MIS Chapter 5

The collection of Web services that are used to build a firm's software systems constitutes what is known as a service-oriented architecture.

True

The decision to purchase your own IT assets or rent them from external providers is also referred to as the rent-versus-buy decision.

True

The operating system is used to manage the computer's activities.

True

Today, many business firms continue to operate their legacy systems that meet a business need and would be costly to replace.

True

Whereas HTML is limited to describing how data should be presented in the form of Web pages, XML can perform presentation, communication, and data storage tasks.

True

All of the following are current hardware platform trends except

UNIX

The multitasking, multi-user, operating system developed by Bell Laboratories that operates on a wide variety of computing platforms is

Unix

Interpretations of Moore's law assert that

computing power doubles every 18 months.

The phenomenon of employees using their own devices in the workplace is known as

BYOD

Application server software is responsible for locating and managing stored Web pages.

false

The marketplace for computer hardware

has become increasingly concentrated in top firms.

SaaS refers to

hosting and managing access to software applications delivered over the Internet to clients on a subscription basis.

A(n) ________ is an integrated circuit to which two or more processors have been attached for enhanced performance and reduced power consumption.

multicore processor

Which of the following is not one of the current software platform trends?

multicore processors

Which type of computing refers to firms purchasing computing power from remote providers and paying only for the computing power they use?

on-demand

Which type of software is created and updated by a worldwide community of programmers and available for free?

open source

Which of the following is not an IT infrastructure service component?

operating system software

Software that manages the resources of the computer is called

operating system software.

All of the following are cloud computing services except

virtualization as a service.

A recent addition to the mobile digital platform is

wearable computing devices.

Sets of loosely coupled software components that exchange information with each other using standard Web communication standards and languages are referred to as

web services

Which of the following factors does not help explain why computing resources today are ever more available than in previous decades?

widespread rejection of technology standards

Which of the following is not one of the main six factors to consider when evaluating how much your firm should spend on IT infrastructure?

your firm's organizational culture

________ are computers consisting of a circuit board with processors, memory, and network connections that are stored in racks.

Blade servers

Which of the following is not an example of the emerging mobile digital platform?

CRM

Which of the following is a leading networking hardware provider?

Cisco

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 is called

Cloud computing

IT infrastructure consists of just those physical computing devices required to operate the enterprise.

False

Quantum computing is implemented primarily with enterprise or ISP servers.

False

SANs maintain a series of servers and provide fee-paying subscribers with space to maintain their Web sites.

False

TCO refers to the original cost of purchased technology: both hardware and software.

False

The decision to purchase your own IT assets or rent them from external providers is also referred to as the rent-versus-buy decision.

False

The technology trends exhibited by Portugal Telecom, as discussed in the chapter opening case, illustrate the shift away from green computing.

False

Web services can exchange information between two different systems only if the operating systems and programming languages upon which the systems are based are identical.

False

How would you determine the market demand for your firm's IT services?

Hold focus groups to assess your services.

Distinguish between cloud computing, green computing, and quantum computing.

In cloud computing, technology services are provided over a network, primarily the Internet. These may be infrastructure services, such as storage or networking, or platform services, such as IBM's application development and test service, or software services, such as salesforce.com. Green computing refers to practices and technologies for designing computer equipment to minimize impact on the environment. Quantum computing refers to emerging technology that uses the principles of quantum physics to dramatically boost computer processing power.

Which of the following statements about Linux is not true?

It has garnered 20 percent of the server operating system market.

In N-tier computing, significant parts of Web site content, logic, and processing are performed by different servers.

True

In green computing, reducing computer power consumption is a top priority.

True

Java software is designed to run on any computing device, regardless of the specific microprocessor or operating system it uses.

True

Identify and describe five or more of the current trends in contemporary software platforms.

1. Growing use of Linux and open-source software-Open-source software is produced and maintained by a global community of programmers and is downloadable for free. Linux is a powerful, resilient open-source operating system that can run on multiple hardware platforms and is used widely to run Web servers. 2. HTML5-This is the next evolution of HTML which simplifies embedding multimedia, rich media, and animation in the browser. 3. Cloud-based services-In cloud-based services and software, users rent applications or storage space from online providers rather than running these applications or themselves or using local storage. 4. Web services and service-oriented architecture-Web services are loosely coupled software components based on open Web standards that are not product-specific and can work with any application software and operating system. They can be used as components of Web-based applications linking the systems of two different organizations or to link disparate systems of a single company. 5. Software outsourcing-Companies are purchasing their new software applications from outside sources, including application software packages, by outsourcing custom application development to an external vendor (that may be offshore), or by renting software services from an application service provider. 6. Cloud-based services-Companies are leasing infrastructure, hardware, and software from vendors, paying on a subscription or per-transaction basis. 7. Mashups and apps-Mashups are programs created by combining two or more existing Internet applications. Apps are small programs developed for mobiles and handhelds, turning them into more robust computing tools.

