Chapter One

Big data

What many people don’t know is that beyond their online presence on Facebook, YouTube and Google there is a vast wealth of knowledge waiting to be discovered. This information is commonly referred to as big data, and is largely inaccessible to conventional web users.

What is big data?

The term big data refers to the part of the internet that is not indexed by regular search engines.  Search engines like Google or Yahoo! are actually web spiders.   When you type in a search term, the web spiders crawl through trails of hyperlinks and give you an index of pages.  This works well for searching the surface of the web, but the internet goes much deeper, and there are many places that web spiders cannot enter.

What web crawlers are able to access is really only the tip of the iceberg, and no one knows for sure how deep the iceberg goes. Most of big data is raw data that does not include the hyperlinks that web spiders rely on to index sites. Library databases, websites that password protected or have time-limited access, private networks of organizations, and websites that are new are all excluded from search engine results.  These pages are not necessarily inaccessible, but a typical web user is not aware of their existence, or where to find them, so they do not have access to the sites.

http://www.brightplanet.com/2012/06/what-is-big-data/

http://www.brightplanet.com/2012/06/structured-vs-unstructured-data/

Structured vs Unstructured Data

Of course; if it was possible or feasible to instantly transform unstructured data to structured data, then creating intelligence from unstructured data would be easy. However, structured data is akin to machine-language, in that it makes information much easier to deal with using computers; whereas unstructured data is (loosely speaking) usually for humans, who don’t easily interact with information in strict, database format.

Email is an example of unstructured data; because while the busy inbox of a corporate human resources manager might be arranged by date, time or size; if it were truly fully structured, it would also be arranged by exact subject and content, with no deviation or spread – which is impractical, because people don’t generally speak about precisely one subject even in focused emails.

Spreadsheets, on the other hand, would be considered structured data, which can be quickly scanned for information because it is properly arranged in a relational database system. The problem that unstructured data presents is one of volume; most business interactions  are of this kind, requiring a huge investment of resources to sift through and extract the necessary elements, as in a web-based search engine. Because the pool of information is so large, current data mining techniques often miss a substantial amount of the information that’s out there, much of which could be game-changing data if efficiently analyzed.

Six Strategic business

Business firms invest heavily in information systems to achieve six strategic business objectives:

1. Operational excellence2. New products, services, and business models3. Customer and supplier intimacy4. Improved decision making5. Competitive advantage6. Survival

ONCICS

Six strategic businesses (p 10) Differentiate - Info Tech, management info system Green technology -> new product Customer supplier intimacy -> logitech; making a website How can they increase the intimacy Netflix and Amazon Improve decision making Competitive advantage - Apple vs Samsung

Information vs data , raw data -> process, input - process - output

Set of interrelated components– Collect, process, store, and distributeinformation– Support decision making, coordination, and

Control

Information vs. data– Data are streams of raw facts.– Information is data shaped into meaningful form.

Input: Captures raw data from organization orexternal environment– Processing: Converts raw data into meaningfulform– Output: Transfers processed information topeople or activities that use it

Hireachy 3 Dimensions

Senior, middle, operational

UPS case study

The UPS Interactive Session, the company’s package tracking systemsexemplify their commitment to customer service and putting the customerFirst.

Dimensions of UPS tracking system– Organizational:• Procedures for tracking packages and managinginventory and provide information– Management:• Monitor service levels and costs– Technology:• Handheld computers, bar-code scanners, networks,desktop computers, and so on

Chapter 4

Many Web sites today have more than one hundred tracking programs(“bugs”) on their home page.

5 moral dimensions of the information age

- Information rights and obligations– Property rights and obligations– Accountability and control– System quality– Quality of life

Information rights - privacy - Inet challenges to privacy : cookies ( what is it?, how it works?)

