ISA 235 Exam 2 Review

What is the purpose of information cleansing (or scrubbing)?

- It is a process that weeds out and fixes or discards inconsistent, incorrect, or incomplete information. - To increase the quality of organizational information and thus the effectiveness of decision making, businesses must formulate a strategy to keep information clean... they use this.

Why would a business be data rich, but information poor? ~ End of Chapter 6 ~

-Every organization produces data every day. But, many companies fail to harvest that data and turn it into useful information. -It's not obvious how one piece of that information relates to another. This lost information, lost intelligence really, is an all too common condition for many companies. -Useless data results in poor information so the phrase quality or quantity is true in this business aspect.

What are the five characteristics common to high-quality information?

1. Accurate 2. Complete 3. Consistent 4. Timely 5. Unique

~ Appendix A ~ Describe the six major categories of hardware and be able to identify common examples (e.g., a printer is a common output device).

1. Central Processing Unit (CPU) - The actual hardware that interprets and executes the program (software) instructions and coordinates how all the other hardware devices work together. 2. Primary Storage - The computer's main memory, which consists of the random access memory (RAM), the cache memory, and the read-only memory (ROM) that is directly accessible to the central processing unit (CPU). 3. Secondary Storage - Equipment designed to store large volumes of data for long-term storage (e.g., diskette, hard drive, memory card, CD). 4. Input Devices - Equipment used to capture information and commands (e.g., keyboard, scanner). 5. Output Devices - Equipment used to see, hear, or otherwise accept the results of information processing requests (e.g., monitor, printer). 6. Communication Devices - Equipment used to send information and receive it from one location to another (e.g., modem).

What are the advantages of a relational database? How are relationships created?

1. Increased Flexibility 2. Increased Scalability and Performance 3. Reduced Information Redundance 4. Increased Information Integrity 5. Increased Information Security Relationships are created by using primary keys and foreign keys to create logical relationships. A primary key is a field (or group of fields) that uniquely identifies a given record in a table. - distinguish each record in a table A foreign key is a primary key of one table that appears as an attribute in another table and acts to provide a logical relationship between the two tables.

Describe the eight categories of computers by size.

1. Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) - fits in a person's hand. 2. Laptop - similar to a textbook 3. Tablet - similar to a textbook 4. Desktop - fits on a desk 5. Workstation - fits on a desk 6. Minicomputer (midrange computer) - ranges from fitting on a desk to the size of a filing cabinet. 7. Mainframe Computer - similar to a refrigerator 8. Supercomputer - similar to a car

What are GIS and GPS? How are business using these technologies to compete?

A GIS - stores, views, and analyzes geographic data creating multidimensional charts or maps. A GPS - is a satellite based navigation system providing extremely accurate position, time, and speed information. GPS receiver can be a separate unit connected to a mobile device using cable or wireless technology. Companies that deal in transportation combine GISs with database and GPS technology. Airlines and shipping companies can plot routes with up-to-the-second information about the location of all their transport vehicles. -Allows for many educational opportunities

~ Chapter 7 ~ What is a bit? How do bits relate to the term "digital"?

A bit (short for binary digit) is the smallest element of data and has a value of either 0 or 1. - A bit computes digital communications.

Why would a department want a data mart instead of just accessing the entire data warehouse?

A data mart contains a subset of data warehouse information. - Data marts have focused information subsets particular to the needs of a given business unit such as finance or production and operations.

~ Chapter 6 ~ How does a database turn data elements into information?

A database management system (DBMS) - creates, reads, updates, and deletes data in a database while controlling access and security. DBMS performs the actual manipulation of the data in the database. You can retrieve information from a DBMS by: 1. Query-by-example (QBE) tool 2. Structured query language (SQL)

How does a domain name system work?

A domain name system works by converting IP addresses into domains, or identifying labels that use a variety of recognizable naming conventions.

What is a personal area network?

A personal area network (PAN) - is to provide communication for devices owned by a single user that work over a short distance.

List the characteristics of an agile MIS infrastructure (the "-illities") and explain why they are all critical for supporting change.

Agile MIS Infrastructure - includes the hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment that, when combined, provides the underlying foundation to support the organization's goals. Accessibility - refers to the varying levels that define what a user can access, view, or perform when operating a system. Availability - refers to the time frame when the system is operational. Maintainability (Flexibility) - refers to how quickly a system can transform to support environmental changes. Portability - refers to the ability of an application to operate on different devices or software platforms, such as different operating systems. Reliability (Accuracy) - ensures a system is functioning correctly and providing accurate information. Scalability - describes how well a system can scale up, or adapt to the increased demands of growth. Usability - is the degree to which a system is easy to learn and efficient and satisfying to use.

