ISM Flashcards
What is a distributed system?
A network of computers that are connected using a distribution middleware.
Why a distributed system?
Help in sharing resources and capabilities to provide users with a single and integrated coherent network.
What determines the degree to which a system is distributed?
- Where the processing is done
- How processors and other devices are interconnected
- Where the information is stored
- What rules or standards are used.
Name the different types of distributed systems
Host-based, Decentralised, Peer-to-peer, Hybrid
Benefit of processing and storing data near the user
Reduces bandwidth – Ideally have more than one communication route between nodes
What is client server?
Client/server is a program relationship in which one program (the client) requests a service or resource from another program (the server). (Example logging into an online banking service)
What are the benefits of client server?
- Distribute computing, data storage and workload.
- Increased flexibility
- System scalability
- Costumisable GUIs for users
What are the drawbacks of client server?
- No cost differential (with regard to mainframe systems)
2. IS job more complex (e.g distributed software)
Name the 3 Web Service Standards (software)
- XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
- WSDL (Web Services Definition Language)
- UDDI (Universal Discovery, Description and Integration)
Name the 3 Web Service Standards (communication)
- SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol)
- HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
- TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
The Three Level Database Model
- External, conceptual or local level
- Logical or enterprise data level
- Physical or storage level
Three main data models
- Hierarchial
- Network
- Relational
What is a prerequisite to installing an ERP system?
Data quality
What defines data quality?
– Data is consistent
– Data definitions are cleaned up and consistent
– Shared data controlled
– Data distribution managed
What is a content management system?
A system that is interactive, content deployment and presentation, managing content creation and safeguarding, content is not static, asset management, can handle multiple formats. (Blackboard is a good example)
What is big data?
Big data is a term that describes the large volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. But it’s not the amount of data that’s important. It’s what organizations do with the data that matters. Big data can be analysed for insights that lead to better decisions and strategic business moves.
What are the sources/causes for Big Data?
Cameras, social media, online gaming, monitoring devices, IoT, CCTV, Prism, targeted marketing and crime detection.
What are the 5 Vs of Big Data?
Volume, Velocity, Variety, Veracity and Value
What is data analytics?
The process of collecting, processing and analysing data to generate insights that inform decision making.
Why is data analytics not an automatic process?
Because a highly skilled analyst uses DA software tools to interact with the data and tease out useful insights.
SLA - What are Service Level Agreements?
A service-level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and its internal or external customers that documents what services the provider will furnish and defines the performance standards the provider is obligated to meet.
SLA – What should we measure, name the two different measures.
External Measures and Internal Measures
SLA – External Measures
What costumers and users see such as: System uptime, system response time and user issues
SLA – Internal Measures
What is happening internally such as: Resource utilisation, job queue length and number of unresolved problems.
SLA – How can external problems often be explained?
By deviations in internal operations
OS – Various versions of the outsourcing concept?
- Time Share, 60s and 70s 2. Monolithic 80s
- Transitional 90s
- Best of Breed, Collaborative, 2000s
OS – Name the current types of outsourcing
- Business Process
- E-Business
- Cloud Computing (Offshoring & Inshoring)
OS – E-business
Quickly get selling on-line
OS – Cloud Computing
On demand pricing model (Pay for what you use) Virtual datacenter
OS – Why Offshoring?
Companies turn to offshoring to access an ample supply of qualified people, lower labour cost. Meaning higher qualified individuals for lower costs.
DSS - What are the eight-step rational decision making process?
- Identify the problem
- Establish decision criteria
- Weight decision criteria
- Generate alternatives
- Evaluate each alternative
- Calculate the optimal decision
- Implement the decision
- Evaluate decision’s effectiveness
DSS - What makes up a good decision?
Carefully assessing the problem, identifying all relevant criteria, using creativity to identify all possible alternatives, painstakingly evaluate every alternative to find the optimal choice.
DSS - What are the downsides to rational decision-making?
