Week 8- Databases and Data Warehouses

1. List, describe, and provide an example of each of the five characteristics of high quality information.

Accuracy: checking if all the values are correct.
(E.g. are the names spelt correctly? Is the dollar amount recorded properly?)


Completeness:  checking if any of the values are missing.
(E.g. is the address complete including street, city, state, postcode?)


Consistency: checking to see if information is aggregate or summary information is in agreement with detailed information. (E.g. do all total fields equal the true total of the individual fields?)


Uniqueness: checking whether each transaction, entity and event represented only once in the information?
(E.g. are there any duplicate customers?"


Timeliness: checking whether the information current with respect to the business requirements?
(E.g. is the information updated weekly, daily or hourly?)

2. Define the relationship between a database and a database management system.

A 'database' maintains information about various types of objects (inventories), events (transactions), people (employees) and places (warehouses).

A 'database management system (DBMS) is a computer program used to manage and query a database.

3. Describe the advantages an organisation can gain by using a database.


Datacase information offers many advantages, including:


Increased flexibility: in allowing each user to access the information in whatever way best suits their needs.

Increased scalability and performance:  'Scalability refers to how well a system can adapt to increased demands. 'Performance' measures how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction.

Reduced information redundancy: redundancy is the duplication of information, or storing the same information in multiple places.

Increased information integrity: is the measure of the quality of information.

Increased information security: organisations must protect its information from unauthorised users or misuse. As systems become more complex and more available over the Internet, security becomes an even bigger issue. Databases thus offer security features such as passwords and access controls, etc.

4. Define the fundamental concepts of the relational database model.

The 'relational database model' is a type of database that stores information in the form of logically related two-dimensional tables each consisting of rows and columns.

The relationional database fundamentals include:

- entities and attributes and keys and relationships

5. Describe the benefits of a data-driven website.

Development: allows the website owner to make changes any time- all without having to rely on a developer or knowing HTML programming.

Content management: a static website requires a programmer to make updates.

Future expandabilty: having a data-driven website enables the site to grow faster than would be possible with a static site. Changing layout, displays, etc is easier with data driven solution.

Minimising human error: a well designed, data driven website will have 'error trapping' mechanisms to ensure that required information is filled out correctly and that content is entered and displayed in correct format.

Cutting production and update costs: a data-driven website can be updated and 'published' by an competent data-entry or administrative person.

More efficient: with a data-driven solution, the system keeps track of the templates, so users do not have to. A data-driven infrastructure will improve the reliability and stability of a website, while greatly reducing the chance of 'breaking' some part of the site when adding new areas.

Improved stability: with a data-driven website, there is peace of mind, knowing that the content is never lost- even if your programmer is.

 

Week 7- Networks and Telecommunications

1. Explain the business benefits of using wireless technology

Wireless Fidelity (wi-fi) is a means of linking computers using infrared or radio signals. Wi-fi has many technological advantages for people on the move who would like access to the Internet in airports, restaurants and hotels. Wi-fi is also gaining acceptance as a home or neighbourhood network, oermitting an assortment of laptop and desktop computers to share a single broadband access point to the Internet. Employees are able to easily move their laptops from office to office and can connect to the network in places such as lunchrooms and patios.





2. Describe the business benefits associated with VoIp.

Voice over IP (VoIP) uses TCP/IP technology to transmit voice calls over Internet technology. VoIP uses existing network and Internet infrastructure to route telephone calls more efficiently and inexpensively than traditional telephone services.



Features available when using VoIP include:
- call waiting
- caller ID
- three way calling
- easy navigation
- calender integration


3. Compare LANS and WANS

A local area network (LAN) is designed to conect a group of computers in close proximity to each other such as in an office building, a school or a home. A LAN is useful for sharing resources like files, printers, games, or other applications.




A wide area network (WAN) spans a large geographic area, such as a state, province or country. WANS often connect multiple smaller networks, such as local area networks.

 4. Describe RFID and how it can be used to help make a supply chain more effective

Radio frequency identifications (RFID) technologies use active or passive tags in the form of chips or smart labels that can store unique identifiers and relay this information to electronicn readers.


RFID can help make a supply chain more effective as when a tag is placed on an item, it automatically radios its location to RFID readers on shop shelves, checkout counters, loading-bay doors and shopping carts. With RFID tags, inventory is taken automatically and continuously. RFID can cut costs by requiring few workers for scanning items; they also can provide more current and more accurate information to the entire supply chain.


5. What is some new emerging technologies that could change a specific industry?

Satellite technologies: A communications satellite is a big microwave repeater in the sky; it contains one or more transponders that listen to a particular portion of electromagnetic spectrum, amplifying incoming signals and re-transmitting them back to Earth. A microwave transmitteruses the atmosphere (or outer space) as the transmission medium to send the signal to the microwave receiver. 

Week 6 Questions- Enterprise Architectures

What is information architecture and what is information infrastructure and how do they differ and how do they relate to each other?

Information Infrastructure - includes the hardware, software and telecommunications equipment that, when combines, provides the underlying foundation to support the organisation's goals. 

