BUS 391 MIDTERM 1
solution requirement
Features, functions and characteristics of the product, service or result that will meet the business and stakeholder requirements. Solution requirements are further grouped into functional and nonfunctional requirements
What are the six major roles of information systems in organizations?
Supporting customer interactions, making decisions, collaborating on teams, gaining competitive advantage, improving individual productivity, managing operations
object
A main component that is created and used to make a database function, such as a table or form
data model
A model used for planning the organization's database that identifies what kind of information is needed, what entities will be created, and how they are related to one another.
field
A piece of information stored in a table, such as a company name or city.
The waves we use for wireless telecommunications are longer than visible light:
—in the ranges of radio waves and microwaves.
The process to build a data warehouse is called
extract, transform, and load (ETL) The first step is to extract data from the sources, and then transform and cleanse it so that it adheres to common data definitions. After transformation, the data is loaded into the data warehouse, typically another database. At frequent intervals, the load process repeats to keep it up-to-date.
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
http://
Satellite internet systems
in which ground stations on earth broadcast signals to satellites that relay them back, have been around for quite some time. But recently they are gaining more attention. Starlink relies on low-earth-orbiting satellites rather than earlier systems that placed the satellites in much higher orbits, which had long transmission delays. Plans call for placing thousands of Starlink satellites in such orbits to ensure global coverage, even in remote areas, with transmission speeds that are more comparable to what people experience with wired internet access.
databases without boundaries
in which people outside the enterprise enter and manage most of the records. These contributors feel strong ownership over their records. A valuable lesson from the efforts to build databases without boundaries is simply the need to plan for high volume, rapid growth, and potential abuse.
Microwave transmission
sends signals in the gigahertz range to relays in the line of sight. The signals can hop about 70 kilometers when earthbound, and can also be transmitted to satellites.
shadow systems
solution is to create a shadow system. These are smaller databases developed by individuals or departments that focus on their creator'sspecific information requirements. They are not managed by central IT staff, who may not even know they exist. Shadow systems are easy to create with tools like Access and Excel, but the information they hold may not be consistent with what is in the corporate database. Another hazard is that the department may be left hanging when the creator leaves because no one else knows quite what the shadow system does.
Functional Requirements
specify what the product or service must do
Top-level management needs
strategic information and insights from big data along with accurate, enterprise-wide reports to balance the information needs of many stakeholders.
Objects include:
tables, queries, forms, and reports
BPR (Business Process Reengineering)
the activity of altering existing and designing new business processes to take advantage of new information systems
Business process management (BPM)
the field that focuses on designing, optimizing, and streamlining processes, taking into account the human element. Analysts look at processes from many different angles to suggest innovative approaches that leverage the power of information systems and propose tweaks at every step.Efforts to manage business processes also take into account the overall organizational culture. Business processes and policies must also be reviewed frequently because circumstances change quickly.
BPR (Business Process Reengineering)
the fundamental redesign of business processes to take advantage of new information systems ▪ The goal of BPR is to integrate data, create stronger,faster, more effective linkages in value chains. ▪ Difficult, slow, exceedingly expensive ▪ Key personnel determine how best to use new technology ▪ Requires high-level and expensive skills and considerable time
database
A collection of data organized as meaningful information that can be accessed, managed, stored, queried, sorted, and reported.
record
A complete set of all the fields about one person, place, event, or concept.
blockchain
A distributed architecture that is gaining considerable attention. It can be described as a type of open, distributed ledger in which individual records, called "blocks," contain a time stamp and reference links to previous transactions to prevent tampering and ensure transparency. The ledgers reside on an open peer-to-peer network with no central control. After verification, blocks of transactions are recorded on many servers and never erased, so anyone with access rights can view them and submit new transactions. Blockchain first earned its fame because the technology is used to record transactions involving bitcoins, an online cryptocurrency that is not issued by a government and instead is valued based on market demand. That blockchain was designed to be public, so that people could submit transactions anonymously. This makes them difficult to trace—a big plus for criminals. Some predicted that blockchain technology would revolutionize business and finance, making central authorities such as banks and credit card companies unnecessary and offering a transparent, trusted, and tamper-proof means for two parties to transact business. That has not happened, at least not yet, but the technology is evolving, and many companies are launching blockchain projects in partnership with suppliers. Walmart, for instance, launched one to create a more transparent and trusted means to track fresh produce in its supply chain. Walmart controls permission to record transactions, of course, so the blockchain is not a public one.