Time consuming, expensive, some information might be unavailable. Meaning the delay this causes could be more harmful than making a less optimal decision.
DSS – What components exist in a DSS?
- Database Management System (DBMS)
- Model Base Management System (MBDS)
- Dialog Generation and Management System (DGMS)
What is the purpose of data mining?
Examining the contents of a data warehouse. Use of computers to uncover unknown correlations from a large data set. (Classes, clusters, associations, sequential patterns – more in detail in slides) Data mining gives people insight into data.
What does Executive Information System (EIS) mean?
An executive information system (EIS) is a decision support system (DSS) used to assist senior executives in the decision-making process. It does this by providing easy access to important data needed to achieve strategic goals in an organization. An EIS normally features graphical displays on an easy-to-use interface.
What is the purpose of Executive Information System (EIS)?
To gauge company performance; sales, production, earnings and forecasts. To scan the environment for news on government regulations, competition economic developments etc. To ease information overload.
KM - Forms of knowledge
Explicit - information or knowledge that is set out in a concrete form
Implicit – information or knowledge that is not set out in tangible form but could be made explicit
Tacit – information or knowledge one would have extreme difficulty operationally setting out in a concrete form
KM - What does the value of information depend on?
The recipient and the context
KM - What are tools to increase the value of information?
- Information maps (Textual charts and diagrammatic maps)
- Information guides (People who know where the information is)
- Business documents (Where are these kept? Cloud, local server, paper?)
SSM - What are the seven stages of a typical SSM project?
- The problem situation unstructured
- The problem situation expressed
- Root definition of relevant systems
- Conceptual models
- Comparison of conceptual models with the problem situation expressed
- Feasible, desirable changes
- Action to improve problem situation
SSM - Explain three of the techniques used in a typical SSM project
- The problem situation unstructured – take input from everywhere, get it down, consider the input, if everyone else says something is fine and only one person complains maybe it’s the person and not the situation.
- Root definition of relevant systems – the root definition is often an attempt to explain the essence of the problem, to break down the problem (not solve it) but to make it more understandable and try to see the big picture.
- Action to improve problem situation – the actions to improve and attempt to solve the problem present, by using the conceptual model already made this should work out just fine.
KM - Distinguish between explicit, implicit and tacit knowledge
Explicit - information or knowledge that is set out in a concrete form
Implicit – information or knowledge that is not set out in tangible form but could be made explicit
Tacit – information or knowledge one would have difficulty setting out in a concrete form
KM - The concept of Knowledge Management
The concept of Knowledge Management is about individuals sharing knowledge and recording knowledge in a form accessible to others.
KM - Main challenges for successful development sharing culture
- Who gets the glory
- What should be Shared
- Is the technology good - Legal issues
- Broad and deep knowledge
- Culture (attitude and behaviour)
- Management expectations
What actions can a manager take in order to increase the chance of success of sharing culture
A manager should act to have clear rules set, make sure the technology is up to date and continuously work with peoples sharing culture to encourage sharing. As well as being fair to avoid that “glory-stealing” is non-existent.
DC - Name three ways that computing services can be distributed
- Remote Presentation
- Distributed Database
- Distributed Presentation
DC - Remote Presentation
Data Management and Application function are run on server side whilst the Presentation is done at the client. This is good because it allows the user to basically have a remote desktop like terminal server or so on. The downside might be if it is not a powerful server and many users running heavy programs on the server.
DC - Distributed database
Data Management is done on the server and client side. Client side also does the Application Function and the presentation. The database is run on the server, but the client and presentation is at the client. This is also a good way however it relies more on the clients having sufficient power to run this kind of applications. The server is more like a storage place for the database in this situation
DC - Distributed Presentation
Data Management, Application Function and Presentation is done on the server side, the Presentation is also done on client side. This means that people would be able to connect to the server and see the same thing as the other client is working on, which may indeed be very handy in projects.
