UBC COMM 205 - Exam A

Information Systems

collects, processes, stores, analyzes, and disseminates information for a specific purpose

Information Technology (IT)

Any computer-based tool that people use to work with information and support the information and information-processing needs of an organization

What are the components of Information Systems

hardware (actors), software (intrusctors), data (bridge), procedures (instructors), people(actors)

Data

raw facts that describe the characteristics of an event or object

information

Data converted into a meaningful and useful context

Who are the people in IS?

Creators, Operators, Managers, Users

Creators

System Analysts, Programmers, Comp Engineers

Operators

Operations and Administrations - involved in the day to day operations. Computer operator

Capabilities of Information Systems

1. Perform high-speed, high-volume computations

2. Provide fast, accurate communication and collaboration

3. Store huge amounts of information in a small space

4. Allow quick and inexpensive access to info, worldwide

5. Interpret vast amounts of data quickly and efficiently

6. Automate business processes and manual tasks

Generation 1 - Vacuum Tubes

late 1930s - mid 1950s

Large, fragile, complex and expensive

One program at a time

Housed at universites

Gen 2 - Transistors

Mid 1950s - Mid 1960s

First digital computing machiens used in businesses and government

Lower power required and less heat

Simpler and smaller.

IMB 650

Gen 3 - Integrated Circuits

Mid 1960s - Early 1970s

Silicon Chips

Smaller, faster, cheper

Keyboard input, monitor output

Gen 4 - Microprocessors

Early 1970s - Present

CPU

GUI

Mouse

Floppy dirve

Gen 5 - AI

Early 2000s - Present

Nanotechnology

Natural language input

Siri

Networking Personal Computers

1985-Present

-Critical to the rapid adoption of personal computers and rise of

social networks

Local Area Networks (LANs)

-linking many personal computers together

-shared access to data, printers, and other peripheral devices

Wide Area Networks (WANs)

-the Internet

-email

-web browsing

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.

Mobile Computing

A real-time connection between a mobile device and other computing environments, such as the Internet or an intranet.

Hardware

The physical components of a computer.

Inputs --> Process --> Output

input hardware

Accept or capture data.

Direct:

keyboard, mouse, document scanner, bar code, microphones.

Indirect

Scanners, Digital Cameras, Biometric Systems

output hardware

Hardware that is used to create outputs, data flows out of the hardware (speakers, printers, Screen projections etc.)

Bits

binary digits (0s and 1s)

Bytes

8 bits

In 1024 - mostly rounded down to 1000 for simplicity.

Motherboard

A circuit board that contains all of the computer system's main components.

What components must connect to the motherboard?

Socket for the CPU (Microprocessor)

Primary Memory

Buses

Ports and Expansion Slots

buses (computer)

Data channels within the motherboard that move data

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The internal operating unit or "brain" of a computer.

cache

Very fast memory that keeps frequently used instructions.

Main Memory (RAM)

program instructions, operating system instructions.

What happens if I have too little RAM

Constant memory swapping, slows processing, needs more memory if processing many programs.

Primary Storage

The computer's immediate internal memory, RAM and ROM.

RAM

Random Access Memory

Volatile - Deleted when turned off

Working Memory

ROM

Read Only Memory

Non-Volatile

Stores Permenant instructions

Use to boot up machine

Secondary Storage Devices

Non Volatile - Hard disk, floppy disks, CD, DVD, jump drives

flash memory

Type of nonvolatile memory that can be erased electronically and rewritten.

SSD, Flash Memory Drive,

client computer

Computer on a network that uses services provided by a server.

Server Computers

provide access to information and application

-faster, larger, more powerful

-serve resources to client computers

-the Cloud is a term assigned to servers accessible anywhere and anytime (over the internet)

-dedicated: mail, file, web, applications, database, etc.

Firmware

Software that is permanently stored in a chip. The BIOS on a motherboard is an example of firmware.

BIOS

Basic Input/Output System

Required because all volitile memory is lost when the computer is turned off.

What are the 2 types of computer software?

OS and Application Software.

Operating Software

software that operates the computer

Application Programs

Perform Specific user tasks.

Buy off Shelf vs Custom Developed

proprietary software

Software that has been developed by a company and has restrictions on its use, copying, and modification.

open source software

noncommercial software shared freely and developed collectively on the internet

3 Types of Application Software

horizontal market application

vertical market application

custom application

Horizontal-market application

software provides capabilities common across all organizations and industries

Word Processing, spreadsheets.

Vertical Market Application Software

serves the needs of a specific industry

Appointment scheduling

Custom Software

For a specific need.

Database

a collection of organized data that allows access, retrieval, and use of data

Self desicribing - contains within itself

relational database model

a structured collection of data acces and utilized by many different applications and users.

DBMS (Database Management System)

a product used for the storage and organization of data that typically has defined formats and structures

Flat file database

One large single table; used if the amount of data that is being recorded is fairly minimal

Field

A column in a database table.

record

A row in a database table.