filter by form
A filtering method that displays records based on multiple criteria.
typosquatting
A form of cybersquatting that relies on mistakes, such as typographical errors, made by Internet users when inputting information into a Web browser.
datasheet view
A grid that enables the user to add, edit, and delete the records of a table. displayed in rows and columns
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
A service model in which hardware services and networks are provided virtually while you manage the rest
application part
A set of common Access components that can be added to an existing database.
Semi structured information
A web page with a title, subtitle, content, and a few images
cloud computing advantages
Accessibility Cost Saving Flexibility Reliability Portability Capacity on Demand Backup/Recovery Scalability Availability
Workforce management
All activities needed to ensure that workforce size and competencies meet the organization's strategic needs. WM applications draw on data in the core human resource records and add features to keep track of time and attendance, sick leave, vacation leave, and project assignments. This module is useful for labor scheduling and workforce planning and to assign the proper number of clerks to specific shifts.
navigation pane
An Access interface element that organizes and lists database objects in a database
form
An Access object that simplifies entering, modifying, and deleting table data
report
An object that contains professional-looking, formatted information from underlying tables or queries.
XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language)
An open, global standard for exchanging financial reporting information The goal is to develop a common language for financial reporting, one that tags every individual item of data to make it understandable, transparent, and also computer-readable for further analysis. XBRL can help eliminate manual processes and greatly improve transparency. Investors and regulators can compare "net profit" from one company to the next, with more assurance that all the figures have been calculated in the same way.
Cloud computing drawbacks
Cloud computing requires reliable and fast internet access. Organizations that can't count on that for their operations, perhaps because of their location or harsh weather conditions, would find themselves without access to their mission-critical systems if the net connection fails. Another potential drawback is that cloud services that support many businesses may not be able to quickly customize service for particular configurations. Game maker Zynga, for instance, started out with its own Dell servers but then switched to the cloud when growth exploded. The cloud provider was not able to tune the servers for Zynga's needs, though, so Zynga moved the games back to its own servers and used the cloud to relieve pressure. Many organizations choose a "hybrid cloud" approach in which they rely on one or more cloud providers for some services but also maintain a data center for others. This provides flexibility but can also introduce the possibility of data fragmentation. One strategy to prevent that problem is to carefully assign specific responsibilities to each. For example, local servers might handle storage and backup, and the cloud could be used for applications
PaaS (Platform as a Service)
Cloud-based virtual server(s). These virtualized platforms give programmers tools needed to deploy, administer, and maintain a Web application.
Simple model of communication
Communications of information and data require: A sender to originate the conversation, for example, a person or electronic device. Media is the channel of communications, example, spoken word, email or music. Noise is interference in the communications from the media. For example, color-blind individuals may have problems reading color posters. The listener receives the information or data. Feedback provides the sender confirmation that the conversation was received. Sender > Media > Listener
information
Data converted into a meaningful and useful context (knowledge used by a human and derived from processed data)
avoid computer jargon like this:
DataTableQueryFormReportInterfaceEntityDBMSRelationshipsApplicationMany to Many
industry specific operations
Depending on their missions, organizations also need information systems to manage industry-specific operations.
Business managers will need to:
Describe an end goal, not the means to get there (Avoid the jargon barrier)Learn how to contact IT for different purposesBe familiar with how information systems are already supporting the organizationNetworkDo their homeworkBe an active partner
TrustE website
Designed to help ensure that Web sites adhere to the privacy policies they advertise. Businesses can apply for a "seal of approval" to verify their compliance with minimum trust requirements.
top-level domain
Domains (including .net, .org, .com, .mil. and the set .xx country codes) at the end of a domain name are the highest level of the domain name hierarchy.