What is the difference between an intranet and an extranet?

An intranet - is a restricted network that relies on internet technologies to provide an internet-like environment within the company. (For information sharing, communications, collaboration, web publishing, and the support of business processes. An extranet - is an extension of an intranet that is available only to authorized outsiders, such as customers, partners, and suppliers.

Understand the differences between application software and system software and be able to identify common examples. ~ End of Appendix A ~

Application Software - is used for specific information processing needs, including payroll, customer relationship management, project management, training, and many others. - Is used to solve specific problems or perform specific tasks. Types of Application Software: 1. Browser 2. Communication 3. Data Management 4. Desktop Publishing 5. Email 6. Groupware 7. Presentation Graphics 8. Programming 9. Spreadsheet 10. Word Processing System Software - controls how the various technology tools work together along with the application software. - System software includes both operating system software and utility software. Operating System Software: 1. Linux 2. Mac OS X 3. Microsoft Windows 4. MS-DOS 5. UNIX Utility Software: 1. Crash-proof 2. Disk image for data recovery 3. Disk optimization 4. Encrypt Data 5. File and Data recovery 6. Text Protect

Why would a manager be considered with bandwidth? How is bandwidth measured?

Bandwidth is measured in bits. You measure network performance in terms of bandwidth = the maximum amount of data that can pass from one point to another in a unit of time.

Why should companies be concerned about the sustainability of their infrastructure? ~ End of Chapter 5 ~

Building sustainable MIS infrastructures is a core initiative and critical success factor for socially responsible corporations. Avoid these factors below: 1. Increased Electronic Waste 2. Increased Energy Consumption 3. Increased Carbon Emissions A sustainable MIS infrastructure identifies ways that a company can grow in terms of computing resources while simultaneously becoming less dependent on hardware and energy consumption.

Explain what capacity planning is and how it can help a business prepare for growth.

Capacity Planning - determines future environmental infrastructure requirements to ensure high-quality system performance. - Planning for increases in capacity can ensure systems perform as expected. -Web 2.0 is a big driver for this to ensure agile infrastructures can meet the business's operational needs.

Identify the benefits and challenges of cloud computing.

Cloud computing - is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources (e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. - Offers new ways to to store, access, process, and analyze information and connect people and resources from any location in the world were an Internet connection is available. - Information hosted in the cloud is safe and always available. Benefits: 1. On-Demand Self-Service - users can increase storage and processing power as needed. 2. Broad Network Access - all devices can access data and applications. 3. Multi-Tenancy - customers share pooled computing resources. 4. Rapid Elasticity - storage, network bandwidth, and computing capacity can be increased or decreased immediately, allowing for optimal scalability. 5. Measured Service - clients can monitor and measure transactions and use of resources.

What is a data center and why would a business develop one?

Data Center - is a facility used to house management information systems associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems. Companies can benefit from affordable land, high-speed Internet access, plentiful water for cooling, and even more important, inexpensive electricity. Support business growth without disrupting normal business operations and the quality of service. Data centers can store lots of data, and it continues to grow.

What is data governance and its importance to a company?

Data Governance - refers to the overall management of the availability, usability, integrity, and security of company data. A company that supports a data governance program has a defined policy that specifies who is accountable for various portions or aspects of the data, including its accuracy, accessibility, consistency, timeliness, and completeness. Focuses on enterprise-wide policies and procedures.

What is a data warehouse and why would a business want to implement one?

Data warehouse - is a logical collection of information - gathered from many different operational databases - that supports business analysis activities and decision-making tasks. Primary purpose is to combine information, more specifically, strategic information, throughout an organization into a single repository in such a way that the people who need that information can make decisions and undertake business analysis. -Collect information from multiple systems in a common location that uses a universal querying tool. - This allows operational databases to run where they are most efficient for the business, while providing a common location using a familiar format for the strategic or enterprise-wide reporting information. Standardization of data elements allows for greater accuracy, completeness, and consistency and increases the quality of the information in making strategic business decisions. Business users, typically managers, can be more effective in many ways including: 1. Developing customer profiles 2. Identifying new-product opportunities 3. Improving business operations 4. Identifying financial issues 5. Analyzing trends 6. Understanding competitors 7. Understanding product performance

What are the advantages of a data-driven website?

