Introduction to Information Technology Study Guide

Does IT include "Software, data, and computer networks"?

Yes

Does IT include "The people who supply and support the use of Information Technology in organizations"?

Yes

Does IT involve "Technology that enables the processing of data?"

Yes

Indicate whether each of the following would (yes) or would not (no) be the responsibility of IT personnel and align with the definition of information technology. Gathering data and processing it into information

Yes

Indicate whether each of the following would (yes) or would not (no) be the responsibility of IT personnel and align with the definition of information technology. Maintenance of computers, networks, and operating systems

Yes

Is this an aspect of an information system? A collection of data and information

Yes

Jose's organization has recently hired 50 new interns to fulfill positions in a variety of departments. He installed online training software for the new hires and configured the software to be used and will be maintaining the software. His boss also asked him to monitor the activities of the new interns by monitoring the log files that the company also uses for data mining. Jose's role in the IT department is most likely as a _________. Which IT role is this? database administrator website administrator

website administrator

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of quality data? Timely Relevant Only retrievable by an IT professional Thorough

Only retrievable by an IT professional

At its core, the system of Information Technology has three main components:

hardware, software, and users

Information can be defined as ___________________ data

processed

Knowledge of operating systems

Operating system installation. Application software installation. User account creation. System monitoring.

In some cases, the term understanding is added to the hierarchy. Typically, understanding, if inserted, will be placed between knowledge and wisdom.

Others believe that understanding is a part of wisdom (or is required for both the knowledge and wisdom levels).

The goal of writing shell scripts is to automate processes so that, once written, the administrator can call upon the scripts to perform tasks that otherwise would be tedious

A simple example might be to write a script that would take a text file of user names and create a new account for each username

Maintenance of a computer system (computers, resources, network) will include an understanding of software, hardware, and programming. From a software point of view, administration requires installing software, making it available, troubleshooting problems that arise during usage, and making sure that the software is running efficiently.

Additionally, the administrator(s) must understand the operating system well enough to configure the software appropriately for the given organization, create accounts, and safeguard the system from outside attack.

An IT professional is expected to understand essential concepts and practices related to which of the following? - Theoretical issues - Components that make up a computer system - Programming techniques - All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following is an example of an information system? - A company's directory - A company's customer database - A university's course catalog - All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following statements describes the difference between information systems and information technology? There is no difference between information systems and Information Technology. An information system does not have to use computer hardware or software; whereas information technology requires the use of hardware and software. An information system requires the use of computer hardware and software; whereas information technology refers only to networks and tools that facilitate communication. Information Technology is a broader concept and information systems provide the infrastructure for information technology.

An information system does not have to use computer hardware or software; whereas information technology requires the use of hardware and software.

Which of the following statements are true about an information system? Select two that apply. An information system refers to the data itself and how it is organized. It does not refer to the individuals who process the data. An information system is different than Information Technology. An information system does not support management functions in an organization. An information system does not need to involve technology.

An information system is different than Information Technology An information system does not need to involve technology

Which of the following tasks would be handled by IT support personnel? Select all that apply. - Meet with employees on health plan options. - Answer general questions about hardware and software use at an organization. - Design a new company logo. - Train new employees on system log-in protocol.

Answer general questions about hardware and software use at an organization Train new employees on a system log-in protocol

Which of the following would NOT be the responsibility of the system administrator? - Creating new user accounts - Providing support to users - Installing new hardware and software - Answering e-mails from potential customers

Answering e-mails from potential customers

Troubleshooting problem solving

Detect a problem. Diagnose its cause. Find a solution (means of fixing it).