Human capital management (HCM)
Encompasses all the activities and information systems related to effectively managing an organization's human capital. The HCM information system includes applications and modules with the employee as the central element.
Structured information
Facts and data Ex: A sales transaction with clearly defined fields for date, customernumber, item number, and amount
exception reporting
Financial systems generate exception reports that automatically tag unusual events and are used to spot fraudulent transactions, including any committed by employees.
To improve communications between business managers and the IT department, the IT department will need to:
Focus on business goalsAvoid jargonCommunicate the value of ITEmphasize return on investmentBe proactiveEmbrace customer serviceBe grounded in business
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning)
Framework for organizing, defining, and standardizing the business processes necessary to effectively plan and control an organization so the organization can use its internal knowledge to seek external advantage. ERP vendors provide starter kits for specific industries called industry-specific solutions, which contain program and database configuration files as well as process blueprints that apply to ERP implementations in specific industries.
Unstructured information
Has no inherent structure or order, and the parts can't be easily linked together. It is more difficult to break down, categorize, organize, and query. Ex: Consider a company involved in a high-profile lawsuit. The information related to that could include letters, emails, Twitter feeds, sticky notes, text messages, meeting minutes, interviews, phone calls, surveillance videos, resumes, or photos. A vast gray area exists between the extremes of structured and unstructured information; this is the area within which semistructured information falls. Ex: Manila folder containing assorted items about a lawsuit, such asphotos, handwritten notes, newspaper articles, or affidavits
compliance
Information systems designed to handle the processes involved in these functions must also meet compliance standards set by governments and other regulatory agencies, which may change from time to time, and also vary by country or state. Reports must be filed, audits passed, and new regulations followed.
knowledge
Information that's been further refined, analyzed, and combined to make it even more useful and valuable as actionable knowledge.
Metadata
Metadata is data about data, and it clarifies the nature of the information. -For structured information, metadata describes the definitions for each field, table, and their relationships. -For semistructured and unstructured information, metadata describe properties of a document or other resource. The photo-sharing website Flickr relies on metadata to search its enormous photo collection.
Nonfunctional Requirements
Non-functional requirements supplement functional requirements and describe the environmental conditions or qualities required for a product to be effective. Includes transition and readiness requirements. everything but the activities the product must perform or support
open source software
Program code made publicly available for free; it can be copied, distributed, or changed without the stringent copyright protections of proprietary software products. the licensing terms must comply with several criteria, one of which is free redistribution. The source code must be distributed along with the software so that other people can improve it.
Utility software
Programs that are used to maintain and repair the computer. encompasses a variety of programs that perform specific tasks to help manage, tune, and protect the computer hardware and software. Utilities scan for viruses, perform cleanup routines, log events, compress and back up files, encrypt information, and perform many other tasks.
page rank and relevance
Search engines rely partly on popularity to determine relevance, and the rules they use to rate popularity take into account the number and quality of external links to the site from other websites. Google's PageRank system, for example, named for cofounder Larry Page, interprets a link from Site A to Site B as a vote, thereby increasing B's relevance rank. The ranking system also considers the page that casts the vote, weighing votes more heavily if they come from pages that are themselves highly ranked. Web marketers launch link-building campaigns to improve their search results, contacting sites that might add a link and making deals to do reciprocal linking.
Best of breed suites
Separate systems, deployed because they each match user requirements closely but integration is weak and architectural foundations can be very different. Pros: modules can have very rich functionality, and can be implemented individually, reducing risk Cons: processes, interfaces, and data may not be consistent across systems. Connections and synchronization which can be error-prone and costly may be done in-house or by vendor.
third-party cookies
Small text files that a website leaves on a visitor's computer that are not deposited by the site being visited; used by ad networks to track customer behavior across all their client websites.
