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Mgt 20600: IT Management & Applications Hardware Software Tuesday September 13, 2005 Reminders Reading – For today Fundamentals text, Chapter Two, Hardware section – For next week Fundamentals text, Chapter Two, Software section Homework – Homework Two is now available Due this Friday, 9/16 by 5pm Several questions require you to go and search for information on Microsoft’s site! Next week’s class session: Networks MIS club luncheon tomorrow – – – – – Tomorrow, noon-2pm Mendoza 3rd floor faculty lounge Representatives of firms recruiting MIS students will be there Bring resumes! Never too early to start thinking about internships and getting to know recruiters Information Systems: The System of Hardware Components Input Devices Memory and Processor Storage and Output Devices Processing the Inputs Processing device works hand in hand with Memory (book uses primary storage as a synonym for this) – To process Data transferred to the system by the input devices Instructions from the operating system and software applications Processing the Inputs: The Processor Processors can vary according to – Size – how much data they can process at a time – Speed – how fast they execute instructions – Coordinated or multi-processing – how many processors work together – The materials from which they are made – How fast they can communicate with memory and with each other – Of course this affects the cost! The trick is to buy the right processor for the task at hand! Examples – WalMart’s transaction processing system – Individual executive’s spreadsheet analysis Processing the Inputs: Memory Memory varies according to – Size – how much capacity it has – Volatility – whether you lose what’s in it when the electricity goes off – Function – ROM (read-only memory) holds permanent instructions whereas RAM (random access memory) holds temporary data and instructions – Speed - How fast it can communicate with the processor (bus speed) – How close it is located to the processor (cache memory) Again, you must match your memory purchase to the tasks you intend to perform Storing the Output Secondary or long-term storage is used to permanently store data or output Greater capacity and greater economy than memory Many different types of secondary storage devices that vary by – – – – Capacity Cost Speed of data retrieval Access method Storing the Output Secondary storage devices – – – – – – – – – – – Hard disk Magnetic tapes Magnetic disks Redundant array of independent/inexpensive disks (RAID) Compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) CD-recordable (CD-R) discs CD-rewritable (CD-RW) discs Digital versatile disc (DVD) Memory cards Expandable storage Storage Area Network (SAN) Guess what! You have to match your storage device to the tasks you are undertaking! What a Hard Disk Looks Like Comparison of Secondary Device Capacities and Cost Displaying the Output There are also countless ways to display the output of your information processing Output device types – – – – – Computer screen Printer Mobile device Telephone Head phones Need I say it again! Match the output device to your needs and budget! Computer System Types Very often all the input, output, processing, memory, and storage devices will come bundled together in a computer system you buy as a whole The major computer systems types are – – – – – – – – Handheld computers Portable computers Thin client Desktop computers Workstations Servers Mainframe computers Supercomputers Each type has a very different role in life! Your job, of course, is to choose which best fits your organization’s needs and budget Comparison of Major Computer System Types MIPS: Millions of instructions per second Teraflop: A trillion floating point operations per second Handheld Device Example Smithsonian – Provide visitors with wireless handheld devices – Using the devices visitors can Track their progress through the exhibits – Map – Interactive list of exhibits – Guided tours to follow – Instant messaging – Location tracking for other members of your group Enhance exhibits – Links to hundreds of video clips and pictures – Scavenger hunts – Interactive video clips of items people can’t actually see Inside of Thomas Jefferson’s desk – Maps to areas with related displays Create scrapbooks – Centrally stored – Store information about your visit that can be retreived in subsequent visits – Technology used Wireless Hewlett-Packard iPaq HX4700 handhelds connect to Standard back-end servers Using the 802.11b (WiFi) standard and Content is pulled from existent multimedia exhibits that the Smithsonian has developed over the years Scrapbooking feature is simply website bookmarking in a different context Thin Client Example Oakland County, Michigan – Background Beginning in 90’s purchased 3,600 PCs to support county employees By 2002, 900 PCs were past their useful life Needed to find most cost effective method for replacing old desktop PCs – Chose thin client approach Lower cost alternative for desktop Computing power could be managed at the server level, driving down costs Easier to adopt new operating system because maintenance would only occur on server Better disaster recovery – users’ files stored centrally – Technology Used old PCs as thin clients Thin client users got new flat-screen monitors and keyboards Upgraded county’s local area network to gigabyte strength – Necessary for adequate software response times – Savings Savings from moving 285 users to thin clients amounted to $744,000 Additional 540 new thin client users will save $1.4 million Savings in hardware costs, support time, and cost-effective software license management What a Mainframe Looks Like Mainframe Example AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) – Members 35 million members 76 million baby-boomers preparing for retirement – Central customer database Can be accessed by – Members – Trading partners Insurance providers Retirement communities – Technology Mainframe used for customer database – Centralized Member information can be maintained and secured independently of the numerous IT applications that use it – Reliable – Scalable Will support increasing numbers