a PC or server
NAS Network storin’ shared ‘tween devices Synology, TrueNAS
SAN Dedicated storin’ network for high performance Used in big data centers
Cloud storin’ Storin’ with a cloud provider OneDrive, Google Drive, S3

NAS vs. SAN

  • NAS (Network Attached Storage) shares files over a regular network. Easy to set up.
  • SAN (Storage Area Network) uses its own, dedicated network for storage. Faster, but more complex.

For most small and medium-sized outfits, NAS is more than good enough.

Services and Software

The servers in an operational architecture run all sorts of services. Here’s a few common ones:

Service What it does Example
E-mail and collaboration Communication and workin’ together Microsoft 365, Google Workspace
File servers Store and share files round the ranch SharePoint, SAMBA
Web servers Deliver web pages to the folks Nginx, Apache
Print server Share printers ‘tween devices CUPS (Linux), Windows Print Server
Software Applications the folks use for workin’ Office, Teams, Visual Studio Code

Watchin’ and Securin’

To keep a runnin’ architecture healthy, we gotta know what’s goin’ on:

Component What it does Example
Loggin’ server Gathers log data from servers and services Grafana + Loki, Graylog
Monitorin’ Shows status and performance in real-time Grafana, Zabbix, Uptime Kuma
Access control Controls who gets access to what Username/password, MFA
Antivirus Protects against malware Windows Defender, ClamAV
Backup Backup of data and systems Proxmox Backup, Veeam

Backup ain’t optional

A good rule o’ thumb is the 3-2-1 rule:

  • 3 copies o’ yer data
  • 2 different storage mediums (like disk + cloud)
  • 1 copy offsite (away from the ranch)

Easy Task 2 - You Followin’ 3-2-1?

Give some thought to yer own school files:

  • How many copies ya got of yer projects?
  • You just usin’ OneDrive, or ya keep some stuff local too?
  • What happens if ya lose access to yer Microsoft account?

Lots o’ folks find out they only got one copy. That’ll do ‘til it don’t.

Virtualizin’

Instead o’ havin’ a physical machine fer each service, we can use virtualizin’ to run multiple services on the same hardware:

Technology Explanation Example
Virtual Machines (VM) Whole operatin’ systems runnin’ on shared hardware Proxmox, VMware
Containers Lightweight, isolated environments fer single applications Docker, Podman

Virtualizin’ is one o’ the most important concepts in modern IT operations. It saves space, power, and makes it easier to manage the services.

Puttin’ It All Together

Here’s an example o’ how a simple operational architecture might look for a small school:

Internet
   │
   ▼
[Router / Firewall]
   │
   ▼
[Switch]──────────────────────────────────┐
   │          │          │                │
   ▼          ▼          ▼                ▼
[Server]  [AP WiFi]  [Printer]    [Elev-PCer]
   │
   ├── VM: Webserver (Nginx)
   ├── VM: File server (SAMBA)
   └── Docker: Grafana + Loki

This here overview shows ya it don’t gotta be complicated. The whole point is havin’ a clear view of what’s out there, and how it all connects.

Easy Task 3 - Sketch the School’s Architecture

Try and draw a simple overview of the IT infrastructure at yer school (or at home). Feel free to use pen and paper, or a tool like draw.io.

  • What kinda networkin’ gear ya got?
  • How many networks do ya reckon the school’s got? (Hint: students and staff are likely on different networks)
  • What services do ya use every day? (WiFi, file storage, printin’, email…)

Ya don’t need to know it all. The point is to start thinkin’ in systems.

Summin’ It Up

A runnin’ architecture is all about understandin’ the whole shebang:

  • Networkin’ ties it all together
  • Servers deliver the goods
  • Storage looks after the data
  • Security protects against varmints
  • Monitorin’ gives ya the inside scoop
  • Virtualizin’ saves on resources

Once ya can describe these parts and explain how they work together, ya got a good grasp of the runnin’ architecture.