Talent management
Talent management applications focus on the employee life cycle, beginning with the recruitment phase and extending into performance evaluations, career development, compensation planning, e-learning, and succession planning after retirement or departure.
Transition and readiness requirements
Temporary capabilities, such as data conversion and training requirements, needed to transition from the current as-is state to the desired future state.
search engine scams
The drive to improve search results gets so heated that some unscrupulous developers launch devious strategies to outwit the engine's ranking system. For example, one technique to build valuable external links is to look for guest books on authoritative sites whose votes would be particularly valuable, such as those in the .gov or .edu domains, and then include a link to the scammer's site in the comments section. A more insidious approach is to get a competitor's site banned, or at least move its site lower in the results.
integration strategies pros and cons
The engineered suite offers solid integration on the backend and consistent user interfaces throughout. However, the individual modules may lack all the rich features users want. Also, switching costs are higher for ERPs in which all the modules are so interdependent. Integrated ERP systems can be more difficult to modify to meet changing business needs. For the best of breed approach, organizations must pay close attention to master data management, because the same information will appear in more than one system.
What's the core of HCM?
The human resources management (HRM) module is the core of this system, tracking each employee's demographic information, salary, tax data, benefits, titles, employment history, dependents, and dates of hire and termination. Some systems also keep track of performance evaluations, professional development, and training
Moore's Law
The number of transistors per square inch on an integrated chip doubles every 2 years Decades ago, Intel cofounder Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors fitting on a chip would about double every two years, a forecast that has proven reasonably accurate. Now known as Moore's Law, his prediction about density also captures advances in processing speed, storage capabilities, cost, and other computer features. Today's low-cost laptop outperforms mainframes from the 1960s, and takes up far less space.
W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
The organization responsible for managing standards for the WWW. An international body that establishes and publishes standards for programming languages used to create software for the web. The W3C strives to make sure the web continues to support communication and commerce for all people, regardless of their hardware, software, native languages, or geographic location.
How do computers think
They think in ones and zeros Historically, computers have used transistors, which are like a miniature light switch. They either have an electrical charge or they do not. By stringing these on and off sequences, computers can store and process data. Many AI applications still use this basic structure.
middleware
This software allows one application to access data in another system's database, and it synchronizes data across multiple systems. The bridges that attempt to connect different components that might be running on different operating systems
What are three characteristics that make information valuable?
Timeliness, accuracy, and completeness
design view
View used to create or modify the structure of a table
data warehouse
a central data repository containing information drawn from multiple sources that can be used for analysis, intelligence gathering, and strategic planning.
Wifi, short for wireless fidelity, refers to
a computer network in which connections rely on radio waves at frequencies of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz for transmission. The radio signals emanate from the antennae of a wireless router, which has a wired connection to the network. They broadcast out to devices within a few hundred feet, getting fainter as the distance increases.
business process
a set of activities designed to achieve a task, and organizations implement information systems to support, streamline, and sometimes eliminate business processes.
NFC (Near Field Communication)
a set of standards for technology that supports contactless communication between mobile devices when the two are very near one another. People with smartphones or smart watches equipped with NFC chips can hold the device over a special scanning terminal at a grocery store, café, bus station, sporting arena, or any other participating vendor. The bill is automatically charged to the customer's account, often a credit card. Apple Pay is one example. Apple is also rolling out a feature in which the iPhone itself can accept tap-to-pay and retailers would not need a special scanning terminal. That feature would be useful for settings such as yard sales or food trucks.
cookie
a small text file that the website's server leaves on your computer when you visit, and then retrieves when you visit again to personalize the site for you. The cookie file contains a unique ID and information such as date and time, or the page you visited. E-commerce sites rely on cookies to keep track of the products a customer places in a shopping cart. As you collect items, the web server retrieves your unique ID and stores it with the item number in its own database. If you leave the site and return later, the software can retrieve your ID and refill your shopping cart. The site can also deliver targeted ads and recommendations, without asking you to log in, by retrieving your cookie and checking to see what that ID has viewed or bought in the past.