Information Technology includes: Stand-alone TV monitors and computer desks Copy machines and projectors Computer networks and IT personnel Every computer user and digital phone systems

Computer networks and IT personnel

Marcus has a summer job working at a real estate agency. He is entering client addresses into the company's computer system. At which stage of the DIKW hierarchy is Marcus working? Data Information Knowledge Wisdom

Data

________________________ can be obtained from a camera card, bar code reader, pen tablet, or values entered by the user

Data

Read the following scenario, and then select the job title that most accurately depicts the descriptions. Javier starts the day by checking his e-mails. Sandra in payroll would like him to print a report detailing how much money has been spent on training new employees. She would like a comparison of the training dollars spent over the last five years. Javier spends the morning retrieving the appropriate information from the database and e-mails a report to Sandra. In the afternoon, Javier begins a performance analysis of the new database management system that he installed last week. He also double-checks that the old data has properly transferred to the new system. He then develops a list of procedures for those who work under him so they can also run performance analyses. Finally, he heads upstairs to the Chief Operating Officer's office to make a brief presentation on the new database system and how it can be used most effectively. Which of the following titles most fits Javier's job? - Systems Administrator - Network Administrator - Database Administrator

Database Administrator

Each of these parts of the system can be further divided:

Different categories of software that will be explored in this course are operating systems, programming, and databases. The hardware components that will be examined are the structure of computers and their peripherals. The important role of people will be included, describing which roles are necessary for the efficient and effective functioning of an Information Technology system. These roles include various administrative roles, the methodologies used by people tasked with developing new systems, and the ethical issues that must be considered by individuals involved with Information Technology. Often in systems, the independent parts must be integrated together to reach the common goal. The same is true of IT. Networking encompases all of the core components of hardware, software, and users.

Which of the following describes the duties of a web administrator? - Duties include connecting devices on an organization's network, configuring individual machines to access the network, working with the network hardware, and troubleshooting. - Ensures firewalls are up to date and researches current security threats. - Designs databases, maintains databases, provides database access to users, selects and supports database management systems. - Duties include maintaining and securing the web server. Also responsible for troubleshooting the web server.

Duties include maintaining and securing the web server. Also responsible for troubleshooting the web server

Which of the following statements accurately describe IT certifications? - There are no specific IT certificates available for web administrators. - IT certificates are generally not standardized and often not recognized by major companies. - IT certificates are easy to earn and don't require specialized training. - Earning an IT certificate indicates an IT professional has a thorough understanding in a specific IT area.

Earning an IT certificate indicates an IT professional has a thorough understanding in a specific IT area

An IT student should have some or all of the following characteristics:

Enjoy playing around with the computer. In addition to just using it, learn how it works, and learn how to do things at the system level. Enjoy learning on your own. An IT student should like the challenge of figuring things out, especially new things. Enjoy technology. The IT student shouldn't be afraid of technology, but be willing to embrace it in all of its forms. Enjoy troubleshooting. Enjoy communicating with others.

Which of the following describe the duties of a security administrator? Select all that apply. - Ensures all users have passwords that are properly configured and align with security policies. - Keeps user account information up to date. - Installs firewalls. - Continually monitors the safety and security of the data stored on a computer system.

Ensures all users have passwords that are properly configured and align with security policies Installs firewalls

System security

Ensuring proper system security is in place. Following or drafting policies for users. Monitoring for threats.

Indicate whether each of the statements below about technology education and certifications is true or false. All IT programs are closely related to computer science and revolve heavily around programming

False

Which of the following statements are true about help desk duties? Helps with orientation of new employees on the policies in the employee handbook

False

Which of the following statements are true about help desk duties? Making presentations on new programs

False

Indicate whether each of the statements below about technology education and certifications is true or false. Once an IT professional obtains several certifications within his/her specific administrative role, it is not recommended that further certifications be pursued

False (always good to improve education)

Bob lives in Arizona and works for a large company with employees located around the world. Bob responds to phone calls and e-mails sent by employees to a dedicated IT support address. He answers questions and is able to log in remotely to view information on an employee's computer. When he is not able to solve a problem, he routes the issue to another IT professional who can provide the necessary support. Training Help Desk

Help Desk

Which of the following tasks are commonly performed by a system administrator? - Maintaining and managing databases for the organization. - Maintaining the operating system of computers and other devices. - Configuring system firewalls and creating security policies. - Designing web pages and maintaining websites.

