Chapter 10 - System Architecture Flashcards
(1) In business processing modeling notation, a fork in the process, allowing the flow to go one way or another. (2) A router or other network device used to connect to a larger, dissimilar type of network, such as the Internet.
gateway
A bandwidth or throughput measurement.
megabits per second (Mbps)
A bandwidth or throughput measurement.
gigabits per second (Gbps)
A central location where physical data was delivered or transmitted in some manner and entered into the system. Users in the organization had no input or output capability, except for printed reports that were distributed by a corporate IT department.
data processing center
A central wireless device that provides network services to wireless clients.
access point
A central wireless device that provides network services to wireless clients.
wireless access point (WAP)
A computer acting as “middlemen” between customers and an organization’s databases and applications. Often used to facilitate complex business transactions.
application server
A computer network where a single communication path connects the mainframe computer, server, workstations, and peripheral devices. Information is transmitted in either direction from any workstation to another workstation, and any message can be directed to a specific device.
bus network
A device that connects network segments, determines the most efficient data path, and guides the flow of data.
router
A distributed environment where applications and data are downloaded from servers and exchanged with peers across a network on an as-needed basis.
net-centric computing
A family of wireless network specifications developed by the IEEE.
802.11
A form of wireless transmission very popular for short-distance wireless communication that does not require high power.
Bluetooth
A multilevel design or architecture. For example, three-tier designs also are called _____________, to indicate that some designs use more than one intermediate layer.
n-tier designs
A network design in which each node connects to every other node. While this design is very reliable, it is also expensive to install and maintain.
mesh network
A network design that allows the sharing of data and hardware, such as printers and scanners. Advances in data communication technology have made it possible to create powerful networks that use satellite links, high-speed fiber-optic lines, or the Internet to share data.
local area network (LAN)
A network design that locates all or most of the application processing logic at the client
fat client / thick client
A network design that relies on multiple data paths to increase bandwidth and range, using MIMO technology.
multipath design
A network design where one computer (typically a mainframe) controls the entire network. Satellite computers or servers control lower levels of processing and network devices.
hierarchical network
A network design with a central device and one or more workstations connected to it in a way that forms a star pattern.
star network
A network is _____________ if a user sees the data as if it were stored on his or her own workstation.
transparent
A network resembling a circle of computers that communicate with each other. A ____________ often is used when processing is performed at local sites rather than at a central location.
ring network
A network spanning long distances that can link users who are continents apart.
wide area network (WAN)
A networking device that provides Internet connectivity for internal LAN users.
proxy server
A nonprofit international association formed in 1999 to certify interoperability of wireless network products based on IEEE 802.11 specifications.
Wi-Fi Alliance
A physical device, wired or wireless, that can send, receive, or manage network data.
node
A process that allows wireless clients to move from one access point to another, automatically associating with the stronger access point and allowing for uninterrupted service.
roaming
A professional organization that establishes standards for telecommunications.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
A specific hardware and software configuration that supports IT business goals such as hardware connectivity and easy integration of future applications.
platform / environment
A strategy or approach that emphasizes a high degree of integration with other web-based components. A ________________ architecture follows Internet design protocols and enables a company to integrate the new application into its e-commerce strategy.
web-centric
A system design where the server performs all the processing.
mainframe architecture
A system for managing data stored at more than one location. Using a _______ offers several advantages: Data stored closer to users can reduce network traffic; the system is scalable, so new data sites can be added without reworking the system design; and with data stored in various locations, the system is less likely to experience a catastrophic failure. A potential disadvantage of distributed data storage involves data security. It can be more difficult to maintain controls and standards when data is stored in various locations.
distributed database management system (DDBMS)
A translation of the logical design of an information system into a physical structure that includes hardware, software, network support, and processing methods.
system architecture
A view of a network that describes the way the components interact, rather than the actual network cabling and connections.
logical topology
A web-based repository of information that anyone can access, contribute to, or modify.
wiki
A website that provides various tools and features for an organization’s customers, employees, suppliers, and the public.
corporate portal
A wireless network configuration in which a central wireless device called an access point is used to serve all wireless clients.
infrastructure mode / Basic Service Set (BSS)
A wireless network configuration made up of two or more BSS networks, which allows wireless clients to roam from BSS to BSS
Extended Service Set (ESS)
A wireless network that is relatively inexpensive to install and is well suited to workgroups and users who are not anchored to a specific desk or location.