DBMS (Database Management System)
a software system that provides the tools needed to create, maintain, and use a database. Microsoft Access is the database management system included in professional editions of the Microsoft 365/2021 suite.
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
a standard format for the electronic exchange of information between supply chain participants used to improve visibility about orders, inventories, and data that partners in a chain need to share. Cons: This approach to bridge building, which predates the internet, often relies on private networks and proprietary software and is time-consuming to set up. It improves supply chain performance, but it also tends to lock the partners into the relationship. Having spent so much time and energy building that data bridge, companies are less likely to switch partners.
bluetooth
a technology that also uses radio waves in the same range as wifi, is commonly used for wireless connections over very short distances.
distributed database
all or portions of the database are located on separate servers to distribute the processing loads and improve performance. A distributed database may involve many servers so that large numbers of customers, suppliers, and staff members can access the information they need in a timely way. One strategy is simply to replicate the database on several different servers on a frequent schedule so that user traffic can be directed to one of several different servers. The systems may be in the same data center, but they might also be located on different continents to better support users across the globe. Another strategy used to accommodate increasing loads is to fragment the database so that portions are stored separately on different servers. This way, each server only needs to respond to queries that involve data stored on that server. Regardless of which architecture is used to create a distributed database, the design must ensure the integrity of the data in case conflicts arise, especially when adding or deleting data.
underseas cables
allow IS service providers to move data and applications easily to the lowest cost country. This also allows International Corporations to connect all of their offices
ultra-wideband (UWB)
also relies on radio waves, takes advantage of a wider bandwidth (>500 MHz) that prevents interference with wifi or Bluetooth. Devices equipped with ultra-wideband technology send out digital pulses every nanosecond or so to communicate with one another, which make them particularly useful for locating things. Apple's Airtag technology takes advantage of these capabilities to help people pinpoint the location of an object with their own tag attached. Ultra-wideband's range is relatively short, but if an owner's Airtag is near any equipped device, including newer iPhones, the tag's owner can locate the device very precisely.
A fast-growing variety of commercially produced software called software as a service (SaaS)
an information system that is owned, hosted, and managed remotely by a vendor. Organizations pay subscription fees to access it via the web, based on their own volumes.
Global positioning systems (GPS)
are a critical feature of navigation and transportation systems. These devices receive signals from satellites that orbit the earth and transmit time and location data. The GPS receiver computes its own 3D location based on distances from the three or four closest satellites.
Electromagnetic waves
are also simply called light, but what human eyes perceive as light is actually just a small part of this spectrum.
Blockchain-based transactions
are transparent, tamper-proof, and stored on multiple servers. The many different companies involved in a supply chain can each record events, view them, and trust their accuracy. IBM and shipping company Maersk, for instance, teamed up to create a shipping information pipeline that provides real-time visibility to all the stakeholders involved. The blockchain venture is automating cumbersome paperwork and offering many companies a transparent, neutral, and trustworthy platform to collect data and improve visibility for international shipping.
Sales force automation systems
boost performance of an organization's sales reps by helping them track and manage their accounts, contacts, leads, and to-do lists. Some systems also help salespeople develop proposals and quotes for their clients and assist managers in evaluating the success of their sales teams. For mobile sales reps, access to CRM applications via the web and by smartphone is essential.
sales force automation
boosts the performance of an organization's sales reps by helping them track and manage their accounts, contacts, leads, and to do lists
engineered suite
built from the ground up with consistent user interfaces, integrated backend database, and a single architectural foundation pros: data integrity is high, with consistent, up-to-date, and non duplicated elements. cons: modules are highly interdependent so organizations have to implement and/or upgrade all systems together. switching costs are high
The secret to excellence in SCM is
collaboration—internally among units and externally with partners, suppliers, and customers.
