Sunzi’s Art of War, HKBU Smart Cards System, and Innopac 4th Annual Hong Kong Innovative Users...

Sunzi’s Art of War , HKBU Smart Cards System, and Innopac

4th Annual Hong Kong Innovative Users Group Conference

9 Dec 2003

Lingnan University

Li Yiu OnAssistant Librarian (Systems)HK Baptist University

HKBU Library

As it is suggested in the title, my presentation

contains the following three main components:

1. Sunzi’s Art of War ( 孫子兵法 )

2. HKBU Smart Card Systems

3. Innopac System

The order is arranged by their significance in the

HKBU Smart Cards Project

HKBU Library

Outlines

1. HKBU Smart Card System: Two Development

Proposals

2. Role of the Innopac System in the HKBU Smart

Cards System

3. Sunzi’s Art of War ( 孫子兵法 )

4. Conclusion

5. Bibliographies

HKBU Library

1. HKBU Smart Card System: Two Development Proposals

HKBU Library

1.1 What is a Smart Card

A smart card has an intelligent, single

computer chip embedded within a plastic

card.

Personal data can be securely written or

updated to the card after it has been issued.

Now, most of universities in Hong Kong have

developed their own smart cards systems.

HKBU Library

1.2 Functions of Smart Cards System

Although different smart cards systems are

used in different universities, the functions

provided by these systems are similar.

Basically, there are two major functions:

• Access control

– user authentication

– generate usage and entrance statistical reports

• Electronic purse (similar to Octopus)

HKBU Library

1.3 First Smart Card System Proposal

The idea to implement a smart card system in HKBU

was first suggested in 2000

A Steering Committee was formed to study the

feasibility of implementing a new Smart Card

system for the University and consider funding

arrangements

A Proposal was submitted by the Committee to the

University in Feb 2001 (i.e. the 1st Proposal)

HKBU Library


To implement a new university smart card

system in HKBU, a centralized database

model was suggested by the 1st Proposal:

A central smart card database has to be

designed and developed to store all

university staff and student records

Two additional computer officers have to be

employed to monitor the central database

HKBU Library

HKBU Library


Estimated Startup Cost:

HK$3.2 million, including

• Central database program design,

development and implementation fees

• Hardware costs (server, printers, and smart

card readers)

• Issue new smart cards for all university staff

and students

HKBU Library


Estimated Annual Recurrent Cost:


• Central database program maintenance fee

• Salaries of 2 computer officers specially for

monitoring the central database

• Hardware maintenance fee (server, printers, and

smart card readers)

• Issue new smart cards for all new university

staff and students

HKBU Library


The feasibility study by the 1st proposal was

very comprehensive, however, the University

was unable to implement it due to a high

estimated startup cost (HK$3.1 million) and

annual recurrent cost (HK$1,6 million)

HKBU Library

1.4 Second Smart Card System Proposal

The access control function provided by the smart

card system is vital to the Library

Thus, the University Librarian asked me to study

the 1st Proposal to see if it is possible to reduce

the cost

The 2nd Proposal for development of University

Smart Cards System was completed in Sep

2001

HKBU Library


The 2nd Proposal aims to suggest a new database

infrastructure of the University Smart Cards

system.

It is suggested to adopt a co-operated,

decentralized, and distributed database model

HKBU Library


The advantage of adopting a decentralized database

model is to recognize that different

departments/offices maintain their own databases (i.e.

student record database by AR, staff records by

Personnel Office and the Library patron database by

the Library)

It will also avoid duplicate and extra workload of

creating and maintaining a new centralized Smart

Cards database on the top of various departmental

databases

HKBU Library

HKBU Library


Estimated Startup Cost:


• Hardware costs (printers, and smart card

readers)

• Issue new smart cards for all university staff

and students

HKBU Library


Estimated Annual Recurrent Cost:


• Hardware maintenance fee (printers, and

smart card readers)

• Issue new smart cards for all new university

staff and students

HKBU Library

Proposal Startup Cost

HK$ (Million)

Annual Recurrent

Cost

HK$

(Million)