Maintaining the operating system of computers and other devices

In which of the following scenarios should a user contact a help desk for assistance? Select all that apply. - Horatio is having problems inputting his time using the company's new project management tracking system. - Alfonso wants to set up a training for all the emergency room nurses to learn to use the new computerized physician order entry system. - Bella signs up to participate in a training course on how to use the new company e-mail system. - Sophia is having trouble developing an invitation list using her company's e-mail program. She is not sure what she is doing wrong.

Horatio is having problems inputting his time using the company's new project management tracking system Sophia is having trouble developing an invitation list using her company's e-mail program. She is not sure what she is doing wrong

System administration may be limited to the administration of computers, printers, and file servers.

However, system administration may extend to network administration and possibly even web server, ftp server, mail server, and database server administration depending on the needs and size of the company and abilities of the system administrator(s). Finally, a system administrator may also be required to train users on the system. Therefore, the skills needed for system administration can vary greatly.

An IT degree may differ from a computer science degree in which of the following ways? - IT degrees may require more programming than computer science degrees. - IT degrees may require less math than computer science degrees. - Computer science degrees cover database design and IT degrees do not include this concept. - Computer science degrees cover hardware, computer ethics, and networking and IT degrees do not.

IT degrees may require less math than computer science degrees

Because training occurs only as needed (e.g., new software, new employees), most support comes in the form of a help desk.

In essence, this requires that someone be available to respond to problems that arise at random times. Many large organizations offer 24/7 help desks. The help desk person might simply act as a switchboard, routing the problem to the proper IT person. In other cases, the help desk person can solve the problem directly, often over the phone but sometimes by e-mail or in person.

As a new sales manager, Sylvia is studying the sales report numbers to determine the top three salespersons of the year. At which stage of the DIKW hierarchy is Sylvia working? Information Data Knowledge Wisdom

Information

____________________ is the output of some process

Information

In the hierarchy, information is the next level.

Information is often defined in the hierarchy as having been inferred from data. A list of numbers, for instance, may not itself be useful in decision making, whereas the same list of numbers processed through statistical analysis may provide for us the mean, median, standard deviation, and variance, which could then tell us something more significant.

Hardware

Installing and configuring new hardware. Troubleshooting, replacing or repairing defective hardware.

Which of the following is a role of IT personnel? Select all that apply. - Developing faster computer chips - Processing data into information - Repairing copy machines - Installing, testing, and updating software

Installing, testing, and updating software

security administrator

It is common for mid-sized and large organizations to hire network security administrators in addition to system administrators. Any organization that values data integrity and the functionality of its computer systems will need operating system level and network security. The security administrator must stay informed of the many different types of attacks, such as denial of service attacks on web servers, IP spoofing to intercept messages, and buffer overflow that allows a hacker to invade computer memory with their own code. Although these are all known forms of attacks, it does not necessarily mean that a system is protected against them. And as these attacks are known, newer attacks are being thought of. It is the responsibility of the security administrator to install, configure, and administer appropriate firewall security to protect the organization's systems and to work proactively against such intrusions.

Knowledge is a more vague concept than either information or data.

Knowledge is sometimes defined as information that has been put to use. In other cases, knowledge is a synthesis of several different sources of information. One way to think of knowledge is that it is information placed into a context, perhaps the result of experience gained from using information.

Finally, wisdom provides a social setting to knowledge. Some refer to wisdom as an understanding of "why"—whether this is "why things happened the way they did" or "why people do what they do." Wisdom can only come by having both knowledge and experience.

Knowledge, on the other hand, can be learned from others who have it. Wisdom is the ultimate goal for a human in that it improves the person's ability to function in the modern world and to make informed decisions that take into account beliefs and values.

