ch5
The world's data centers use as much energy as the output of ________ nuclear power plants, which is about ________ percent of all the energy use in the world. A) 10; 1 B) 20; 2.5 C) 30; 1.5 D) 50; 10 E) 100; 25
C
How many transactions per day can the IBM Z13 mainframe process? A) 2.5 million B) 25 million C) 250 million D) 2.5 billion E) 25 billion
D
ZipRealty, which combines Google Maps with real estate data, is an example of: A) cloud computing. B) SOA. C) a widget. D) a mashup. E) a web service.
D
Which of the following software tools would you use to prepare a break-even analysis? A) Word processing B) Spreadsheet C) Desktop publishing D) Personal information management E) Presentation graphics
B
Which of the following statements about client/server computing is not true? A) The client provides the user interface. B) The bulk of processing occurs on the client. C) Computing on the Internet is based on the client/server model. D) The client is normally a desktop or laptop computer. E) The server provides security, remote access, and user authentication.
B
An analyst asked to perform a TCO analysis for a system would need to take into account all of the following factors except: A) the minimum response time for processing business transactions. B) lost productivity if hardware or software failures cause the system to be unavailable for processing and user tasks. C) real estate and utility costs for housing and providing power for the technology. D) the purchase or license of software for each user. E) the cost to provide training to information systems specialists and end users.
A
In co-location, a firm: A) purchases and owns its web server but locates the server in the physical facility of a hosting service. B) contracts with an external vendor to run its computer center and networks. C) off-loads peak demand for computing power to remote, large-scale data centers. D) utilizes an external, distributed computing grid. E) uses only open source software to operate its computer systems.
A
Running a Java program on a computer requires: A) a Java Virtual Machine to be installed on the computer. B) a Java Virtual Machine to be installed on the server hosting the Java applet. C) an applet to be downloaded to the user's computer. D) no extra or specialized software, as Java is platform-independent. E) an Intel processor and the Windows operating system.
A
Software that manages the resources of the computer is called: A) system software. B) application software. C) data management software. D) network software. E) web services software.
A
To analyze the direct and indirect costs and determine the actual cost of specific technology implementations, you would use a: A) total cost of ownership model. B) return on investment model. C) break-even point. D) cost benefit analysis. E) capacity plan.
A
Translating software to different languages is commonly referred to as: A) software localization. B) scaling. C) service-oriented architecture. D) outsourcing. E) open sourcing.
A
What would be a reason for using a workstation rather than a personal computer? A) When you need more powerful computational abilities B) When you need to access a network C) When you need to serve applications and data to client computers D) When you need to share resources E) When you need to connect to a cloud computing platform
A
Which of the following devices collects data directly from the environment for input into a computer system? A) Sensor B) Touch screen C) Audio input D) Trackball E) Digital scanner
A
Which of the following is a type of optical drive storage? A) Blu-ray B) Hard drive C) USB flash drive D) Magnetic tape E) SSD
A
Which of the following is an example of a legacy system? A) Transaction processing system running on a mainframe B) Scalable grid computing system C) Web services running on a cloud computing platform D) MDM software E) Quantum computing system
A
Which of the following is an interactive, multiuser operating system developed by Bell Laboratories in 1969 to be highly supportive of communications and networking? A) UNIX B) Linux C) OS X D) COBOL E) Chrome
A
Which of the following types of computers would you use to support a computer network? A) Server B) Mainframe C) Workstation D) PC E) Tablet
A
Which type of software provides more control over text and graphic placement in the layout of a page than word processing software? A) Desktop publishing software B) Spreadsheet software C) Graphics software D) Presentation software E) Data management software
A
You use ________ to predict when a computer hardware system becomes saturated. A) capacity planning B) virtualization C) localization D) measured service E) SLAs
A
In a multitiered network: A) the work of the entire network is centralized. B) the work of the entire network is balanced over several levels of servers. C) processing is split between clients and servers. D) processing is handled by multiple, geographically remote clients. E) users interface with the server rather than the client.
