MIS Module 3: Information Systems

what is a system? example?

set of interconnected components that work together to achieve a common goal; ex: car (engine, transmission, brakes work to transport ppl)

management info system

vital business function dealing w/ planning for, development, management, an use of info tech tools to help ppl perform all tasks related to info processing & management

3 organizational resources in MIS

people, info, IT

people (most important)

orgs most important resource + orgs raison de’etre

info

classified by usefulness / value + classified by quality

IT

hardware (I/O devices, storage, computing telecom, connecting) + software (application vs. system)

levels of usefulness/value

data, information, intelligence, knowledge, wisdom

data

raw facts (or text, graphics, sound)

information

+meaningful context

intelligence

+usefullness in decision making

knowledge

+practice time

wisdom

+action

dimensions of quality

form, accessibility, relevance, validity

form

is data in a usable format? is it free of errors?

accessibility

where is data located? how freely can you use it? do you have access when you need it?

relevance

does it describe right things? does it describe them in the right way?

validity

how credible is the source?

information tech

hardware & software

hardware

input devices (mouse, keyboard), output devices (monitor, printer), storage devices (DVD, flash memory), CPU & RAM (brains of your computer), telecommunications (routers, satelite), connectivity device (port, cord)

software

system, application

system software

tech management, BIOs, embedded systems

application software

desktop, apps, word, inventory, payroll

BIOS

base-level commands for controlling hardware device

embedded

special purpose software & included inside physical products; specialize OS

OS

software that controls computer hardware & establishes stands for developing applications

utilities

programs such as anti-virus / disk optimisation software

desktop

applications installed on a personal computer —> supporting tasks performed by single user

enterprise

applications that address needs of multiple users throughout an org. or work group

apps

smaller pieces of software that r designed for a specific platform

supply chain management (SCM)

systems that can help a firm manage aspects of value chain, from flow of raw materials into firm through delivery of finished products

customer relationship management

systems used to support customer -related sales & marketing activities

enterprise resource planning

software package that integrated many functions of business (accounting, finance, HR)

moore’s law (managerial definition)

advance beyond predicted limits are improved chip design & offloading computing to cloud

moores law (technical definition)

number of transistors on a computer chip tends to double every 2 years, increasing computing power while lowering cost

what is a computer chip?

small piece of semiconductor material containing transistors and electronic circuits that process info

which hardware components are made from semiconductors?

computing components —> CPU & GPU

IT infrastructure

set of physical & virtual resources, systems & tech that support delivery IT services within org —> hardware, software & networking components required to manage & deliver data, application & IT services

network infrastructure

decentralized, centralized, distributed (client/server, multitiered )

decentralized

very little sharing; everyone has their own stuff

centralized

everything is in only one place (mainframes)

distributed

info, devices, & processing power are shared on network

client/server

distributed network in which one or more computers r series, providing services to one or more client computers

multitiered

generalized of client/server, where different computers have different roles/ ranks

whar r APIs?

APIs: programming hooks or guidelines, published by firms that tell other programs how to get a service to perform a task such as send/ receive data

what are web services?

software systems that do same thing, support interoperable machine to machine interaction over a network

EDI, XML, JSON

formats/languages facilitate exchange of data between computer application

cloud computing

tech model in which any & all resources (application software, processing power, data storage, backup facilities, development tools) delivered as a set of services via internet

cloud computing advantages

lower captial requirements, real-time scalability, reduced maintenance costs, broad & immediate access to software/services

cloud computing impact

allows business to access computing resources & software over the internet w/o owning & maintaining physical infrastructure, making tech more flexible and accessible

how is internet like a wire?

connecting devices so they can communicate & transfer information

are you connected directly to the internet?

no, connect through internet service provider (ISP)

ISP

provides internet connectivity to organizations/end user

what is world wide web?

globally linked system of weppages & other content provided by servers & accessed by browsers, all of which r connected to that wire

purpose of HTTP or HTPPS

enables communication by defining format of data & rules for exchange

difference between HTTP & HTTPS

S = secure, HTTPS secure version of HTTP

locating info

URL, IP, DNS

URL

answers “what are you looking for?”

IP address

answers “where is it?” —> assigned whenever/whereever you access web

DNS

answers “how do we get there?” —> works like phone book

how does TCP work?

slices transmission inro packets at the source & label them w/ source & destination addresses; also reassembles packets @ destination

how does IP work?

routes those packets along internet, wrapping packet in additional info along way

how is router involved?

Connects networks and directs data between them, linking the networks that make up the Internet.

UDP

faster but lower quality alternative to TCP because it prioritize speed over reliability - its useful when speed matters more than perfect data delivery

what is bandwith?

network transmission speed, typically expensed in some form of bits per second

internet backbone

made of high speed fiber-optic cables for carrying data traffic over long distances

last mile

tech that connects end users to internet; slowest part of network

principle of net neutrality

all internet traffic should be treated equally, ISPs shouldn’t discriminate, slow down access or charge differently by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attracted equipment or modes of communication

net neutrality in favor

keeps internet open & fair by preventing ISPs from blocking, slowing, or favoring certain websites/apps

net neutrality against

gives ISPs more control to manage internet traffic and offer different levels of service