At what percent of capacity do most servers operate?

15-20%

Hardware and software acquisition costs account for about ________ percent of TCO.

20

Place the following eras of IT infrastructure evolution in order, from earliest to most recent: 1. Cloud Computing Era; 2. Client/Server; 3. Enterprise Era; 4. Personal Computer; and 5. Mainframe and Minicomputer.

5, 4, 2, 3, 1

Which of the following is the most popular mobile operating system?

Android

The network standard for connecting desktop computers into local area networks that enabled the widespread adoption of client/server computing and local area networks and further stimulated the adoption of personal computers is

Ethernet.

A primary example of centralized processing is client/server computing.

False

Briefly explain why corporations are increasingly interested in using Unix or Linux for their operating system.

Linux is an inexpensive and robust open-source relative of Unix. Unix and Linux constitute the backbone of corporate infrastructure throughout much of the world because they are scalable, reliable, and much less expensive than mainframe operating systems. They can also run on many different types of processors. The major providers of Unix operating systems are IBM, HP, and Sun with slightly different and partially incompatible versions. Although Windows continues to dominate the client marketplace, many corporations have begun to explore Linux as a low-cost desktop operating system provided by commercial vendors such as RedHat Linux and Linux-based desktop productivity suites such as Sun's StarOffice. Linux is also available in free versions downloadable from the Internet as open-source software. The rise of open-source software, particularly Linux and the applications it supports at the client and server level, has profound implications for corporate software platforms: cost, reduction, reliability and resilience, and integration, because Linux works on all the major hardware platforms from mainframes to servers to clients. Linux has the potential to break Microsoft's monopoly on the desktop. Sun's StarOffice has an inexpensive Linux-based version that competes with Microsoft's Office productivity suite.

________ are created by combining and customizing components from different online software applications.

Mashups

________ states that the value or power of a network grows exponentially as a function of the number of network members.

Metcalfe's Law

________ surfaces allow users to gesture on a screen with several fingers to execute commands.

Multitouch

________ uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other devices thinner than a human hair.

Nanotechnology

A formal contract between customers and their service providers that outlines the specific responsibilities of the service provider and to the customer is called a(n)

SLA

A set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application is called

SOA

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 survey larger numbers of users without breaking down. It is important because as firms grow, they can quickly outgrow their infrastructure. As firms shrink, they can get stuck with excessive infrastructure purchased in better times. 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 purchases, upgrades, and training. It is generally assumed that a successful company will need more computer capacity for more people as it follows a path to continued success.

Scalability refers to the ability of a computer, product, or system to expand to serve a large number of users without breaking down.

True

Explain why standards are so important in information technology. What standards have been important for the growth of Internet technologies?

Standards are important because they result in different manufacturers creating products that can be used either with each other or to communicate with each other. For example, without standards, each light-bulb manufacturer would have to also create specific light-bulb sockets for use with their light bulbs. In the same way, computers and computer technology have been enabled through standards. Standards have allowed many different manufacturers to contribute to the same, standardized definitions of a technological application. For example, the ASCII data standards made it possible for computer machines from different manufacturers to exchange data, and standardized software languages have enabled programmers to write programs that can be used on different machines. The standards that have been important for the growth of the Internet include TCP/IP, as a networking standard, and WWW standards for displaying information as Web pages, including HTML.

What are the drawbacks of cloud computing? Do you think these ever outweigh the benefits, and if so, in what cases?

Students should be able to identify at least two drawbacks. Drawbacks include: 1. placing data storage and control in another firm's hands, 2. security risks in having critical systems and data entrusted to a firm that does business with other firms, 3. loss of business capability if cloud infrastructures malfunction, 4. dependence on cloud computing provider and switching costs. Student answers regarding the relative weight will vary, an example is: The disadvantages of cloud computing outweigh the advantages, except if any data lost is irreplaceable or creates harm to others. For example, a database of financial information should remain the responsibility of the original firm so that they can be held accountable.

