Chapter 5: IT Infrastructure and Emerging Technologies
An example of autonomic computing is A) spyware protection software that runs and updates itself automatically. B) software programmed to run on any hardware platform. C) cell phones taking on the functions of handheld computers. D) programming languages that allow non-programmers to create custom applications.
A
As referred to in the text, legacy systems are A) traditional mainframe-based business information systems. B) electronic spreadsheets used on a PC. C) any pre-1990 Wintel systems. D) systems found on older ASPs.
A
Hardware and software acquisition costs account for about ________ percent of TCO. A) 20 B) 40 C) 60 D) 80
A
Interpretations of Moore's law assert that A) computing power doubles every 18 months. B) transistors decrease in size 50% every two years. C) data storage costs decrease by 50% every 18 months. D) none of the above.
A
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. A) 4, 5, 3, 2, 1 B) 5, 4, 2, 3, 1 C) 4, 5, 2, 3, 1 D) 5, 4, 2, 1, 3
A
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 A) software packages. B) mashups. C) outsourced software. D) open source software.
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) a miniature program to be downloaded to the user's computer. D) no specialized software, as Java is platform-independent.
A
Sets of loosely coupled software components that exchange information with each other using standard Web communication standards and languages are referred to as A) Web services. B) EAI software. C) SOA. D) SOAP.
A
Software that manages the resources of the computer is called A) operating system software. B) application software. C) data management software. D) network software.
A
The multitasking, multi-user, operating system developed by Bell Laboratories that operates on a wide variety of computing platforms is A) Unix. B) Linux. C) OS X. D) COBOL.
A
The practice of contracting custom software development to an outside firm is commonly referred to as A) outsourcing. B) scaling. C) service-oriented architecture. D) application integration.
A
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 A) cloud computing. B) autonomic computing. C) virtualization. D) multicore processing.
A
What is the foundation technology for Web services? A) XML B) HTML C) SOAP D) UDDI
A
Which of the following is NOT an IT infrastructure service component? A) operating system software B) computing platforms to provide a coherent digital environment C) physical facility management to manage the facilities housing physical components D) IT management services to plan and develop the infrastructure and provide project management
A
Which of the following is NOT one of the current software platform trends? A) grid computing B) open source software C) mashups and apps D) software outsourcing
A
Which type of computing refers to firms purchasing computing power from remote providers and paying only for the computing power they use? A) on-demand B) grid C) edge D) autonomic
A
A SAN is a ________ network. A) server area B) storage area C) scalable architecture D) service-oriented architecture
B
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) A) SOA. B) SLA. C) TCO. D) RFQ.
B
In a multi-tiered 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.
B
Legacy systems are still used because they A) can only be run on the older mainframe computers. B) are too expensive to redesign. C) integrate well using new Web services technologies. D) contain valuable data that would be lost during redesign.
B
The business case for using grid computing involves all of the following EXCEPT A) cost savings. B) increased accuracy. C) speed of computation. D) agility.
B
The leading networking hardware providers include A) Dell, HP/Compaq, and IBM. B) Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, and Nortel. C) Seagate, Maxtor, and Western Digital. D) IBM, Oracle, and Sun.
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) modality B) scalability C) expandability D) disintermediation
B
Your firm needs to implement electronic timesheet software and needs to keep within a small budget. Which of the following would be the most costly method of implementing this new software? A) purchasing a software package B) programming the new software in-house C) leasing the software over the Internet D) outsourcing the software programming to an overseas vendor
B
________ are created by combining and customizing components from different online software applications. A) Apps B) Mashups C) SaaS D) Web services
B
________ unleash powerful economies of scale and result in declines in manufactured computer products. A) Internet and web technologies B) Technology standards C) Linux and open-source software D) Client/server technologies
B
A set of self-contained services that communicate with each other to create a working software application is called A) Web services. B) EAI software. C) SOA. D) SOAP.
C
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 A) service. B) client. C) browser. D) app.
C
Connecting geographically remote computers in a single network to create a "virtual supercomputer" is called A) co-location. B) edge computing. C) grid computing. D) utility computing.