B
Microsoft Excel is an example of: A) data management software. B) spreadsheet software. C) presentation graphics. D) word processing software. E) presentation graphics software.
B
Microsoft Word is an example of: A) open source software. B) word processing software. C) software productivity suite. D) data management software. E) presentation graphics software.
B
Software used to apply the computer to a specific task for an end user is called: A) system software. B) application software. C) data management software. D) network software. E) web services software.
B
The ability of a person booking a flight on Southwest.com's website to reserve a car from Dollar Rent-A-Car without having to leave the airline's website is an example of the usage by Dollar Rent-A-Car and Southwest Airlines of which of the following? A) Cloud computing B) Web services C) Nanotechnology D) SaaS E) PaaS
B
The business case for using grid computing involves all of the following except: A) cost savings. B) centralized maintenance. C) speed of computation. D) agility. E) increased computational power.
B
The use of multiple computers linked by a communications network for processing is called: A) grid computing. B) distributed processing. C) client/server computing. D) centralized processing. E) supercomputing.
B
What is the foundation technology for web services? A) HTML B) XML C) SOAP D) UDDI E) Java
B
What type of device gathers data and converts them into electronic form for use by the computer? A) Output device B) Input device C) Optical storage D) Magnetic storage E) SAN
B
Which of the following is not a type of input device? A) Digital scanner B) Flat panel (LCD) display screen C) Trackball D) Keyboard E) Sensor
B
Which of the following refers to the ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a larger number of users without breaking down? A) Modifiability B) Scalability C) Expandability D) Disintermediation E) SLA
B
Which of the following statements is not true about cloud computing? A) It is the fastest-growing form of computing. B) It removes the concern about data and systems security for businesses. C) It allows smaller firms to use resources previously unaffordable. D) It relies on the Internet as the platform for delivering services to users. E) Charges for cloud resources are based on resources actually used.
B
________ provides users with free access to its program code. A) An app B) Open source software C) Cloud-based software D) A web service E) Office software
B
A(n) ________ is a set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application. A) web service B) hybrid cloud C) SOA D) ERP E) mashup
C
Connecting geographically remote computers in a single network to create a "virtual supercomputer" is called: A) co-location. B) cloud computing. C) grid computing. D) client/server computing. E) centralized processing.
C
In lightweight PCs, smartphones, and tablets, which of the following have replaced hard drives? A) CD-ROM B) RAID C) SSDs D) Magnetic tape E) SANs
C
In order to manage their relationship with an outsourcer or technology service provider, firms need a contract that includes a(n): A) TCO. B) SOA. C) SLA. D) API. E) capacity plan.
C
Linux is: A) primarily concerned with the tasks of end users. B) designed for specific machines and specific microprocessors. C) an example of open source software. D) especially useful for processing numeric data. E) the operating system for the Macintosh computer.
C
Linux plays a major role in supporting business information systems, and has garnered about ________ of the U.S. server market. A) 10 percent B) 25 percent C) 35 percent D) 50 percent E) 80 percent
C
Software applications that combine different components of online software applications are referred to as: A) integrated software. B) widgets. C) mashups. D) grid computing. E) web services.
C
Software that organizes, manages, and processes business data, such as data concerned with inventory, customers, and vendors, is called: A) system software. B) application software. C) data management software. D) network software. E) web services software.
C
The National Institute of Standards (NIST) defines cloud computing as having all of the following characteristics except: A) measured service. B) ubiquitous network access. C) collaboration service. D) rapid elasticity. E) on-demand self-service.
C
The toy manufacturer you work for wants to exchange data with a chain of toy stores in order to improve its distribution and speed to market. The toy stores use different software than your firm. Which of the following tools or technologies presents the best solution? A) Mashups B) Extranet C) Web services D) Cloud computing E) Intranet
C
Virtualization: A) allows one operating system to manage several physical machines. B) has enabled microprocessor manufacturers to reduce the size of transistors to the width of an atom. C) can boost server utilization rates to 70% or higher. D) allows smartphones to run full-fledged operating systems. E) uses the principles of quantum physics to represent data.