Property rights : trademarks : differentiate Accountability Data quality and system error -> difference between IT firms and non.. Health risks

Site privacy policy DMCA ( Digital Millenium Copyright Act)FTC privacy

Cookies• Identify browser and track visit

Web beacons (Web bugs)• Tiny graphics embedded in e-mails and Web pages• Monitor who is reading e-mail message or visiting site

Spyware• Surreptitiously (Secretly) installed on user’s computer• May transmit user’s keystrokes or display unwanted ads

Chapter 6

File org concepts - databaseAttribute apa, hierarchy

Problem with traditional file environment Logical vs physical data? Relational database management system Differentiate DBMS and .. Operations of a relational DBMS - select, join, project Normalization What is data warehouse, datamarts? Differentiate it? Discuss? What is data mining, web mining

Chapter 7 - Telecommunication

Circuit and Packet switching - differentiate

Packet switching• Method of slicing digital messages into parcels(packets), sending packets along differentcommunication paths as they become available, andthen reassembling packets at destination• Previous circuit-switched networks required assemblyof complete point-to-point circuit• Packet switching more efficient use of network’scommunications capacity

Data are grouped into small packets, which are transmitted independently over various communicationschannels and reassembled at their final destination.

TCP/IP and connectivity• Protocols: rules that govern transmission of informationbetween two points• Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)– Common worldwide standard that is basis for Internet

P. 18 layers

TCP/IPNetwork, internet, transport, application layer

Note that what happens, when computer A sends a message to computer B, is thatthe data that computer A creates is transferred within that computer from theapplication layer to subsequent layers in sequence.In this process it is split into packets, and information is added at each stage,ultimately translating the packets into a form that can be transferred over thenetwork interface. After traveling over the network interface, the packets arereassembled at the recipient computer, from the network interface layer up,ultimately for use by the application layer.

P. 20 WAN, LAN

Types of networks– Local-area networks (LANs)• Ethernet• Client/server vs. peer-to-peer– Wide-area networks (WANs)– Metropolitan-area networks (MANs)– Campus area networks (CANs)http://www.diffen.com/difference/LAN_vs_WAN

What is a LAN?

Local area networks (LANs) allow computers and devices that are near each other — and usually making use of the same switch or router — to connect to share files and complete tasks. Consisting only of everyday devices (e.g., desktops, laptops, tablets, printers), router and/or switch, and Ethernet cables or wireless cards, LANs are relatively inexpensive to set up and are commonly used in homes.

Ethernet cables, like the Cat5, Cat5e, and Cat6 and Cat6a, can be used to physically connect computers to the network. In the instances where fiber-to-the-home (or similar) is available, copper cabling may also be used at some point. Wi-Fi has become one of the most popular methods for wireless networking over a local network.

What is a WAN?

A wide area network (WAN) is used to connect computers that are not close to one another. It is possible — and almost always the case — that LANs are connected to WANs. This enables small home or office networks to connect to wider networks, such as those across state or country lines. Most WANs connect through public networks, like the telephone system, or via leased lines. The Internet, which connects computers all around the world, can be considered the largest WAN in existence.

A router is a more sophisticated device than a switch. Traditional routers are designed to join multiple area networks (LANs and WANs). Routers serve as intermediate destinations for network traffic. They receive TCP/IP packets, look inside each packet to identify the source and target IP addresses, then forward these packets as needed toensure the data reaches its final destination.

A network switch is a small hardware device that joins multiple

computers together within one local area network (LAN). Switches are incapable of joining multiple networks or sharing an Internet connection. A home network with a switch must designate one computer as the gateway to the Internet, and that device must possess two network adapters for sharing, one for the home LAN and one for the Internet WAN. With a router, all home computers connect to the router equally, and it performs the equivalent gateway functions.

Wired vs. Wireless Speeds

Wirelessly transferring data via Wi-Fi significantly slows down transfer speeds, as typical wireless technology has a theoretical maximum speed that is lower than a wired connection's theoretical maximum speed.[1] Wireless connections will also likely feel less reliable, as wireless signals may experience interference from other devices' signals, from separating walls, from radio waves, etc. If consistent high speeds are needed within a LAN or WAN, particularly for business or gaming purposes, one should be physically connected to the network.

It is worth noting, however, that wireless technology has begun to "catch up" to wired technology in recent years. While the most reliable, high-speed connection is still one that is wired, wireless technology will likely feel just as comfortable for the average user.

