Chapter 5: Infrastructures: Sustainable Technologies

Question 1

MIS infrastructure

Answer 1

• includes the plans for how a firm will build, deploy, use, and share its data, processes, and MIS assets (hardware, software, network, client, server)
• reduces costs, improve productivity, optimize business operations, generate growth, and increase profitability

Question 2

Network

Answer 2

is a communications system created by linking two or more devices and establishing a standard methodology in which they can communicate

Question 3

Client

Answer 3

is a computer designed to request information from a server

Question 4

Server

Answer 4

is a computer dedicated to providing information in response to requests

Question 5

MIS Infrastructure Goals

Answer 5

• supporting strategy: allowing strategic initiatives
• supporting operations: information MIS infrastructure
• supporting change: agile MIS infrastructure
• supporting the environment: sustainable MIS
  infrastructure

Question 6

Strategic planning

Answer 6

a structured set of steps; a repetitive process

Question 7

Goal

Answer 7

identification of strategic information systems

Question 8

Strategic information systems

Answer 8

designed and implemented to enable the creation and appropriation of value (competitive advantage)

Question 9

Advantages of the IS Strategic Planning
Process

Answer 9

• improved communication
• improved coordination
• improved decision making

Question 10

Porter’s Five Forces Model

Answer 10

analyzes the competitive forces within the environment in which a company operates to assess the potential for profitability in an industry

Question 11

5 forces of Porter’s Model

Answer 11

1. Buyer Power
2. Supplier Power
3. Threat of Substitute Products or Services
4. Threat of New Entrants
5. Rivalry among Existing Competitors

Question 12

Porter’s Value Chain Analysis

Answer 12

• views a firm as a series of business processes, each of which adds value to the product or service
• two types of activities: primary and support

ex. marketing a Teddy Bear: using social media to reduce costs, personalization

Question 13

SWOT Analysis

Answer 13

• strengths
• weaknesses
• opportunities
• threats

Question 14

3 Areas in MIS Infrastructure

Answer 14

• backup and recovery plan
• disaster recovery plan
• business continuity plan

Question 15

Backup and Recovery plan

Answer 15

plan to minimize the damage of a system crash or failure

Question 16

Backup

Answer 16

an exact copy of a system’s information

Question 17

Recovery

Answer 17

the ability to get a system up and running in the event of a system crash or failure: fault tolerance, failover, failback

Question 18

Disaster recovery plan

Answer 18

a detailed process for recovering information or an IT system in the event of a catastrophic disaster such as a fire or flood

Question 19

Business Continuity Plan

Answer 19

details how a company recovers and restores critical business operations and systems after a disaster or extended disruption (hot, warm, cold sites)

Question 20

3 Components of Sustainable MIS Infrastructure

Answer 20

• grid computing
• virtualization
• cloud computing