C
A client computer networked to a server computer, with processing split between the two types of machines, is called a(n) ________ architecture. A) service-oriented B) on-demand C) multitiered client/server D) two-tiered client/server E) grid
D
All of the following are traditional storage technologies except: A) magnetic disks. B) optical drives. C) magnetic tape. D) cloud computing. E) storage networks.
D
An analyst asked to perform capacity planning for a system would need to take into account all of the following factors except: A) the maximum number of users a system can accommodate at one time. B) the minimum response time for processing business transactions. C) the impact of future software applications. D) the purchase price of new computer hardware equipment. E) the volume of transactions.
D
As discussed in the chapter case, all of the following are benefits of wearable computing devices except: A) providing geolocation information for employees. B) delivering instant notifications to sales managers. C) using analytic software for performance metrics. D) processing customer credit card information. E) providing access to corporate databases.
D
In a ________ computing model, companies use their own infrastructure for essential computing tasks and adopt public cloud computing for less critical operations or additional processing during peak business periods. A) scalable B) quantum C) grid D) hybrid cloud E) private cloud
D
Which of the following is a visual programming tool and environment for creating applications that run on Microsoft Windows operating systems? A) Java B) C++ C) XML D) Visual Basic E) COBOL
D
Which of the following is an open-source operating system designed for mobile devices? A) iOS B) OS X C) Chrome D) Android E) Apache HTTP
D
Which of the following is not an essential characteristic of cloud computing? A) On-demand self-service B) Rapid elasticity C) Measured service D) Open source software E) Ubiquitous network access
D
Which of the following types of computers are used for weather forecasting on a national or worldwide scale? A) Mainframe B) Server C) Minicomputer D) Supercomputer E) PC
D
________ is an operating system-independent, processor-independent, object-oriented programming language that has become a leading interactive programming environment for the web. A) XML B) SOA C) HTML D) Java E) COBOL
D
Which of the following is considered to be the fastest-growing form of computing? A) Wearable computing B) Green computing C) Nanocomputing D) Enterprise computing E) Cloud computing
E
Which of the following is not an example of the consumerization of IT? A) Google's G Suite B) BYOD C) Facebook D) Gmail E) Amazon Web Services
E
90) A service level agreement specifies the nature and level of services provided by service providers.
T
92) Total cost of ownership components include costs for downtime, training, and support.
T
94) Software localization refers to the entire process of converting software to operate in a second language.
T
A firm's IT infrastructure provides the foundation for supporting all the information systems in the business.
T
What are the components that must be considered in a TCO analysis?
TCO cost components include hardware acquisition, which includes the purchase price of computer hardware equipment, including computers, terminals, storage, and printers; software acquisition, which includes the purchase or license of software for each user; installation, which includes the cost to install computers and software; training, which includes the cost to provide training to information systems specialists and end users; support, which includes the cost to provide ongoing technical support; maintenance, which includes the cost to upgrade hardware and software; infrastructure, which includes the cost to acquire, maintain, and support related infrastructure, such as networks and specialized equipment; downtime, which includes the cost of lost productivity if hardware or software failures cause the system to be unavailable; and space and energy, such as real estate and utility costs.
You are an IT consultant advising a building inspection company that conducts home inspections throughout your state. The company wishes to switch to primarily mobile computing, so that inspectors can finalize reports without having to return to the office, but they are not sure how to go about this. What will be your advice?