Physical Transmission Cable, fibre optics Wireless

What is DNS? Convert Ip to domain names

The Domain name system (DNS)– Converts IP addresses to domain names– Hierarchical structure– Top-level domains

IPv4 vs IPv6

domain name system makes itpossible for people to remember addresses INet services -> email, chatting , www, ftp, etc Voice-over IP - what is this?

Benefit to a company

Voice over IP (VoIP)• Digital voice communication using IP, packet switching• Providers– Cable providers– Google, Skype

A VoIP phone call digitizes and breaks up a voice message into data packets that may travel along different routes before being reassembled at the final destination. A processor nearest the call’s destination, called a gateway, arranges the packets in the proper order and directs them to the telephone number of the receiver or the IP address of the receiving computer.

Definitions

dataraw factsinformationcollection of facts organized in such a way that they have value beyond the facts themselvesWhat is the value of information?its directly linked to how it helps deciison makers achieve their organization's goalsWhat is an Information System?A set of interrelated components that collect, manipulate, store, and disseminate data and information and provide feedback to meet an objective (THIS PROCESS COULD BE MANUAL OR COMPUTERIZED)hardwarecomputer equipment used to perform input, processing, and output activitiessoftwarecomputer programs that govern the operation of the computerdatabasean organized collection of facts and information, typically consisting of two or more related data filestelecommunicationsthe electronic transmission of signals for communications which enables organizations to carry out their processes and taskspeoplethe most important element in most CBIS; includes people who manage, run, program, and maintain the system

proceduresincludes the strategies, policies, methods and rules for using the CBIS; procedures for operations, maintenance, securityWhat is systems development?The activity of creating new business systems or modifying existing business systems using internal or external resourcesWhat are the 5 Systems Development Stages?Investigation, Analysis, Design, Implementation, Maintenance & review IADIMOrganizationa formal collection of people and other resources established to accomplish a set of goalsvalue chaina series of activities that includes inbound logistics, warehouse & storage, production, finished product storage, outboun logistics, marketing & sales, and customer serviceorganizational culturemajor understandings and assumptions of a business or other organizationorganizational changehow organizations plan for, implement, and handle changetechnology diffusiona measure of how widely technology is spread throughout an organizationtechnology infusionis the exten to which technology permeates an area or departmenttechnology acceptance model TAM

specifies the factors that can lead to higher acceptance and usage of technology in an organizationcompetitive advantagea significant and (ideally) long-term benefit to a company over its competitionFactors that lead firms to seek competitive advantagerivalry among existing competitors, threats of new entrants, threat of substitute produts and services, bargaining power of customers, bargaining power of suppliers (cost efficiency is generally not a motive for seeking competitive advantage)three stages in the use of "IS"cost reduction and productivity, competitive advantage, and performance based managementPerformance is used to evaluate the contributions (value & cost) of the IS (six phases)Productivity= (Output/Input) * 100 OIReturn on Investment (ROI)Earnings growthMarket ShareCustomer Awareness and satisfactionTotal Cost of OwnershipRoles, Functions, and careers in "IS"Executive management, Operationss, Systems Development, SupportA computer is a device thatAccepts input, Processes data, Stores data,Produces outputA computer system includesHardware—the physical componentsSoftware—the programs or lists of instructions

Architecture or configuration meansis the design of the computer (what the computer consists of)Specificationis the technical detail about each component (how fast is the printer)Types of computersHand-heldPortable (Laptop, Notebook, Tablet)Thin ClientDesktopWorkstationServersMainframesSupercomputersInput devicesKeyboardMouseOther Pointing DevicesWireless pointerTouch padTrack ballMicrophoneDigital CameraScannerTouch sensitive screensBar-Code ScannersOptical Data ReadersPoint-of-Sale (POS) DevicesMagnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) DevicesHardware (types)Input devicesOutput devicesProcessing hardwareStorage devicesHardware (output)MonitorsPrinters

PlottersSpeakersMonitorsScreen SizeResolutionDot PitchPrintersLaserInk-jetDot MatrixEight bits is a byte. Each byte represents a unique character.How many are there?Kilobyte (KB) is about one thousand bytesMegabyte (MB) is about one million bytesGigabyte (GB) is about one billion bytesTerabyte (TB) is about one trillion bytesWhat are the two most important components of personal computer hardware?Microprocessor (CPU) and the memory *both directly affect the price and performanceWhat is the microprocessor or CPUis an integrated circuit or chip on the main circuit board inside the computer. It is made up of:Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU)Control unit 

