MIS 180 Exam 2

What are .com or .net. or .edu called?

Top level domains

What is a business decision-making model? Be able to know the difference among the four models we talked about in class from examples: what-if, sensitivity, goal-seeking, and optimization.

-A business decision-making model is using information and results to make a decision based on the data. What-if checks the impact of a change in an assumption on the proposed solution, (What happens to sales if we set the price 10% higher?). --Goal-seeking finds the inputs necessary to achieve a goal such as a desired level of output, (At what point in price increases will sales drop by 10%?). --Sensitivity analysis is the study of the impact that changes in one (or more) parts of the model have on other parts of the model, (If we want to increase sales volume by 10% what should our price be?). --Optimization analysis is the extension of goal-seeking analysis, finding the optimum (best) value for a target variable by repeatedly changing other variables to see what scenario produces that optimum value, (What price should we offer if we want to maximize our profit?).

Know the difference between a structured, unstructured, and semi structured decision

-A structured decision is a decision that is routine and repetitive and often has well defined procedures for making the decision. They know what info they need and know what procedure to use. -An unstructured decision is novel and therefore has not been agreed upon, and has no well understood procedure for making the decision. They don't know what info they need and what procedure to use. -A semi structured decision is a decision for which some parts are structured and some are unstructured. Some info is known, some is not. A known process will answer some of it, but not all of it.

What is a definition of Artificial Intelligence? What are an "expert system" and "intelligent agent" and why are they considered examples of AI?

-Artificial Intelligence are computer programs that mimic human cognition. --Expert systems use the same rules as human experts, (Financial Investments, Doctor Diagnosis, Oil Drilling Locations). --Intelligent Agent is an app that does specific tasks on behalf of its users, (such as shopping, stock picking, or spamming). --They are considered examples of AI as these tasks can all be done by humans, but are done by AI who are programmed to mimic human cognition.

Why are these advantages of having a database management system: data are located centrally, data quality is controlled, data is accessible, data are easier to maintain.

-Data are located centrally: All files are located on one hard drive and can be accessed by anyone in that ONE place -Data quality is controlled: Team of people can work to ensure characteristics of quality information -Data is accessible: The book states that "it is relatively easy to extract data from a database and import them into a spreadsheet for analysis." Databases are used to store a lot of info, and spreadsheets can be used to make sense of the info. -Data are easier to maintain: It is easier to add large amounts of info to a database as it quickly increases. After a large amount of info is in the database, then it can easily be taken and put into a spreadsheet.

Know what OLAP is and how OLAP and DSS tools work together. For this test, equate "cube" with "database".

-It seems as though the DSS is a system more for data collection, and this supports the functionality of the OLAP system by giving it all the data it needs. -An OLAP stands for "Online Analytical Processing", which is a process for gathering data from different sources in the organization and storing it so we can run decision analysis on them.

What's the difference between a LAN and a WAN? Is an intranet a LAN or WAN?

-LAN stands for Local Area Network, which connects a group of computers in close proximity (ex: office building, school, store coffee shop, home). Typically all hardware & software is owned by a single company. -WAN stands for Wide Area Network, which spans a large geographic area such as state, province or country. Typically, all hardware and software is owned by several companies, and one example of a WAN is the internet. -an intranet is a LAN

Know the names of the commercially available databases from these vendors Oracle, IBM, Microsoft, and open source.

-Oracle: Rdb, Oracle 8I, Oracle Lite, -IBM: DB2 Everyplace, DB2, IMS DB -Microsoft: Access (Jet, MSDE), SQL Server -Open Source: Interbase, MySQL, Db.linux, Db.star (https://cs.fit.edu/~pbernhar/dbms.html)

Be able to identify, from examples, all of the main types of "decisions" we talked about in class: decision, problem, opportunity, paradox, dilemma.