An example answer is: To support the use of multiple mobile devices, including employee devices, the company will need to configure its networks to receive connections from these devices, and create an inventory of all mobile devices authorized for access. They will also need to track what company information is being stored on these devices. If the information stored on employee's personal devices is highly confidential, they may want to consider the additional expense of purchasing work-only mobile devices. I would also ask the company what types of applications would be used in order to determine if tablet computers, netbooks, or smartphones will be best, as the operating systems for these devices differ. They may also want to consider mobile device management software to monitor and manage their mobile devices. It is probably best to sit down with the company and review the home inspection workflow and data needs in detail and determine how mobile computing would be employed most efficiently.
What are the essential characteristics of cloud computing?
As defined by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, cloud computing is characterized by on-demand self-service, ubiquitous network access, location-independent resource pooling, rapid elasticity, and measured service. On-demand self-service means that consumers can use server time and network storage as they need it on their own. Ubiquitous network refers to the ability to access cloud resources across all devices and platforms, including mobile. Location independent resource pooling describes the ability to allocate resources to any part of the world without a dip in service quality. Rapid elasticity is the capacity for resources to be increased or decreased as needed to meet demand. Lastly, measured service refers to the payment technique whereby users are charged based on the resources they use, as opposed to monthly or yearly rates.
Which of the following statements about Linux is not true? A) Linux is a UNIX-like operating system. B) Linux plays a major role in running web servers and local area networks. C) Linux is the primary OS used in quantum computing. D) Linux is a robust alternative to Windows operating systems. E) Linux is an example of open source software.
C
________ describes the practices and technologies used to minimize the environmental effects of manufacturing and managing computing devices. A) Capacity planning B) Cloud computing C) Green computing D) Utility computing E) On-demand computing
C
________ refers to the ability of a system to expand to serve a number of users without breaking down. A) Capacity planning B) Management future planning C) Scalability D) Guaranteed levels of service E) Service level agreements
C
Identify and describe some of the current trends in contemporary software platforms.
Current trends in software include open source software, cloud-based software services and tools, such as mashups and apps. One of the most influential software trends is the movement towards open source software. Open source software is developed by a community of programmers around the world, who make their programs available to users under one of several different licensing schemes. In cloud-based software, users access software tools and services over the Internet, as in the various Google Apps. Mashups combine the capabilities of two or more online applications to create a kind of hybrid that provides more customer value than the original sources alone. Apps are small pieces of software that run on the Internet, on your computer, mobile, or tablet, and are usually downloaded from the Internet.
All of the following are examples of wearable computing devices except: A) smartwatches. B) smart badges. C) activity trackers. D) smart glasses. E) smartphones.
E
All of the following are techniques being used to make data centers more "green" except: A) air-cooling. B) virtualization. C) use of wind power. D) use of hydropower. E) use of backup generators.
E
39) Application server software is responsible for locating and managing stored web pages.
F
40) Using an online storage service such as Dropbox is a type of virtualization.
F
45) A SaaS provider maintains a large web server, or series of servers, and provides fee-paying subscribers with space to maintain their websites.
F
46) In client/server computing, the server provides users access to system resources.
F
47) Desktop PCs, laptops, and smartphones are the primary interface for accessing the Internet.
F
77) XML is limited to describing how data should be presented in the form of web pages, while HTML can perform presentation, communication, and storage of data.
F
89) The total cost of ownership refers to the direct costs of owning hardware and software.
F
91) Allowing departments to make their own software and hardware purchases increases efficiency and minimizes the need for centralized support.
F
93) One of the main benefits of moving to mobile business computing platforms is the dramatically lower costs of hardware.
F
A mainframe is a type of legacy workstation.
F
Client/server computing is the most widely used form of centralized processing.
F
Today, most system and application software is custom built by in-house programmers.
F
78) You are starting an Internet marketing and data mining company. What types of software can you anticipate needing, and what will these types of software be used for?
I anticipate needing: • Operating system software for computers to run. • Word processing software for communications. • Spreadsheet software for modeling data. • Data management software to combine data downloaded/mined from different sources. • Presentation graphics and desktop publishing software for marketing reports. • Email, web-browsers for daily communication and research.