Its speed is determined by:Clock Speed/Machine cycleWord size or WordlengthPhysical characteristics (distance and resistanceRamRandom Access Memory) is temporary memory that is constantly changing while the computer is on.Rom

Read-Only Memory) is the permanent storage location for a set of instructions the computer uses.Types of processingMulticore microprocessor - combines two or more independent processors into a single computer so they can share the workload

Parallel processing - A form of multiprocessing that speeds processing by linking several processors to operate at the same time, or in parallel.

Grid computing - use a collection of computers often owned by multiple organizations, to work in a coordinated mannerStorage Access MethodsSequential Access - The retrieval method in which data must be accessed in the order in which it is stored. (tape drives)

Direct Access - The retrieval method in which data can be retrieved without the need to read and discard other data.SAN (Storage Area Networks)The technology that provides high-speed connections between data-storage devices and computers over a networkRAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)A method of storing data that generates extra bits of data from existing data, allowing the system to create a "reconstruction map" so that if a hard drive fails, the system can rebuild lost data.What is software?is the instructions and data that direct the computer to accomplish the task. It can refer to a single program or a package

System softwarehelps the computer carry out it s basic operating tasks.Application softwarehelps the user carry out a variety of tasks.Systems Software Operating SystemsPerform common computer hardware functionsProvide a user interfaceManage system memoryManage processing tasksProvide networking capabilityControl access to system resourcesManage filesApplication software examplesPersonal Productivity ApplicationsWorkgroup Applications Enterprise ApplicationsDatabase Heirarchy from biggest to smallestDatabase, files, records, fields, characterData Modeling Key ConsiderationsContent - What data should be collected, and at what cost?Access - What data should be provided to which users and when?Logical structure - How should data be arranged so it makes sense to a given user?Physical organization - Where should data be physically located?Manipulating DataSelecting - data manipulation that eliminates rows according to certain criteriaProjecting - data manipulation that eliminates columns in a tableJoining - data manipulation that combines two or more tablesDatabase Management Systems

A group of programs that manipulate the database and provide an interface between the database and its users and other application programs.What is a DBA (database administration)the role of the database administrator (DBA) is to plan, design, create, operate, secure, monitor, and maintain databases

Selecting a DBMSSizeCostNumber of UsersPerformanceIntegrationVendorData Warehousea database that collects business information from many sources in the enterprise, covering all aspects of the company's processes, products, and customers.Data Marta subset of a data warehouseData Miningan information analysis tool that involves the automated discovery of patterns and relationships in a data warehouse. Bottom-up approachOnline Analytical Processing (OLAP)the software that allows users to explore data from a number of different perspectives. Top-down approach.Business IntelligienceGathering enough of the right information in a timely manner and usable form and analyzing it to have a positive impact on business strategy, tactics, or operationsCompetitive intelligience

a continuous process involving the legal and ethical collection of information about competitors, its analysis, and controlled dissemination of information to decision makersCounterintelligiencethe steps an organization takes to protect information sought by "hostile" intelligence gatherersKnowledge Managementthe process of capturing a company's collective expertise wherever it resides, and distributing it wherever it can help produce the biggest payoffCharacter Level FormatsFont Font size (point size) Font color Bold Italicize Underline Strikethrough Superscript/ subscriptParagraph Level FormatAlignmentIndentationsLeft, Double, First, or hanging indentTabsLine SpacingDocument level formatsMargins, paper size, paper orientation, vertical alignmentField (equals what?)describes the entity; an attribute or characteristic of the entity (equals column)Record (equals what?)description of each entity; set of related field values(equals row)Table

collection of fields and group of related recordsDatabasecollection of related tables and other objectsWhat are two parts of a table?1) Structure 2) DataPrimary Keyin the main tablefield value must be uniquefield value is requiredForeign Keyin the related tablefield value is not necessarily uniquefield value is required