C
How would you determine the market demand for your firm's IT services? A) Perform a TCO analysis. B) Benchmark your services. C) Hold focus groups to assess your services. D) Analyze sales returns on key investments.
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.
C
SaaS refers to A) supplying online access over networks to storage devices and storage area network technology. B) managing combinations of applications, networks, systems, storage, and security as well as providing Web site and systems performance monitoring to subscribers over the Internet. C) hosting and managing access to software applications delivered over the Internet to clients on a subscription basis. D) none of the above.
C
Specifications that establish the compatibility of products and the ability to communicate in a network are called A) network standards. B) telecommunications standards. C) technology standards. D) Internet standards.
C
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 A) TCP/IP B) COBOL C) Ethernet D) ASCII
C
Today's nanotechnology-produced computer transistors are roughly equivalent in size to A) the width of a fingernail. B) a human hair. C) a virus. D) an atom.
C
Which of the following does grid computing utilize to create enormous supercomputing power? A) massive unused data centers B) underutilized mainframe computers C) networked computers with idle resources D) networks with low usage
C
Which of the following is a technique used to allow users to interact with a Web page without having to wait for the Web server to reload the Web page? A) UDDI B) widgets C) Ajax D) Java
C
Which of the following statements about Linux is NOT true? A) It plays a major role in the back office running local area networks. B) It is available in free versions downloadable from the Internet. C) It has garnered 80 percent of the server operating system market. D) Linux applications are embedded in cell phones, smartphones, netbooks, and other handheld
C
A client computer networked to a server computer, with processing split between the two types of machines, is called a(n) A) service-oriented architecture. B) on-demand architecture. C) multi-tiered client/server architecture. D) two-tiered client/server architecture.
D
All of the following are contemporary and growing hardware platform trends except A) green computing. B) virtualization. C) cloud computing. D) Unix.
D
An industry-wide effort to develop systems that can configure, optimize, tune, and heal themselves when broken, and protect themselves from outside intruders and self-destruction is called A) grid computing. B) utility computing. C) virtualization. D) autonomic computing.
D
The introduction of the minicomputer A) allowed computers to be customized to the specific needs of departments or business units. B) enabled decentralized computing. C) offered new, powerful machines at lower prices than mainframes. D) all of the above.
D
Which model can be used to analyze the direct and indirect costs to help firms determine the actual cost of specific technology implementations? A) total cost of ownership B) return on investment C) breakeven point D) cost benefit analysis
D
Which of the following factors provides an understanding of why computing resources today are ever more available than in previous decades? A) network economics B) law of mass digital storage and Moore's law C) declining communications costs, universal standards, and the Internet D) all of the above
D
Which of the following is NOT a challenge being faced by Salesforce.com, as discussed in the chapter case? A) increased competition from traditional industry leaders such as Microsoft and SAP B) continuing to differentiate its product and develop complementary new products and services C) maintaining 24/7 availability for clients D) moving into a more scalable, on-demand environment
D
Which of the following is NOT an example of the emerging mobile computing platforms? A) netbooks B) the Kindle C) cell phones D) CRM
D
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? A) your firm's business strategy B) the IT investments made by competitor firms C) market demand for your firm's services D) your firm's organizational culture
D
Which type of infrastructure services provides voice and video connectivity to employees, customers, and suppliers? A) networking B) telephone C) VOIP D) telecommunications
D
Which type of software is created and updated by a worldwide community of programmers and available for free? A) software packages B) mashups C) outsourced D) open source
D
Your firm, an auto parts manufacturer, has just merged with an automobile engine manufacturer, and the two companies have different SCM systems. Which of the following strategies would be the most likely course to help to reduce the TCO of the merged firms' technology investments? A) Use Web services to join the two systems. B) Move one firm into using the other's system in order to centralize management and support services. C) Develop a single ERP system that encompasses the information needs and business processes of both firms. D) Purchase a hosted, on-demand ERP system that encompasses the needs and processes of both firms.
D