Data-driven website - is an interactive website kept constantly updated and relevant to the needs of its customers using a database. Advantages: 1. Easy to manage content 2. Easy to store large amounts of data 3. Easy to eliminate human errors

Why would a company care about the timeliness of its data?

Depending on the company, information that is a few days or weeks old can be relevant, while in others information that is a few minutes old can be almost worthless.

Describe the different Internet access technologies you can use to connect to the Internet.

Dial-up - On-demand access using a modem and regular telephone line. (Cheap but slow) DSL - Always-on connection. Special modem needed. (Makes use of the existing local telephone infrastructure). Cable - Always-on connection. Special cable modem and cable line required. (Shared resource with other users in the area). T1 - Leased lines for high bandwidth (More expensive than dial-up, DSL, or cable).

~ Chapter 5 ~ What is the difference between a disaster recovery plan and a business continuity plan?

Disaster Recovery Plan - A detailed process for recovering information or a system in the event of a catastrophic disaster. - Typically focus on systems and data, ignoring cross-functional and intraorganizational business processes that can be destroyed during an emergency. 1. This plan includes such factors as which files and systems need to have backups and their corresponding frequency and methods along with strategic location of the storage in a separate physical site that is geographically dispersed. 2. Also foresees the possibility that not only the computer equipment but also the building where employees work may be destroyed. Business Continuity Planning (BCP) - details how a company recovers and restores critical business operations and systems after a disaster or extended disruption. 1. Includes factors as identifying critical systems, business processes, departments, and the maximum amount of time the business can continue to operate without functioning systems. 2. BCP contains disaster recovery plans along with many additional plans, including prioritizing business impact analysis, emergency notification plans, and technology recovery strategies.

What is the difference between an entity and an attribute? How do these relate to database tables, records, and fields?

Entity (table) - stores information about a person, place, thing, transaction, or event. Attribute (columns or fields) - are the data elements associated with an entity. Record - is a collection of related data elements

Understand the common methods of data analysis and be able to describe examples we did in our group exercises.

Estimation Analysis - determine values for an unknown continuous variable behavior or estimated future value Affinity Grouping Analysis - reveals the relationship between variables along with the nature and frequency of the relationships. Cluster Analysis - A technique used to divide an information set into mutually exclusive groups such that the members of each group are as close together as possible to one another and the different groups are as far apart as possible. Classification Analysis - The process of organizing data into categories or groups for its most effective and efficient use.

Explain the difference between fault tolerance and failover.

Fault Tolerance - is the ability for a system to respond to unexpected failures or system crashes as the backup system immediately and automatically takes over with no loss of service. - Enables a business to support continuous business operations if there is a power failure or flood. - Expensive form of backup Failover - a specific type of fault tolerance, occurs when a redundant storage server offers an exact replica of the real-time data, and if the primary server crashes, the users are automatically directed to the secondary server or backup server. - High-speed and high-cost method of backup and recovery.

Why does a business need to be concerned with the quality of its data?

High-quality information can significantly improve the chances of making a good decision and directly increase an organization's bottom line. The data, if it is not high-quality information, will not be accurate, complete, consistent, timely, or unique.

Compare the differences among a hot, cold, and warm site.

Hot Site - is a separate and fully equipped facility where the company can move immediately after a disaster and resume business. Cold Site - is a separate facility that does not have any computer equipment but is a place where employees can move after a disaster. Warm Site - is a separate facility with computer equipment that requires installation and configuration.

What are the three forms of MIS infrastructures and what do they support?

Information MIS Infrastructure - supports operations Agile MIS Infrastructure - supports change Sustainable MIS Infrastructure - supports sustainability

List and describe the three most popular cloud computing delivery models.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) - delivers hardware networking capabilities, including the use of servers, networking, and storage, over the cloud using a pay-per-use revenue model. Software as a Service (SaaS) - delivers applications over the cloud using a pay-per-use revenue model. Data as a Service (DaaS) - facilitates the accessibility of business-critical data in a timely, secure, and affordable manner.

Understand how storage capacity is measured and the common prefixes used (Figure A.4).

Kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 bytes Megabyte (MB) = 1,024 kilobytes Gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 megabytes Terabyte (TB) = 1,024 gigabytes Petabyte (PB) = 1,024 terabytes Exabyte (EB) = 1,024 petabytes

What are some important advantages of mobile business?