Select the IT education that would be most appropriate for the individual in the following scenario. Since she was a child, Rebecca has enjoyed taking things apart and putting them back together. She has built her own computer from scratch and loves to find ways to improve its capabilities. Which specialized IT focus would be a good fit for Rebecca? - Management Information Systems - Computer Science - Web Design - Engineering

Management Information Systems

For each of the following scenarios, indicate if the function described would be appropriate for individuals who are part of an IT department. Select all that apply. - Maria is programming a new online form for the company so they can more quickly input sales data. - Leo is updating his profile located on the company website. - Aiko is testing a new network that is connecting the main office with satellite offices in the area. - Emily is working on a benefit analysis to justify the need for a new server.

Maria is programming a new online form for the company so they can more quickly input sales data Aiko is testing a new network that is connecting the main office with satelite offices in the area Emily is working on a benefit analysis to justify the need for a new server

Which of the following employees would be considered IT personnel? - Yuki, who writes text for client websites. - Jeff, who works in human resources screening electronic résumés of potential hires. - Maria, a computer programmer who debugs software issues for company users. - Nadir, who creates marketing plans based on aggregated company data.

Maria, a computer programmer who debugs software issues for company users.

Does IT include "Analyze profit and loss data and information for businesses"

No

Indicate whether each of the following would (yes) or would not (no) be the responsibility of IT personnel and align with the definition of information technology. Running background checks on new employees

No

Which of the following are characteristics of an IT professional? Someone who has little patience with those who don't understand technology

No

Which of the following are characteristics of an IT professional? Someone who is fearful of breaking computer hardware.

No

Elise needs to quickly prepare an inventory report for items that need to be reordered. To save time, she only checks the inventory for items used during the past week even though the order will be for supplies to last a month. - Yes, this is quality data. - No, this is not quality data.

No, this is not quality data

Mae is inputting data on new customers. She fails to check her work, which has a number of typos. The data will be used for an upcoming e-mail campaign. - Yes, this is quality data. - No, this is not quality data.

No, this is not quality data

System level programming

Shell scripts to automate processes. Manipulating configuration files for system services.

Which of the following is NOT an important characteristic of an IT professional? - Ability to troubleshoot - Desire to continually learn - Strong math background and programming skills - Good communication skills - both oral and written

Strong math background and programming skills

Information is often defined as processed data. That is, raw data are the input and information is the output of some process. In fact, more generically, we should think of information as any form of interpreted data. The data can be organized, manipulated, filtered, sorted, and used for computation.

The information is then presented to humans in support of decision making. We might view data and information as a spectrum that ranges from raw data, which corresponds to accumulated, but unorganized findings, to intellectual property, which includes such human-produced artifacts as formulas and recipes, books and other forms of literature, plans and designs, as well as computer programs and strategies.

For a computer, data might be the values entered by the user when running an application, although in today's computing, data might also be received through camera, microphone, bar code reader, sensor, or pen tablet, to name but a few.

The input is generally not usable until it has been converted into a relevant form. For a computer, that would be a binary representation.

system administrator

The most common role in IT. System administration is the process of maintaining the operating system of a computer system. On a stand-alone computer, system administration is minimal and usually left up to the individual(s) using the computer. However, for a network of computers or computers that share files or other resources, system administration becomes more significant and more challenging. In addition to maintenance of the computer system, the sys admin also handles low-level hardware and fine-tuning operating systems/software packages with shell scripts

web administrator

The web administrator is also known as a webmaster, but more precisely referred to as a web server administrator. This role is responsible for maintaining websites, which differs from the development of websites. Specifically, the web administrator must install, configure, maintain, secure, and troubleshoot the web server. The web server is software that runs on one or more computers. The web administrator may or may not be responsible for the hardware. Typically, the web administrator is not a system administrator on that or those computers. Therefore, the web administrator will have to work with the system administrator on some aspects of installation and configuration.

Thus, like the system administrator, the network administrator edits configuration files, installs software (related to the network), and so forth. Troubleshooting the network is also a role for the network administrator. Troubleshooting the network may combine physical troubleshooting (e.g., checking for a bad cable) and software troubleshooting.

