Transaction Processing and Management Information Systems Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering core concepts of Transaction Processing Systems, Information Management Tools (DSS, EIS, GIS, OLAP), Data Warehousing, Data Mining, IT Applications, and IT Enabled Services (BPO, KPO, Call Centers).

Transaction Processing

A series of operations performed on data to complete a single unit of work, treated as a single, indivisible operation that must follow specific rules to ensure data integrity, consistency, and reliability.

Atomicity

An ACID property ensuring that all steps in a transaction are completed successfully as a single unit; if any part fails, the entire transaction is rolled back to its previous state.

Consistency

An ACID property ensuring that a transaction brings the system from one valid state to another while maintaining data integrity according to predefined rules.

Isolation

An ACID property ensuring that transactions are executed in isolation from each other, preventing interference by keeping intermediate steps hidden until completion.

Durability

An ACID property guaranteeing that once a transaction is committed, its changes are permanent and will survive system failures.

Batch Processing

A transaction type involving accumulating transactions over a period and processing them all at once, ideal for large volumes of non-urgent data.

Real-Time Processing

A transaction processing method where transactions are processed immediately as they occur, essential for systems like banking or e-commerce.

Transaction Processing Monitors (TPMs)

Middleware that manages and coordinates transactions across multiple systems or networks to ensure ACID properties are maintained.

Concurrency Control

A management mechanism ensuring multiple transactions can execute simultaneously without causing data inconsistency or corruption using techniques like locking, timestamping, and optimistic concurrency control.

Centralized Transaction Processing

A system architecture where all transactions are routed through and processed by a single central server or data center.

Client

The front-end component in client-server architecture that end-users interact with to send requests, initiate transactions, display results, and manage user interface interactions.

Server

The back-end component in client-server architecture that processes client requests, accesses databases, handles business logic, and ensures transactions complete reliably and securely.

Distributed Computing

An architecture that spreads transaction processing tasks across multiple interconnected computers or nodes that work collectively to complete transactions.

Replication

The process of creating and maintaining copies of the same data across multiple servers or databases to ensure high availability, fault tolerance, and load distribution.

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

Interactive software tools that assist managers in making non-routine, complex decisions by combining data, analytical models, and real-time scenario evaluations.

Executive Information Systems (EIS)

Specialized information systems designed with simple interfaces to provide senior executives with high-level summary information, dashboards, and drill-down capabilities relevant to strategic goals.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Tools used to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, and visualize spatial or geographic data to assist in resource management and location-based decisions.

Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)

A technology enabling users to perform fast, complex queries and interactively analyze multidimensional data across multiple perspectives.

Data Warehousing

The process of collecting, storing, and managing large volumes of historical data from various operational sources into a non-volatile central repository for reporting and analysis.

ETL Process

The data warehousing process of Extracting data from various sources, Transforming it into a consistent format, and Loading it into the data warehouse.

Star Schema

A simple data warehouse schema design where a central fact table is connected directly to dimension tables.

Snowflake Schema

A complex data warehouse schema design that normalizes dimension tables to reduce data redundancy, though increasing query complexity.

Data Mining

The process of analyzing large datasets using statistics, machine learning, and AI to uncover hidden patterns, trends, correlations, and predictive insights.

Embedded Systems

Computers integrated into other devices that control functionality without direct user interaction, often referred to as 'computers in hiding.'

Ubiquitous Computing

The seamless integration of computers into the environment where computing resources are available everywhere yet often remain unnoticed.

IT Enabled Services (ITES)

A wide range of services delivered using Information Technology to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and cost management of business processes.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO)

The outsourcing of routine, standard, and repetitive business processes to third-party service providers.

Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO)

A specialized subset of outsourcing involving complex processes that require advanced analytical, technical, and domain-specific expertise.

Call Centers

A specific type of BPO focused on managing customer interactions across large volumes of incoming (inbound) and outgoing (outbound) calls.