Mobile business makes purchases easier through the internet, and anywhere and anytime business. It provides the ability to obtain information and order goods and services quickly and easily using a mobile phone device.

What is Moore's Law and how does it affect companies?

Moore's Law - refers to the computer chip performance per dollar doubles every 18 months. It is great for companies because they can acquire large amounts of MIS equipment for cheaper and cheaper costs. As ebusinesses continue to grow, companies equip their employees with multiple forms of electronic devices ranging from laptops to cell phones to iPads. Great for supporting a connected corporation, but significant unintended side effects include our dependence on fossil fuels and increased need for safe disposal of outdated computing equipment.

What is network convergence and why is it important to a business?

Network convergence - is the efficient coexistence of telephone, video, and data communication within a single network. (Offering convenience and flexibility not possible with separate infrastructures). It is important because it weaves together voice, data, and video. - It allows for multiple services, multiple devices, but one network, one vendor, and one bill.

How do SSL and SHTTP provide security for networks?

One provides encrypted link between a web server and a browser. It requires an SSL certificate that confirms the identity of the website or server and the other provides encryption and secure identification.

What is RFID and how could it help a large retailer track inventory? Identify some other uses.

RFID - is an element that uses electronic tags and labels to identify objects wirelessly over short distances. - It helps retailers by wirelessly exchanging information between a tagged object and a reader/writer.

Describe the different levels of service providers that supply the interconnections to the Internet.

The different levels are the hierarchy national service providers (NSPs), then regional service providers (RSPs) and then Internet service provider (ISP).

Why would you need to use multidimensional analysis?

Users can analyze information in a number of different ways and with any number of different dimensions. The true value of big data is its ability to provide multidimensional analysis that allows users to gain insights into their information. A cube is a common term for the representation of multi-dimensional information.

Why would a company want to use virtualization? What are the different types of virtualization?

Virtualization - creates multiple "virtual" machines on a single computing device. Storage virtualization - combines multiple network storage devices so they appear to be a single storage device. Network virtualization - combines networks by splitting the available bandwidth into independent channels that can be assigned in real time to a specific device. Server virtualization - combines the physical resources such as servers, processors, and operating systems, from the applications. (Most common form, you can usually assume server virtualization). Benefits: 1. Increasing availability of applications that can give a higher level of performance depending on the hardware used. 2. Increasing energy efficiency by requiring less hardware to run multiple systems or applications. 3. By increasing hardware usability by running multiple operating systems on a single computer.

What is the difference between VoIP and IPTV? ~ End of Chapter 7 ~

VoIP (Voice over IP) - Uses IP technology to transmit telephone calls 1. Ability to have more than one phone number 2. Integrating email and voice mail so you can listen to your voice mail using your computer. 3. Ability to receive personal or business calls via computer. IPTV (Internet protocol TV) - Distributes digital video content using IP across the Internet and private IP networks. 1. Support of multiple devices 2. Interactivity with users 3. Low bandwidth 4. Personalization The difference is VoIP uses IP to transmit telephone calls, while IPTV distributes digital video content using IP. Basically saying VoIP is telephone calls, and IPTV is video content.

What is VoIP and how can it benefit a business?

VoIP is an IP technology to transmit telephone calls. - It benefits business by its low cost and ability to have more than one phone number and ability to receive personal or business calls via computer. - Fixed-price unlimited local and long-distance calling plans. (Skype is an example).

How does Wi-Fi work? What are its capabilities?

Wi-Fi - a means by which portable devices can connect wirelessly to a LAN, using access points that send and receive data via radio waves. Wi-Fi Capabilities: - Operates at considerably higher frequencies than cell phones use, which allows greater bandwidth.

Identify some important technologies in network security, both wired and wireless.

Wired: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) - is a standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser, ensuring that all data passed between them remain private. Secure hypertext transfer protocol (SHTTP or HTTPS) - is combination of HTTP and SSL to provide encryption and secure identification of an Internet server. - HTTPS protects against interception of communications, transferring credit card information safely and securely with special encryption techniques. Wireless: Wired equivalent privacy (WEP) - is an encryption algorithm designed to protect wireless transmission data. - WEP encrypts the data by using a key that converts the data to a nonhuman readable form. -Provide wireless networks with the equivalent level of security as wired networks. Wi-Fi protected access (WPA) - a wireless security protocol to protect Wi-Fi networks. - provides more sophisticated data encryption and user authentication. - more effective than WEP