-PROBLEM: •"we're losing sales and we need to change that" •"my life-long friend is having trouble which is messing up my life" •"I'm having trouble figuring out how to get a job" -OPPORTUNITY: •"they are making lots of money selling X, can I?" •"no one has thought to do X this way, so I can" •"if I do this now, and not wait, I'll get rewarded" -PARADOX: (self contradictory statement) •"the less you study the better your grades become" •"if you use fewer words you sound more intelligent" •"the slower you swing the golf club, the farther the ball goes" -DECISION •"which college should I enroll in?" •"Which product should I buy?" •"which friends should I keep?" -DILEMMA (decision between 2+ alternatives): •"if I don't pay a bribe, I might not get the business. But if I do pay a bribe, I might get fired " •"To reduce my stress, I can cut down on the number of courses I take, but then I'll graduate later which will increase my stress"

Know what these three terms mean and what they are: URL, IP Address, DNS.

-URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator and is a reference to a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it. A URL is a specific type of Uniform Resource Identifier -An Internet Protocol address is a numerical label assigned to each device connected to a computer network that uses the Internet Protocol for communication. An IP address serves two main functions: host or network interface identification and location addressing. -The Domain Name System is a hierarchical and decentralized naming system for computers, services, or other resources connected to the Internet or a private network. It associates various information with domain names assigned to each of the participating entities.

Know the steps of the Rational Decision-Making process well.

1) identify and define/describe the problem 2) define the requirements and goals off the decision 3) identify alternative solutions 4) define decision criteria 5) select appropriate decision-making process and tools 6) evaluate alternative solutions using criteria 7) check that the solution solves the problem

What is the difference between a database and a database management system? What are the parts of a database management system?

A database refers to the stored data and all the files that contain that data. Data do not change in a database, they just sit there waiting for an app to CRUD (create, read, update, delete). A database management system includes the database AND includes the system software, applications, and other system parts that let us USE the database.

What is a DSS?

A DSS stands for "Decision Support System Models", which are computer-based systems that help decision makers use data and models to solve semi structured or unstructured problems.

In a relational data base, what do these terms mean: data value, instance, field, record, file/table, database?

A data value is an actual piece of information, at the smallest level. (First and Last Name). An instance is when you populate a database file with data values. A field is the smallest meaningful type of data, (Zip Code, Price, Product Name). A record is the set of fields containing all info known about one entity, each record contains the same fields in the same sequence, (All Name/Address Info About One Customer). A file/table is a collection of related records, (customer/financial/inventory info). A database is the collection of all files and tables.

What's the difference between a decision matrix and a weighted decision matrix? Be able to identify both from examples.

A decision matrix uses a grid that lists all alternatives in first column and all criteria in first row. A normal decision matrix simply looks at all the different sections of criteria on an even weighing scale. However, a weighted decision matrix is a matrix where all the sections are not of equal importance/scale. Notice how, below, unweighted shows all the sections as if they are of equal importance, while the weighted shows that some sections have a different weight than others.

What is a primary key in a relational database? How do we use it? What is a foreign key? How do we use it?

A primary key is a field (or combination of fields) that uniquely identifies a given record in a table. It is important because it lets you retrieve every single piece of data put into a database no matter which file it is in. A foreign key is a primary key of one table that appears as a field in another file and serves as a logical link between the two files.

What is an ISP?

An ISP are internet service providers, which have 3 tiers. Tier 1 includes providers that can reach every other network on the internet without purchasing IP transit or paying settlements, (ATT, Century Link). Tier 2 are service providers who connect between tier 1 and tier 3 ISP's, exchanging internet traffic through peering agreements, as well as purchasing Internet transit. Tier 3 is a network that solely purchases transit from other networks to reach the internet, connecting to the retail market, (such as ComCast, TimeWarner Spectrum, Cox).

Know what a derived attribute is and how we get the value when we run a query

Attribute that isn't originally in the database physically, but can be "derived" from other attributes within a database. These are calculated using algorithms that substitute values from the database to give an answer.

What does bandwidth mean? How do we measure bandwidth?

Bandwidth is the measurement of data transfer speed. Bandwidth is measured in kbps (kilobytes per second), megabits per second (Mbps), Gigabits per second (Gbps) or Terabits per second (Tbps).