There is also a security aspect to the computer network. Both the system administrator and network administrator may work on system firewalls. Editing configuration files, writing shell scripts, and installing software and patches are all parts of a network administrator's tasks.

DIKW Hierarchy

This hierarchy defines the transition of data to information to knowledge to wisdom. Each level of the hierarchy is defined in terms of the previous level Data-> information-> knowledge-> wisdom

Which of the description of duties below would be for a System Administrator? - This individual has responsibility for all aspects of an organization's databases and database management systems. - This individual has responsibility for developing new software applications to improve the functionality of an organization's information technology. - This individual is in charge of ensuring that the network is working properly. Duties may include connecting devices using cable, configuring individual employee computers, working with the network hardware, and troubleshooting. - This individual updates an organization's computer hardware and software, performs troubleshooting, and maintains the operating system of a computer system

This individual updates an organization's computer hardware and software, performs troubleshooting, and maintains the operating system of a computer system

It is not necessarily the case that the IT student will enjoy programming. In fact, many students who select IT as a career make this choice because they began with computer science, but became tired of the heavy programming requirements of that discipline.

This is not to say that the IT student does not program, however the programming is less intensive, requiring mostly writing small shell scripts.

The IT person is responsible for teaching new and current users how to use the IT infrastructure (i.e. training)

This may include such simple things as logging into the computer system, setting up printers, accessing shared files, and perhaps training employees in how to use work-related software. The person might create documentation, helpful websites, and even audiovisual demos, or lead group or individualized training sessions.

Veronica is leading a company-wide workshop on how to use a newly adopted software program. She makes a brief presentation to introduce the program, and then walks participants through the steps they are likely to engage in when they use the system. She fields questions and inquires about additional information the participants may need to be able to use the program effectively. Training Help desk

Training

Indicate whether each of the statements below about technology education and certifications is true or false. IT professionals often acquire certifications to improve their job prospects and opportunities for advancement

True

Which of the following statements are true about help desk duties? Answering e-mails about software questions

True

Which of the following statements are true about help desk duties? Routes questions to the most appropriate IT professional

True

Indicate whether each of the statements below about technology education and certifications is true or false. Information management system type programs focus more on application of software as opposed to the programming behind the software.

True (Information management system type programs are not based heavily on programming)

Indicate whether each of the following would (yes) or would not (no) be the responsibility of IT personnel and align with the definition of information technology. Writing software programs

Yes

Is this an aspect of an information system? The people who assist with processing data

Yes

Is this an aspect of an information system? The technology that facilitates the processing of data

Yes

Which of the following are characteristics of an IT professional? Someone who always has the latest devices and likes to figure out unique ways to use them

Yes

Determine if the data described in each scenario below meet the criteria for quality data. Andrew places a report on his manager's desk containing detailed information on the average yearly cost for computer maintenance and updates for the last five years. His manager is preparing the annual budget for the IT department. - Yes, this is quality data - No, this is not quality data

Yes, this is quality data

system

a system is a combination of independent parts all working together to accomplish a certain goal. IT is a system

Common tasks of a system administrator include:

account management: creating new user accounts and deleting obsolete user accounts; password management: making sure that all users have passwords that agree with the security policy; file protection management: making sure that files are appropriately protected (for instance, making sure that important documents are not writable by the outside world) and performing timely backups of the file system; installing and configuring new hardware and troubleshooting hardware including the network; installing and configuring new software including updating new operating system (OS) patches, and troubleshooting software; providing documentation, support, and training for computer users; performing system-level programming as necessary (usually through scripting languages rather than writing large-scale applications or systems software); security: installing and maintaining a firewall, examining log files to see if there are any odd patterns of attempted logins, and examining suspicious processes that perhaps should not be running.