Define outsourcing and explain some of the computing tasks that are well suited to outsourcing.
Outsourcing is the shift of IT infrastructure and systems development to external vendors. This is a good option for companies without the resources or technical capability to perform certain computing tasks. Tasks well suited to outsourcing include website hosting, web design, development of custom software, and software maintenance. More basic tasks such as data entry and call center operation are often outsourced as well. Outsourcing often requires firms to enter into a service level agreement (SLA) that defines the specific responsibilities of the service provider.
95) What is scalability? Why is it essential to the success of the modern business firm?
Scalability is the ability of the computer, product, or system to expand to serve a larger number of users without breaking down. It is important because as firms grow, they can quickly outgrow their infrastructure. Any modern company must be able to make plans for the future, even though that future may be different than what was expected. Computer equipment is expensive, though dropping in price, and budgets must be planned to allow for new infrastructure and IT support.
You are starting a small market research company with a single business partner, and are planning the hardware and software needs for the two of you. You realize that you will need to make daily backups of your data. What choices do you have as backup media, and what will you choose? Why?
Storage options are: magnetic disks or hard drives, USB flash drives, CD-ROM or CD-R-W, DVDs, Magnetic tape, SAN. Student answers will vary as to their choice of backup media. An example answer is: I would probably choose an online backup service or a SAN, because you can automatically back up your data, or an external or separate hard drive so that you do not have to keep inserting and removing CDs or DVDs.
76) Web services can exchange information between two different systems regardless of the operating system or programming languages on which the systems are based.
T
8) System software manages the resources and activities of computers
T
41) In cloud computing, rapid elasticity refers to the ability of computing resources to be quickly obtained, increased, or decreased to meet demand.
T
42) A private cloud is operated for the benefit of a single organization but may be managed by a third party and located off premises.
T
43) Google Suite is an example of SaaS.
T
44) Nanotechnology uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit.
T
7) Systems integration means ensuring the legacy systems work with new elements of the infrastructure.
T
74) HTML specifies how text, graphics, video, and sound are placed on a document.
T
75) HTML5 is the latest evolution of HTML, and is designed to make it much easier to embed third-party add-ons in web pages.
T
Identify and describe the leading PC and server operating systems.
The five most widely used operating systems are Windows 10, Windows Server, UNIX, Linux, and OS X. Windows 10 is the traditional Windows client operating system and is now used on both mobile devices and traditional PCs. Windows Server is used for network servers as well as workstations and PCs, and supports networking tasks. UNIX is used for PCs and network servers and was developed in the late 1960s to support communications and networking across large systems. UNIX is highly customizable. Linux is an open source variation of UNIX which has become popular as a low-cost alternative to UNIX as well as Windows. Linux powers as much as 35 percent of web servers worldwide. OS X is Apple's operating system. The iOS operating system for mobile devices like the iPhone is derived from OS X.
9) Describe the five major categories of IT infrastructure and provide an example of each.
The major components of IT infrastructure are computer hardware, computer software, data management technology, networking and telecommunications technology, and technology services. Computer hardware consists of technology for computer processing, data storage, input, and output, such as large mainframes, servers, midrange computers, desktop and laptop computers, and mobile devices. Computer software includes both system software and application software. System software, such as the Windows operating system, manages the resources and activities of the computer. Application software, such as Microsoft Word, applies the computer to a specific task for an end user, such as processing an order or generating a mailing list. Data management technology is specialized software to organize the data and make it available to business users. Networking and telecommunications technology provides data, voice, and video connectivity to employees, customers, and suppliers. Technology services includes the people to run and manage the other infrastructure components and to train employees in how to use these technologies for their work.
List and describe the major trends in computer hardware. Which of these do you think will create the biggest changes in business information systems, and why?