What do these qualities of poor data management mean: data redundancy, data inconsistency, data isolation, data insecurity.

Data redundancy means there is unnecessary duplication. Data inconsistency means the data is inconsistent. Data isolation means that data is difficult to do efficient data retrieval and search. Data insecurity means that data is easy to get access to for others.

How do we measure data transmission speed? How is that different from how we measure data storage capacity?

Data transmission speed is measured in bits (b). We measure data storage capacity in bytes (B).

What are data visualization tools and when are they most useful?

Data visualization tools are a visual representation of data with the goal of clearly communicating or better understanding the meaning of the data. They are useful in uncovering trends and relationships in data that might be less apparent when viewing the data in tables.

What is the network protocol for the Web?

HTTP

Know that the IEEE 802.11 protocol is for WiFi and the CDMA or GSM protocols are for mobile / Cell phones.

IEEE 802.11 protocol = Wifi. CDMA or GSM = Mobile/Cell Phones.

What do people mean when they refer to "Big Data"? What are the "4 V's" that describe it? Know what each "V" means and be able to recognize examples of each.

Its a name given to the increasingly HUGE collection of data captured from the world. The 4 V's that describe it include Velocity (the speed at which new data are gathered and stored), Variety (the variety of the kinds of new data), Volume (the sheer quantity of data being gathered and stored), and Veracity (the increasing difficulty of assessing information quality).

Which has lower/higher bandwidth among these: Bluetooth, WiFi, Ethernet

Lowest to Highest: -Bluetooth (800 kbps) -Wifi (600 Mbps) -Ethernet (1 Gbps)

Know what these characteristics of high-quality Information mean: accurate, complete, consistent, timely, accessible. Know that businesses spend lots of money on to ensure their data has these qualities. You only need to know about these 5 qualities for this Exam.

Maybe we're overthinking this; we might just have to remember that high quality info is defined as being accurate, complete, consistent, timely, and accessible.

Who "owns" the Internet?

No one "owns" the internet.

What do we mean by "packet switching"? What is a packet? What route do individual packets travel on the Internet?

Packet switching is the path of the signal that is digital, and neither dedicated nor exclusive. A file is broken into smaller blocks, called packets. We packet switch to avoid network congestion, diversify risk of links, and avoid having to pay for continuous switch. Packets are files broken into smaller blocks of info. Individual packets travel along different paths of TCP/IP through the internet.

What do we mean by "populating" a database?

Populating a database means you are filling it with data values, creating an instance.

What is the difference between structured and unstructured data? Know a few examples of each. Which is easier for businesses to process, and why?

Structured Data includes facts, questionnaire/survey data, bibliographic info about unstructured data, online behavior, constructed data, and metadata. Unstructured data includes emails, voice messages, texts, tweets, social media, video/audio and photo

Know what the Sensemaking approach is and when you would use it.

Sensemaking is a process of creating meaning when there is no single meaning available. It is usefule when you don't know what is going on, and for making unstructured problems more structured.

Know what TCP and IP do and how they work together. Know that the TCP/IP protocol defines the Internet.

TCP/IP are network protocols, which send and receive data/messages. TCP will break that message down into packets and rebuilds them at the receiving end, and IP will send those packets along the best route to the destination.

What is the difference between the Internet, an intranet, and an extranet for a given Company?

The internet is a collection of computers around the world that agree to speak the same "language". Intranet is designed so that all employees of a particular company can use the company's intranet, while outside people can not due to a firewall. Extranet allows certain outside stakeholders access to some insider info.

Why are we talking about moving from IPv4 to IPv6? Why do we need to move to IPv6?

We need to move to IPv6 because of the internet of things, there will soon be many devices on this internet that will need their own IP address.

Why should we, in a business, avoid using spreadsheets to store important data and instead use a database management system? Know at least 3 reasons

We should avoid using spreadsheets to store important data because there is data redundancy (unnecessary duplication), data inconsistency, data insecurity, data errors, poor data integrity, and it is difficult to do data retrieval and search.