Browser Fingerprinting
collecting information about your browser and the device you are using, and because so much can be collected, the "fingerprint" can be used to identify you as you surf the web without dropping cookies on your device. The operating system you're using, the language of your browser, your timezone, and your screen resolution are all examples of the kind of information that can be collected. This identification strategy can be useful to help authenticate users and to track fraudulent access, and it also provides companies a way to better understand your individualinterests to target ads.
m-commerce (mobile commerce)
communicating with or selling to consumers through wireless handheld devices such as cellular phones
click-through rate (CTR)
computed as the number of visitors who click on the ad divided by the number of impressions.
javascript
computer programming language that can be used within HTML to add interactivity to web pages. Pop-up alert boxes, lively images that appear when your mouse rolls over the page, and validation for your input on forms are all examples of what JavaScript can do.
Application Software
computer software created to allow the user to perform a specific job or task supports transaction processing, human resources management, customer relationship management, collaboration, corporate training, financial modeling, manufacturing processes, supply chain management, customer support, and all the other processes along the value chain. Application software supports all the work (or play) you want to do, from word processing and spreadsheets to video editing, email, web browsing, and game playing. Databases are one major example of application software.
System software
controls basic operations and ensures that the technology tools involved in the information system all work together smoothly. System software includes operating system software and utilities.
The operating system (OS)
controls the way in which a computer system functions. performs a variety of basic tasks, such as handling input and output to devices such as keyboards and monitors, maintaining file structures, and allocating memory for its own activities and the needs of application software. It may support multiple processors, multiple concurrent users, and multiple applications running simultaneously.
processed data
data processed by summing, ordering, averaging, grouping, comparing, or other similar operations. Can be done by AI for humans
metadata
data that describes data Metadata makes a database self-describing
data model can be documented using a ? (DOCUMENTATION)
database schema, which graphically shows the tables, attributes, keys, and logical relationships. The data dictionary should contain the details of each field, including descriptions written in language users can easily understand in the context of the business. These details are sometimes omitted when developers rush to implement a project, but the effort pays off later.
The goal of using XBRL in compliance reporting is to ________.
develop a common language for financial reporting
The data model for a relational database includes.
entities and attributes, primary keys and uniqueness, and normalization Each entity represented in the model will have attributes, or fields, that describe the entity. For example, "Employees" is a straightforward entity with attributes such as employee ID number, last name, first name, birth date, email address, and phone number. The entity and its attributes (or fields) will become a record, and a collection of records will become a table. Each record in a table must have one primary key, which is a field or group of fields that makes the record unique in that table.
compliance reporting
financial systems also carry the major burden of compliance reporting, and must conform to local, national, and international regulations. For example, changes in federal banking laws require all banks to report on the assets of American citizens, regardless of whether the bank is in the United States or another country. The new rules were enacted to ferret out people who try to evade taxes by hiding assets offshore.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
ftp://
The central processing unit (CPU)
handles information processing, calculations, and control tasks for computers. The CPU consists of transistors, small electrical circuits made from a semiconductor material such as silicon. Transistors are packed onto integrated circuits, and mass produced at low cost.
relational database
invented by E. F. Codd, a British mathematician working at IBM. it organizes information into tables of records that are related to one another by linking a field in one table to a field in another table with matching data. The approach separates the data from the paths to retrieve them, thus making the database less dependent on the hardware and its particular operating system. His invention eventually came to dominate the field.
CRM (Customer Relationship Management)
involves managing all aspects of a customer's relationship with an organization to increase customer loyalty and retention and an organization's profitability It can help organizations make major improvements in customer service and support and reduce costs. The click-to-chat feature is widely used to interact with customers having login problems or other issues. Online knowledge bases and support sites let customers help themselves. Call center software can queue calls, let callers know the approximate waiting time, offer menu options for call routing, and retrieve customer data based on the caller's information so agents can quickly find answers.
operations management
involves the design, operation, and improvement of systems the organization needs to deliver its goods and services.