________ unleash powerful economies of scale and result in price declines in manufactured computer products.

Technology standards

List and describe four services that comprise IT infrastructure, beyond physical devices and software applications.

The service components of IT infrastructure include: Telecommunications services that provide data, voice, and video connectivity. Data management services to store, manage, and analyze data. Application software services that provide enterprise-wide capabilities. Physical facilities management services, to develop and manage physical installations of technology. IT standards services that establish and monitor the firm's policies. IT education services that provide training in use of the systems. IT research and development services that research potential projects, products, and investments.

A small design agency you are consulting for will be creating client Web sites and wants to purchase a Web server so they can host the sites themselves. How will you advise them on this purchase?

They need to understand total cost of ownership: the costs will go beyond the cost of the server, but they will also need to purchase the server software and 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 their plan if they need more servers. Will they eventually have to run and maintain their own server farm? 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 colocation, Web hosting services, and ASPs to see if their needs will be better met this way.

An ad-hoc group of oceanographers needs to set up a system to analyze massive amounts of data on ocean temperatures. The technology and hardware for gathering the data and transmitting the data to a central computer is in place. What additional hardware might they need? What techniques might they use to make their research more efficient and lower costs?

To store their data they may want to use a SAN. To process their data, they will need a supercomputer. To lower costs, they could look at on-demand computing as well as virtualization and implementing multicore processors.

An application server may reside on the same computer as a Web server or on its own dedicated computer.

True

Enterprise infrastructure requires software that can link disparate applications and enable data to flow freely among different parts of the business.

True

Hypertext markup language specifies how text, graphics, video, and sound are placed on a Web page document.

True

You are starting a market research company with a single business partner and are planning the hardware and software need for the two of you. Which factors should play into your decision of how much to spend on these investments?

Using the competitive forces model for IT infrastructure investment, the most relevant factors in this decision are: • The firm's business strategy. What capabilities will we want to have over the next five years? • Alignment of IT strategy. How does our IT strategy match up with the business plan? • IT assessment. What are the current technology levels for the services we are offering and our business type? We would probably not need to be at the bleeding edge, but not behind the times either. • Competitor firm services. What technology-enabled capabilities do our competitors have? We would want to match services with our competitors. • Competitor firm IT investments. How much are competitor firms investing in their technology? Because this is a startup, one other factor may not play such a large role: that of market demand for services. However, finding out the market demand for competitor's services may uncover ways that this new company could have a competitive advantage.

_______ allows a single computing resource, such as a server, to appear to the user as multiple logical resources.

Virtualization

The ________ PC, becoming the standard PC in the Personal Computer Era, uses the Windows operating system software on a computer with an Intel microprocessor.

Wintel

What is the foundation technology for Web services?

XML

________ provides a standard format for data exchange, enabling Web services to pass data from one process to another.

XML

Running a Java program on a computer requires

a Java Virtual Machine to be installed on that computer.

Today's nanotechnology-produced computer transistors are roughly equivalent in size to

a virus.

The introduction of the minicomputer

allowed computers to be customized to the specific needs of departments or business units.

Linux is

an example of open-source software.

A(n)________ server is used to communicate between a Web server and an organization's back-end systems.

application server

Legacy systems are still used because they

are too expensive to redesign.

A software tool with a graphical user interface for displaying Web pages and for accessing the Web and other Internet resources is called a Web

browser

The development of TCP/IP occurred during the ________ era.

enterprise computing

The practice of contracting custom software development to an outside firm is commonly referred to as

outsourcing

________ takes place when a firm contracts custom software development or maintenance of existing legacy programs to outside firms.

outsourcing

The ability to be in many different states at once, dramatically increasing processing power, is a hallmark of

quantum computing.

Which of the following is not one of the NIST defined characteristics of cloud computing?

reduced elasticity

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?

scalability

Prewritten, commercially available sets of software programs that eliminate the need for a firm to write its own software programs for certain functions, are referred to as

software packages.

A SAN is a ________ network.

storage area

Specifications that establish the compatibility of products and the ability to communicate in a network are called

technology standards.

Which type of infrastructure service provides voice and video connectivity to employees, customers, and suppliers?

telecommunications

In a multi-tiered network

the work of the entire network is balanced over several levels of servers.

Which model can be used to analyze the direct and indirect costs to help firms determine the actual cost of specific technology implementations?

total cost of ownership

As referred to in the text, legacy systems are

traditional mainframe-based business information systems.

A client computer networked to a server computer, with processing split between the two types of machines, is called a(n)

two-tiered client/server architecture.