Information Architecture - identifies where and how important information, such as customer records, is maintained and secured. 

Describe how an organisation can implement a solid information architecture 

Back Up and Recovery: A backup is an exact copy of a system's information. Recovery is the ability to get a system up and running in the event of a system crash or failure and includes restoring the information backup.

Disaster Recovery Plan: a detailed process for recovering information or an IT system in the event of a catastrophic disaster such as a flood or fire. A comprehensive disaster plan considers the location of the backup information.

Describe the five requirement characteristics of infrastructure architecture.

1. flexibility- systems must be flexible enough to meet all types of business changes.

2. scalability- refers to how well system can adapt to increased demands.

3. reliability- ensures all sytems are functioning correctly and providing accurate information.

4. availability- addresses when systems can be accessed by users. 'High Availability' refers to a system or component that is continuously operational for a desirably long length of time.

5. performance- measures how quickly a system performs a certain process or transaction (in terms of efficiency IT metrics of both speed and throughput).

Describe the business value in deploying a service oriented architecture 

Service Orientated Architecture (SOA) is a business-driven IT architectural approach that supports integrating a business as linked, repeatable tasks or services.

What is an event? 

Events are the eyes and ears of the business expressed in technology- they detect threats and opportunities and alert those who can act on the information.

What is a service? 

Services are the software products than they are coding projects.

They must appeal to a broad audience, and need to be reusable if they are going to have an impact on productivity.

Early forms of services were defined too low a level in the architecture to interest the business, such as a simple "Print" and "Save".

New services now are being defined at a higher level; such as "Credit Check" "Process Payment" etc.

What emerging technologies can companies can use to increase performance and utilise their infrastructure more effectively?

Virtualisation is a framework for dividing the resources of a computer into multiple execution environments. Its is a way of increasing physical resources to maximise the investment in hardware. Generally, this process is done with virtualisation software, running on the one physical unit that emulates multiple pieces of hardware. 

Grid Computing is an aggregation of geographically dispersed computing, storage and network resources, coordinated to deliver improved performance, higher quality service, better utilisation and easier access to data. 

Organisations pay special attention to computing basics since these form the underlying foundation that supports a firm's information systems. A solid underlying infrastructure is a necessity for ensuring the security, reliability, quality and responsiveness of a firm's information systems. These systems are the tools that companies utilise and heavily rely upon to run their businesses and compete in today's competitive environment. 

Week 5 Questions- Ethics and Security

Explain the ethical issues surrounding information technology.

Technology-related ethical issues:

- Intellectual Property (The collection of rights that protect creative and interllectual effort)
- Copyright (Exclusive right to do, or omit to do, certain acts with intangible property)
- Fair use doctrine (Certain situations, it is legal to use copyrighted material)
- Pirated software (Unauthorised use, duplication, distribution, or sale of copyrighted software)
- Conterfeit software (Software that is manufactured to look like the real thing and sold as such)

Describe a situation involving technology that is ethical but illegal.

The ethical issues surrounding copyright infringement and intellectual property rights are consuming the e-business world. Advances in technology make it easier for people to copy everything from music to pictures. Technology poses new challenges for our ethics - the principles and standards that guide our behaviour toward other people. 

Describe and explain one of the computer use policies that a company might employ.

Ethical Computer Use Policy
- contains general principles to guide computer user behaviour.
- For example: ethical computer use policy may state that users should refrain from playing computer games during working hours. The policy basically ensures how users should behave at work, etc.
- There are variations in how organisations expect their employees to use computers, in any approach, the overriding principle when seeking appropriate computer use should be informed consent.

What are the 5 main technology security risks?

1. Authentication
2. Authorisation
3. Prevention
4. Resitance
5. Detection and Response

Outline one way to reduce each risk.

1. Authentication: a method for confirming user's identities. Once a system determines the authentication of a user, it can then determine the access privileges (or authorisation) for that user.  
2. Authorisation: - is the process of giving someone permission to do or have something. 3. Prevention : technologies to stop intruders from accessing intellectual capital.
For example, Sony Inc installed an advanced intrusion detection system allowing it to monitor all of its network activity including any potential security breaches. 
4. Resitance: technologies to stop intruders from accessing intellectual capital.
For example, Sony Inc installed an advanced intrusion detection system allowing it to monitor all of its network activity including any potential security breaches. 
5. Detection and Response: The most common type of defence within detection and response technologies is antivirus software. 

• Something the user knows, such as a user ID and password.
• Something the user has, such as a smart card or token.
• Something that is part of the user, such as a fingerprint or voice signature.

What is a disaster recovery plan, what strategies might a firm employ?

The process, policies and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure critical to an organisation after a naturla or human disaster.


Control measures such are steps or mechanisms that can reduce or eliminate various threats for organisations. The types of measures:
1. Preventive measures- these controls are aimed at preventing an event from occuring.
2. Detective measures- these controls are aimed at detecting or discovering unwanted events.
3. Corrective measures- these controls are aimed at correcting  or restoring the system after disaster or event.


A firm may employ strategies such as back-ups for data protection.