The major trends in hardware are: the mobile digital platform, consumerization of IT and BYOD, nanotechnology and quantum computing, virtualization, cloud computing, green computing, and high performance and power-saving processors. In the mobile digital platform trend, business computing is increasingly moving to smaller, mobile devices such as smartphones, and tablet computers, and netbooks. The consumerization of IT describes the phenomenon in which new information technology first emerges in the consumer market and then spreads to business organizations. One aspect of this is BYOD, or bring your own device, which describes the use of personal mobile devices for work. Nanotechnology uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit. In quantum computing, data is processed using principles of quantum physics rather than binary digits or bits, making processing speeds millions of times faster than today. Virtualization is the process of presenting a set of computing resources (such as computing power or data storage) so that they can all be accessed in ways that are not restricted by physical configuration or geographic location. Server virtualization enables companies to run more than one operating system at the same time on a single machine. In cloud computing, firms and individuals obtain computing resources and software applications over the Internet ("the cloud"). In green computing, companies utilize practices for manufacturing, deploying, and disposing of technology assets that minimize waste and pollution. The development and use of high performance and power-saving microprocessors is an additional method of increasing computational power without increasing or with reducing the power and cooling requirements of computers. Student opinions regarding the effects of the trends will vary. An example answer is: I think mobile computing will create the biggest changes, because this means that the amount of information and types of information being used in business, as well as the locations and hours of business, will increase drastically.
You have been given the task of creating localized versions of your company's software for overseas branches. What are your chief concerns?
The software will have to be built in a local language interface. Menu bars, commands, error messages, reports, queries, online data entry forms, and system documentation may need to be translated into all the languages of the countries where the system will be used. To be truly useful for enhancing productivity of a global workforce, the software interfaces must be easily understood and mastered quickly. The entire process of converting software to operate in a second language is called software localization. Global systems must also consider differences in local cultures and business processes. Cross-functional systems such as enterprise and supply chain management systems are not always compatible with differences in languages, cultural heritages, and business processes in other countries. In a global systems environment, all of these factors add to the TCO and will influence decisions about whether to outsource or use technology service providers.
A small design agency you are a financial consultant for will be creating client websites and wants to purchase a web server so they can host the sites themselves. How will you advise them on this purchase?
They should understand the concept or model of total cost of ownership: the costs will go beyond the cost of the server, but they will also need to purchase the server software, along with any application software they will be using. They will also need someone in their IT department to manage and maintain the computers. They will also incur facilities costs for running the computer. They need to have a backup plan should the server fail. The design agency will need to add up all the potential costs and risks. Additionally, they need to prepare for the possibility they may need more servers. Will they eventually have to run and maintain their own server farm? What about scalability? What if one of their clients' sites is more popular than anticipated and the server has difficulty handling the load? How quickly can they add servers or processing power? The company should look at co-location, web hosting services, and service providers to see if their needs will be better met this way.
An international ad hoc group of climatologists and oceanographers needs to set up a system to analyze massive amounts of data on ocean temperatures, collected hourly by hundreds of ships worldwide. What types of hardware might they need for storage and processing? What techniques might they use to make their research more efficient and lower costs?
To store their data they will need a SAN. To process their data, they will need a supercomputer or grid computing. To lower costs, they could look at on-demand or utility computing, as well as multicore processors and virtualization.
What are some of the challenges companies face in managing the mobile platform?
Today, employees want to be able to use a variety of personally owned mobile devices, including the iPad, iPhone, and Android handhelds, to access corporate systems such as email, databases, and applications. Gains in productivity from equipping employees with mobile computing devices must be balanced against increased costs from integrating these devices into the firm's IT infrastructure and providing technical support. For personal mobile devices to access company information, the company's networks must be configured to receive connections from that device. Firms need an efficient inventory management system that keeps track of which devices employees are using, where each device is, and what software is installed on it. They also need to know what pieces of corporate data are on those personal devices, and this is not always easy to determine. It is more difficult to protect the company's network and data when employees access them from their privately owned devices. If a device is stolen or compromised, companies need to ensure that sensitive or confidential company information isn't exposed.