Primary Key

A field (or group of fields) that uniquely identifies a given entity in a table.

Atomic Key or Composite Key (2 or more)

Foreign Key

A primary key of one table that appears as an attribute in another table and acts to provide a logical relationship between the two tables

A way to make a relationship between tables. Null FK are okay.

attributes (database)

Describing some aspect of the object or entity

Data Normalization

the reorganization of tables, and attributes within a database to reduce duplication is especially important during database redesign, but also when data is imported or merged.

Why do we normalize data?

To resolve undesirable dependencies, remove redundancies, eliminate repeating groups.

NoSQL

A new generation of database management systems that is not based on the traditional relational database model.

Database vs. Spreadsheet

database: stores more data, user-friendly interface, data linkage complex relationships, creates reports...

spreadsheets: small amount of data, cannot relate multiple tables, uncomplicated data relationships, good for calculation and visualization

ER diagram (ERD)

A graphical representation of database requirements; contains entities and relationships

entities

Data contained in the database (students, course, grade)

4 types of cardinality

One to one (1:1) , one to many (1:M) , many to one (M:1) , many to many(M:N)

SQL (Structured Query Language)

A language that provides a standardized way to request information from a relational database system.

SELECT * (The attribute)

FROM (table to be used)

WHERE (speicify conditions)

Can dragging and dropping different fields.

QBE (query by example)

Using a grid to form queries where fields can be added, sorted, compared, etc.

Parent table and child table

The master table vs the subset table (related by foreign keys).

Do ERDs have keys?

No, they only have unique identifiers that are usually underlined.

No attribute is repeated, it is all joint with cardinality legends.

Business Intelligence

Information collected from multiple sources such as suppliers, customers, competitors, partners, and industries that analyzes patterns, trends, and relationships for strategic decision making

operational decisions

short-run decisions to help implement strategies

day-day activities

TPS (Transaction Processing System)

supports the monitoring, collection, storage, and processing of data from the organization's basic business transactions, each of which generates data

Managerial Decisions

decisions about the allocation and utilization of resources

Supported by MIS

Management Information Systems (MIS)

A business function, like accounting and human resources, which moves information about people, products, and processes across the company to facilitate decision-making and problem-solving

Strategic Decisions

those that support broad-scope, organizational issues

EIS

Executive information system (EIS)

A specialized DSS (Decision Support System) that supports senior level executives within the organization

structured decisions

Situations where established and accepted methods for making a decision

More so TPS (operational)

unstructured decisions

Occurs in situations in which no procedures or rules exist to guide decision makers toward the correct choice

More so EIS systems (Strategic)

i.e: Who should I marry?

OLTP (online transaction processing)

Capturing and storing data from ERP, CRM, POS

Day-to-day business transactions

The main focus is on efficiency of routine tasks

OLAP (online analytical processing)

Manipulation of information to create business intelligence in support of strategic decision making

Ability to sum, count, average,

data warehouse

a large repository database that supports management decision making

Prepares data for BI Processing

Extract and clean data from opeational systems and other sources

data mart

a data collection, smaller than the data warehouse, that addresses the needs of a particular department or functional area of the business

data mining

the process of analyzing data to extract information not offered by the raw data alone

How do you identify a continuous field in Tableau

Green Pill in a visualization

What data type contains a Tableau workbook along with local data

.twbx

T/F - Can Tableau automatically create the correct data types, once uploaeded?

False - Have to double check to make sure.

What colour in Data Panes are discrete values?

Blue

IT projects

- Have a large information technology component (in terms of budget or personnel)

- Such projects affect data, people, and processes

Risks with IT projects

Hard to get good estimates

Lack of experience in the project team

Lack of Support from Top Management

IT operations

Service, maintenance, protection, and management of IT infrastructure

Project Triple Constraints

time, cost, scope

Can only have 2 out of 3

Project Life Cycle

The series of phases that a project passes through from its initiation to its closure.

What are the 4 phases of the project life cycle

Initiation, planning, execution, evaluation (close)

Traditional Project Management

Like a waterfall, slow, structured, standardized

Agile Project Management

approach that focuses on adaptability to rapid and unexpected change.

group of methodologies that utilize incremental changes with a focus on quality and attention to detail.

Rapid Application Development (RAD)

A development method that uses special tools and an iterative approach to rapidly produce a high-quality system.

A form of agile

Parallel Implementation

uses both the legacy system and new system until all users verify that the new system functions correctly

Least Risky - Most Expensive

Plunge Implementation

discards the legacy system and immediately migrates all users to the new system

Cheapest - most risk

Pilot Implementation

assigns a small group of people to use the new system until it is verified that it works correctly, then the remaining users migrate to the new system

Phase Implementation

installs the new system in phases (for example, by department) until it is verified that it works correctly

Gradually Implemented

Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

a planning tool that ensures complex projects are completed on time

(Optimistic +4*Most likely + pessimistic)/6

PERT critical path

longest continuous pathway from intial milestone to milestone event