ERP Technology - Practice Flashcards

A set of practice Q&A flashcards covering ERP technology concepts such as architectures, databases, data types, normalization, system landscapes, deployment models, and mobility.

What is mainframe architecture?

All computing intelligence resides in a powerful central host computer; the host processes data and displays output on workstations with limited processing power; still used by some companies today.

What is a characteristic of client-server architecture?

Computers on the network act as clients or servers, with clients requesting resources from more powerful servers.

What is a two-tier client-server architecture?

An architecture consisting of a back-end server (application) and a front-end client application.

What are the three types of logic in client-server architecture and their roles?

Presentation logic (UI display and user input), Business logic (how transactions are processed), Data access logic (communication with the database).

What is a fat client and what logic does it handle?

A fat client handles presentation and business logic; a thin server handles data access logic.

What is a thin client and what logic does it handle?

A thin client handles only presentation logic, while a fat server handles business and data access logic.

What is a three-tier client-server architecture and its advantages?

An architecture with one or more application tiers between the client and database; advantages include better security, easier maintenance, and easier scalability.

What is web-based architecture in ERP?

The presentation layer is split into a web server and a web browser; the web server delivers content and the browser requests pages.

What is a relational database (RDBMS) in ERP, and its primary advantage?

ERP systems commonly use an RDBMS; data is entered once and shared across departments, reducing maintenance costs, errors, and duplication.

What is a primary key (PK) and what does entity integrity require?

PK is the unique identifier for a record; entity integrity requires that PKs are unique and not null.

What is a foreign key (FK) and its purpose?

An FK points to a PK in another table and creates a link between two tables.

What are the common types of relationships in RDBMS?

One-to-many, one-to-one, and many-to-many relationships.

Why are many-to-many relationships not directly allowed in RDBMS, and what is used instead?

RDBMS do not support many-to-many natively; a junction (join) table is used to convert the relationship into two one-to-many relationships.

What is a junction table and what key does it typically contain?

A table that contains FKs from two tables it joins; its PK is typically a concatenated key consisting of those two foreign keys.

What is referential integrity?

A database constraint ensuring relationships between tables remain valid and consistent, preventing orphaned or invalid related records.

What is normalization in databases?

A process that structures data to reduce redundancy by dividing large tables into smaller, linked tables.

What are 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF?

1NF: every field is atomic and rows are unique; 2NF: in 1NF with a single-column primary key, non-key attributes depend on the PK; 3NF: in 2NF with no transitive dependencies (non-PK attributes do not imply other non-PK attributes).

What is SQL used for in ERP databases?

Structured Query Language is used to insert, update, delete, and query data in a relational database.

What are master data, configuration data, and transaction data in ERP databases?

Master data: relatively permanent data about entities (people, things, places, concepts); Configuration data: parameters to tailor the ERP system; Transaction data: dynamic data describing business events.

What is configuration data in ERP, and what might it include?

Parameters to tailor ERP, such as fiscal year end, currency, language, and organizational structures like plants and warehouses.

What is transaction data in ERP, and why is it important?

Dynamic data describing business events; reflects the consequences of process steps and is typically the largest data volume.

What does configuration entail in ERP, and give an example?

Process of selecting parameters to tailor the system, such as enabling multiple currencies or setting posting limits.

What is customization in ERP, and when is it used?

Adding custom code to extend ERP features beyond configuration; used when standard configuration cannot meet business needs.

What is a system landscape in ERP?

The layout or architecture of ERP servers and instances within an organization.

What are DEV, QAS, and PRD in ERP system instances?

DEV: development for configuration and customization; QAS: quality assurance/testing; PRD: production, the live system.

What is ERP scalability and what are its four dimensions?

ERP’s ability to grow with a company; dimensions: utilization (performance with more data/transactions), platform (multi-environment support), user count (adding users), and functionality (new reporting/workflow/modules).

What are On-Premise, Cloud, and Hybrid ERP?

On-Premise: ERP runs on a company's own infrastructure; Cloud: ERP hosted by vendor as SaaS; Hybrid: combination of on-premise and cloud modules.

What is Public vs Private Cloud in ERP?

Public cloud: shared hardware/resources across tenants; Private cloud: dedicated system for a single organization, often managed by a provider.

What is Mobile ERP?

Accessing ERP on mobile devices for flexible use; suitable for lightweight data entry and display; security considerations are important.

What should a Mobile ERP strategy emphasize?

Focus on the most relevant functionality, user experience (UX/UI), security, connectivity, platform strategy, and cost; ensure mobility runs in parallel with current processes.