of transactions as membership grows – Continuously updated Makes it easier to market products and services to its members – Application-independent Common interface to the database for suppliers Standard method for integrating applications with the database What a SuperComputer Looks Like Terabyte: A thousand billion bytes or a thousand gigabytes Gigaflop: One billion floating point operations per second Supercomputer Example IBM's Blue Gene/L at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – 131,072 microprocessors – 135.3 trillion floating-point operations per second (135.3 teraflops) – Used for Nuclear weapons simulations Biochemical applications – Perform intricate calculations to simulate protein folding specified by genetic codes Overview of Software Computer programs: sequences of instructions Two Types – Systems software: coordinates the activities of hardware and programs – Application software: helps users solve particular problems Supporting Individual, Group, and Organizational Goals Sphere of influence: the scope of problems and opportunities addressed by a particular software application – Personal – Workgroup – Enterprise Software: Operating System When selecting an operating system, you must consider the current and future requirements for application software to meet the needs of the organization. In addition, your choice of a particular operating system must be consistent with your choice of hardware. Systems Software: Operating Systems Operating system (OS): set of programs that control the hardware and act as an interface with applications Common hardware functions – Get input (e.g., keyboard) – Retrieve data from disks and store data on disks – Display information on a monitor or printer Operating Systems Operating Systems User interface – Allows individuals to access and command the computer system – Command-based user interface: uses text commands – Graphical user interface (GUI): uses icons and menus to send commands to the computer system Operating Systems Hardware independence – Application program interface (API): allows applications to make use of the operating system Memory management – Control how memory is accessed and maximize available memory and storage Operating Systems Processing tasks – Multitasking: more than one program running at the same time – Time-sharing: more than one person using a computer system at the same time – Scalability: ability to handle an increasing number of concurrent users smoothly Networking capability: features that aid users in connecting to a computer network Operating Systems Access to system resources – Protection against unauthorized access – Logons and passwords File management – Ensures that files in secondary storage are Available when needed Protected from access by unauthorized users Current Operating Systems Operating System Example Open source operating systems (Linux) – Increasing comfort level with this alternative – Dominates as server operating system – Why? Lower total cost of ownership Lower capital investment Greater reliability and uptime compared to commercial alternatives Greater flexibility and control Faster, cheaper application development Application Software Gives users the ability to solve problems and perform specific tasks Interacts with systems software; systems software then directs the hardware to perform the tasks Software spheres of influence – – – – Personal Work group Enterprise Value Chain Personal Productivity Application Software Designed primarily for individual use Support individual productivity Major categories – Word processing – Spreadsheet – Database – Graphics Often purchased as suites of software Workgroup Application Software Workgroup application software: supports teamwork, whether people are in the same location or dispersed around the world Groupware: software that helps groups of people work together more efficiently and effectively Workgroup Software Workgroup software applications – Email – Instant messaging – Video conferencing – Application sharing – Whiteboards – Task scheduling – Centralized storage of group files – File version control Enterprise Application Software Software that benefits an entire organization Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software: programs that manage a company’s vital business operations for an entire multisite, global organization Enterprise Software Applications In an ERP suite, all of these applications would be software modules that you could buy separately or in combination Enterprise Software Example Software Development Proprietary software: unique program for a specific application, usually developed and owned by a single company Off-the-shelf software: purchased software – Customized package Application Service Provider (ASP) Software Development Do not develop proprietary application software unless doing so will meet a compelling business need that can provide a competitive advantage. BUILD VS. BUY The basic arguments in the buy-vs.-build debate remain unchanged. WHY BUILD? Avoid painful vendor licensing terms Gain competitive advantage Adapt to new technology, such as grid computing WHY BUY? Leverage vendors’ economies of scale Gain broader integration capabilities Ensure that code knowledge won’t be lost Software Development Example Hyundai Information Service North America LLC – IT arm of Hyundai Motor America – Builds own software offshore – Why? More customization Small, unique applications No licensing annoyances – Example: switch from concurrent users to name seat licensing would have raised cost by $3,300 per user for a purchased application Software Development: Programming Languages Sets of keywords, symbols, and a system of rules for constructing statements Allow humans to communicate instructions to be executed by a computer Syntax: a set of rules associated with a programming language Different languages have characteristics that make them appropriate for particular types of applications Programming Language Evolution Software Development Choose a programming language whose functional characteristics are appropriate for the task at hand, taking into consideration the skills and experience of the programming staff.