AJAX
is a mix of technologies that builds on Javascript and enlivens the web even more—adding instant intelligence drawn from live data to interactive displays. Many interactive maps and charts that show updated data as you move the mouse over different regions use AJAX, drawing the data from a database.
Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software
is developed commercially by IT companies and offered for sale or licensed to buyers who pay fees for its use. COTS software is ready to buy, install, and use. Although some products are designed for the mass market, others are more specialized for particular business processes. Much COTS software is also produced for particular industries with features they need. Many COTS products allow buyers to configure the software so it better matches their personal preferences or organizational setting. However, the source code is not usually included, so buyers can't make changes on their own.
enterprise architecture
is the big picture for the organization, the blueprint that describes the current environment and the target environment the organization hopes to reach to achieve its mission. It also includes a roadmap for transitioning from the baseline to the target, to help managers make better decisions that focus on long-term benefits and not just short-term gains. The architecture encompasses the people, technology, processes, and data that make up information systems. The business mission at the top drives the nature of the data and applications the business needs, which in turn shape the ICT architecture that includes hardware, software, and communications.
a task performed by utility software:
logging events and backing up files
The database administrator (DBA)
manages the rules that help ensure the integrity of the data. The software can enforce many different rules, such as the referential integrity constraint, which ensures that every foreign key entry actually exists as a primary key entry in its main table.
an approach that attempts to achieve consistent and uniform definitions for entities and their attributes across all business units is called
master data management
Each Access component that is created and used to make the database function is known as an
object
blockchain
open, distributed ledger in which individual records contain a time stamp and reference links to previous transactions to prevent tampering and ensure transparency
Cell phone infrastructure relies on
radio waves in the 0.8 to 1.9 gigahertz range. Different cell-phone networks use different bands along this range, with separate technologies to encode transmissions and take best advantage of available frequencies.
data
raw facts that describe the characteristic of an event
sources
recorded facts or figures
data
recorded facts or figures presented in a meaning fulcontext
Scalability
refers to a system's ability to handle rapidly increasing demand, and this is another performance issue.
Big data
refers to collections of data that are so enormous in size, so varied in content, and so fast to accumulate that they are difficult to store and analyze using traditional approaches.
Cybersquatting
registering domain names that are similar to a company's in the hope of selling them later at a higher price
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
the nonprofit organization charged with overseeing the net's naming system. ICANN works out contracts with organizations that manage URL assignments within each of the top-level domains, accredits the registrars who sell domain names, resolves disputes, and establishes policies.
master data management (MDM)
the practice of gathering data and ensuring that it is uniform, accurate, consistent, and complete, including such entities as customers, suppliers, products, sales, employees, and other critical entities that are commonly integrated across organizational systems. has less to do with technology than with people, processes, and governance. attempts to achieve uniform definitions for entities and their attributes across all business units, and it is especially important for mergers. The units must agree on how everyone will define terms such as employee, sale, or student. Data stewards may then be assigned as watchdogs and bridge builders to remind everyone about how data should be defined.
Cloud Computing
the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer. draws on IT resources outside the corporation's own data centers and local desktops. With an internet connection, employees can access virtual servers, storage space, video streaming, specialized software, and other cloud-based services from any location, using many different devices. The physical hardware that supports them is located in large data centers operated by Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, Alphabet, and other providers, which offer elastic leasing of pooled computer services so that companies can purchase only what they need. The companies can quickly scale up and purchase more resources if demand soars. Alphabet (Google's parent) cuts hardware costs to the bone by building its own servers from inexpensive parts and distributing the applications over a large number of them. The servers share the load, and if one goes down, another just takes over. For various reasons, such as compliance with regulations or privacy, some companies prefer a private cloud approach, in which they do not share space on the same servers with other tenants, but can still benefit from the scalability of leasing cloud computing resources. When needed, they can also take a hybrid approach.
identify stakeholders
the process of identifying all people ororganizations impacted by the project, and documenting relevantinformation regarding their interests, involvement, and impact onproject success.