Susan is the IT Administrator for her school district. She is designing a new training for teachers to learn to use and integrate iPads in their classrooms. She is planning to send out a mass e-mail to all of the middle school math teachers. She needs to ensure that she has the most _______________________ list for her mailing

accurate

Most IT personnel have two general roles:

administration and support

IT furthers the vision and goals of an organization by supporting and improving many aspects of an organization, including

communication, both internal and external sharing of resources facilitating the integration of departments management of information securing company and employee information ensuring that the organization runs according to ethical practices

A _______________________________ does the following: Install, configure, and maintain database and database management system; back up database, create accounts; train users.

database administrator

database administrator

have a long list of important responsibilities, but with a focus on the design, development, and support of database management systems (DBMSs). Tasks will include installation, maintenance, performance analysis, and troubleshooting as with the other administrative areas. There are specific applications, performance tuning parameters, account creation, and procedures associated with the DBMS that are separate from those of system administrators and web administrators. The database administrator may also be involved with the integration of data from older systems to new ones.

From an IT perspective, however, although information is often the end result of IT processes, we need to consider more concretely the following issues:

how the information should be stored how (or if) the information should be transmitted what processes we want to use on the data to transform it into information how the information should be viewed/visualized what the requirements are for assuring the accuracy of the data and information are, what the requirements for assuring the accessibility and security of the data and information are

Characteristics of ___________________________ include: more structure resulting from a process that has been applied, more relevant, more useful in decision making

information information is the elimination of uncertainty that comes from data and numbers -- it makes it significantly more important -- never confuse the two... data is valuable, but until it is turned into information, it's not as usable

network administrator

it is the network administrator who is in charge of all aspects of the computer network. The network administrator's duties include physically laying down cable, making connections, and working with the network hardware (for instance, routers and switches). The network administrator also has to configure the individual machines to be able to communicate via the network.

Data is _________________ structured than information

less

A __________________________ does the following: Work with routers and switches; physical and software troubleshooting; ensuring all computers can fully utilize the network.

network administrator

Matt was recently hired by Today's Technology Solutions as the _____________. During his second week on the job, Loise came to him because her computer was not connecting to the Internet. In addition, her colleague in the next cubicle was not able to get online either or to access the shared file server. Which is the IT role? website administrator network administrator

network administrator

Characteristics of quality data

relevance -- means the data being used must apply directly to the decision being made timeliness -- when there is a delay in data, it may no longer be of use or properly serve its purpose thoroughness -- quality data is thorough, which means that the data must be complete (data is not complete might contain errors or lapses of data) accuracy -- where possible, data should be captured only once, although it may have multiple uses. Accuracy is most likely to be secured if data is captured as close to the point of activity as possible reliability -- data should reflect stable and constant data collection processes across collection points and over time, whether using manual or computer-based systems, or a combination

Amazon tracks customers' purchases and then sends e-mails suggesting other items of a similar nature that might be of interest to the customer. This is an example of ___________________

relevant

Hot Spot Hosting is a company that provides wireless networks to its customers. Approximately six months ago they sent out a customer satisfaction survey using Web Monkey. Since then, a new General Manager has started and she wants a new survey to be sent out requesting similar information with some changes to the questions. She does not like the Web Monkey tool and wants to use the company's resources to distribute the survey and collect data. She then wants the information from the two surveys combined and to use the results about how to improve their service. Changing the survey tool and instrument may make the data less ______________________________

reliable

The Volleyball Academy of Central Florida has grown into a very large organization that has over 1,000 members. They are moving more and more of their processes to online - from handling event registrations to purchasing clothing and sports equipment. Shanteal is the ____________ and has been diligent in ensuring the online portal is securing quality data. She also has made sure the organization's firewalls are up to date and able to withstand new threats. Which IT role is this? security administrator system administrator

security administrator

A _________________________ does the following: Administer the computers in an organization; install software; modify/update operating system; create accounts; train users; secure system; troubleshoot system; add hardware.

system administrator

An administrator is someone who is in charge of some portion of the IT infrastructure. Here are some of the administrator roles:

system administrator network administrator database administrator security administrator web administrator (also called web server administrator)

Aside from administrative tasks, IT personnel provide support. Support usually comes in two forms:

training and help desk support