wireless local area network (WLAN)
A wireless networking technology incorporated in the IEEE 802.11n and 802.11ac standards that uses multiple data streams and multiple antennas to achieve higher transmission speeds and substantially increase wireless range over earlier standards.
multiple input/multiple output (MIMO)
An entrance to a multifunction website. After entering a ________, a user can navigate to a destination, using various tools and features provided by the portal designer.
portal
An evolution of the web where the documents shared on the Internet have semantics (meaning) and not just syntax (HTML markup). Sometimes called Web 3.0.
semantic web
An IEEE wireless network specification adopted in 2009 that uses MIMO technology to achieve speeds of 200+ Mbps while increasing the wireless range and is backward compatible with 802.11a, b, and g.
802.11n
An IEEE wireless network specification introduced in 1999 based on a frequency of 2.4 GHz and maximum bandwidth of 11 Mbps. Replaced by 802.11g.
802.11b
An IEEE wireless network specification introduced in 2003 based on a frequency of 2.4 GHz and maximum bandwidth of 54 Mbps; compatible with and replaced 802.11b and has been superseded by the 802.11n standard.
802.11g
An IEEE wireless network specification, approved in 2014, that uses expanded MIMO technology to achieve theoretical speeds of nearly 7 Gbps while increasing the wireless range and is backward compatible with 802.11a, b, g, and n.
802.11ac
Central networking device in a star network, which manages the network and acts as a conduit for all network traffic.
switch
Company-wide systems that are connected by one or more LANs or WANs. The capabilities of a __________________ depend on the power and capacity of the underlying data communication network.
distributed systems
Computer in a client/server design that supplies data, processing, and services to client workstations.
server
Describes how data actually moves from an application on one computer to an application on another networked computer. The ____ consists of seven layers, and each layer performs a specific function.
Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model
Family of popular IEEE LAN wireless networking standards, also known as 802.11, including 802.11a, b, g, and n. 802.11n is the most recent standard. 802.11ac and 802.11ad are proposed new standards.
wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi)
Generally refers to systems that divide processing between one or more networked clients and a central server. In a typical client/ server system, the client handles the entire user interface, including data entry, data query, and screen presentation logic. The server stores the data and provides data access and database management functions. Application logic is divided in some manner between the server and the clients.
client/server architecture
Handling transactions when and where they occur and providing output directly to users. Because it is interactive, online processing avoids delays and allows a constant dialog between the user and the system.
online system
In a _________________, the user interface runs on the client and the data is stored on the server, just as in a two-tier design. A __________________ also has a middle layer between the client and server that processes the client requests and translates them into data access commands that can be understood and carried out by the server.
three-tier design
A performance characteristic of a client/server computing environment. Client/server response times tend to increase gradually and then rise dramatically as the system nears its capacity. The point where response times increase dramatically.
knee of the curve
Part of the information system, an _____________ handles the input, manages the processing logic, and provides the required output.
applications
Part of the Web 2.0 model, an online computing environment created by online communities and services, based on layers of shared information that can contain text, sound bytes, images, and video clips.
Internet operating system
Refers to a system’s ability to expand, change, or downsize easily to meet the changing needs of a business enterprise.
scalability / extensibility
The ability to match network resources to needs at any given time; a feature of cloud computing. For example, during peak loads, additional cloud servers might come on line automatically to support increased workloads.
scaling on demand
The amount of data that the system can handle in a fixed time period. ___________ requirements are expressed in bits per second (bps).
bandwidth
The center of a star network. Switches in modern networks have largely replaced _____.
hub
The connection structure of an actual network’s cabling.
physical topology
The data associated with an older, less technologically advanced legacy system.
legacy data
The part of an information system that handles daily sales transactions and maintains the online inventory file.
point-of-sale (POS)
The second major version of the network protocol used by the web. Released as a standard in 2015.
HTTP/2
The underlying business rules or logic for an application.
application logic
The way a network is configured. LAN and WAN networks typically are arranged in one of four common patterns: hierarchical, bus, star, and ring.
network topology
Traffic on a computer network.
data frames
A network design where the user interface resides on the client, all data resides on the server, and the application logic can run either on the server or on the client or be divided between the client and the server.
two-tier design
When personal computers first appeared in large numbers in the 1990, users found that they could run their own word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications, without assistance from the IT group, in a mode called ______________ computing.
stand-alone
Workstation that users interact within a client/server design. These workstations, or computers, are supplied data, processing services, or other support from other computers, called servers.
clients