Normalization
the process of refining entities and their relationships, and helps minimize the duplication of information in the tables. For example, in the employee table, one goal of normalization is to make each attribute functionally dependent on the employee ID number, which uniquely identifies each employee. Functional dependence means that for each value of employee ID, there is exactly one value for each of the attributes included in the record, and that the employee ID determines that value. There would be just one employee email address, one birth date, one last name, one first name, and one department.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator)
the unique global address for a web page or other resource on the internet. Every device connected to the net has a unique IP address, such as 10.181.25.56in IPv4, or much longer ones in the next generation IPv6. These IP addresses are not human-friendly, though, so the internet's designers added the Domain Name System (DNS)—the hierarchical naming system that maps a more memorable URL to the actual IP address. The URL is a string of characters, and each component has a specific meaning. The letters followed by the colon and forward slashes indicate the transmission protocol used to connect to the resource. The most common is hypertext transfer protocol (http://), which specifies that the resource is a web page containing code the browser can interpret and display. Another is file transfer protocol (ftp://) which indicates that the resource is a file to be transferred.The actual name of the site follows the protocol as in www.southwest.com or www.redcross.org. The last string of l
what is the Users' Role in the Development of Databases?
they're the final judge
data warehouse
used to spot trends, identify patterns, generate reports for compliance purposes, do research, and plan strategies
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
uses techniques to increase the quantity and quality of traffic from search engines, often by improving the site's position in result lists. Search engines such as Google and Bing continually send out "spiders"—software programs that crawl the web, visiting sites to analyze the keywords, headers, content, and links to other sites.
SaaS (Software as a Service)
vendor hosts the software online and user accesses and uses the software over the internet ex google docs
suite with synchronized modules
vendor provides middleware to connect and synchronize systems that me be running on different platforms pros: a common, vendor-provided architecture overlays the systems to improve consistency across the modules cons: modules are integrated at the edges, and the bridges can be fragile
search engine advertising
when a user types keywords in to a search engine, related ads appear. more successful than a generic ad presented to a untargeted audience. businesses that pay more per click appear higher on the sponsored list. Google developed the Adwords program to serve text-only ads related to your search in a list of sponsored links. Advertisers pay only when someone actually clicks on the ad, not each time the ad appears. Search engine marketing accounts for the vast majority of Google's revenue
database management system (DBMS)
will provide tools to handle access control and security, such as password protection, user authentication, and access control.
traditional on premises
you manage everything
Digital Strategy
• Inform or entertainaudience Organizations that aim to inform or entertain an audience offer content that drives traffic to the site. To earn revenue, many sell advertising, or offer premium access to specialized content for fee-paying members. Online magazines, video sites, and free game sites usually adopt this goal. Infomediaries focus on informing visitors and empowering them with aggregated information about products from different suppliers. Many infomediaries are also e-marketplaces that facilitate transactions by bringing together buyers and sellers from all over the world. E-marketplaces are often classified based on the buyers and sellers they serve, whether it is business to consumer (B2C), business to business (B2B), consumer to consumer (C2C), or consumer to business (C2B). • Influence audience Companies that are not actually selling directly to the public online hope to influence through their audience in subtle ways through their website. They might want to increase brand awareness, or persuade visitors to consider new technologies and upgrades. • Sell products or services Selling is the primary goal of organizations whose websites live and die by e-commerce transactions. Wayfair, Zappos, and Overstock.com include many features to help visitors find what they are looking for, read product information or reviews, compile wish lists, and buy online. The checkout process on these sites is critical to customer satisfaction. It must include several payment options, easy shipping solutions, and a simple return policy. • Facilitate offline relationships For companies such as hotels, restaurants, ice cream shops, and sports centers, the online presence should facilitate offline relationships. Retail stores might offer online buying with in-store pickup, and restaurants might provide directions and discount coupons. Websites for colleges and universities typically create engaging tours for prospective students and portals for current students, faculty, alumni, and staff.
he three most common styles of cloud computing
• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) • Platform as a service (PaaS) • Software as a service (SaaS)