4 Years Recurrent

Cost

HK$

(Million)

4 Years Recurrent

Cost / Startup Cost

(%)

1st

Proposal (central db)

model)

3.2 1.6 6.4 200%

2nd Proposal

(de-central db model)

0.76 0.14 0.56 73.6%

A Cost Comparison of Two Proposals

HKBU Library

1.5 HKBU Smart Card System Implementation

As the startup and annual recurrent cost had

been greatly reduced based on the new de-

centralized model of the 2nd Proposal, the

University thus finally approved to develop

the smart cards system

New smart cards were issued to students and

staff on Sep 2002

HKBU Library

2. Role of the Innopac

System in the HKBU Smart

Cards System

HKBU Library

2.1 Innopac in the Smart Cards System

Macro Magic + Window Time Schedule Program

To use the Macro Magic to write a macro which contains the

following steps:

1. Export student and staff records from the AR and Personnel Section

databases respectively

2. Upload the above records to Innopac system

3. Export valid patron records from the Innopac system

4. Upload the above Innopac patron to the Library electronic turnstile

system

To use the Window Time Schedule Program to call and run the

macro every night

HKBU Library

3. Sunzi’s Art of War

(孫子兵法 )

HKBU Library

3.1 Sunzi’s Art of War

Sunzi’s Art of War, written in 2000 years ago in

China, is the earliest known text on the strategies of

war.

At the present time, Sunzi is still regarded as a

military classic around the world

In the 1st Gulf War in 1991, it was reported that the

US Marine Corps had issued a copy of Sunzi to

each of its members

HKBU Library

3.1 Sunzi’s Art of War

In addition to remain as a military science classic,

Sunzi strategies have now been expanded and

applied in various studying areas and fields, e.g.

politics, management, business…

Konosuke Matsushita ( 松下幸之助 ), a famous

Japanese businessman and founder of Matsushita

Electronic House, said, “All our staff members

must read Sunzi’s Art of War, and apply its

teaching flexibly so that my firm will flourish.”

HKBU Library

3.2 Sunzi’s Strategies Applied on System Analysis Development

In this section, I will try to introduce three

Sunzi strategies to explain why the database

infrastructure suggested by the 2nd Proposal

is better than that of the 1st Proposal

HKBU Library

3.3 Winning without Fighting

Sunzi said “Hence to win one hundred

victories in one hundred battles does not

indicate excellent wisdom. To suppress the

enemy without fighting is the supreme

excellence”

孫子曰：”是故百戰百勝，非善之善者也 ;

不戰而屈人之兵，善之善者也”

HKBU Library


Art of War is a book to study and analysis war

systematically. It easily gives an incorrect impression

to readers that Sunzi likes wars and enjoys fighting

Nevertheless, it must be emphasized that war, from

Sunzi’s point of view, is only a tool not an end

End (One) to achieve total victory, i.e. win the enemy

without lose and destroy on both sides

Tools (Many) politics, diplomatic alliances, use of

spies, wars

HKBU Library


War is not an effective tool to achieve the total

victory because:

– War is a matter of life and death, a road to

win and also a road to lose

– War, even win, will inevitable brings destroy

and loses to both sides, i.e. to the enemy as

well to the home country

HKBU Library


To achieve total victory, Sunzi’s highest maxim, is

not “know how to fight and win” rather it should be

“winning without fighting”

In system analysis and development, I believe, the

highest maxim is not something “know how to

design a new database to satisfy new information

needs”, rather it should be “satisfying new

information needs without implementing new

databases”

HKBU Library


This can be proved by the cost effectiveness of the 2nd

Proposal over the 1st Proposal

Centralized database model

vs

Decentralized database model

The centralized database suggested in the 1st Proposal is

indeed a redundant database

NOTE: the new smart card system can function properly

without a central database

HKBU Library


A good general must be very careful to start a war

War should be the last resort when there is no other

alternative

Sunzi said, “Thus, unless you know all the

disadvantages of the prosecution of a war, you

cannot fully grasp the advantages of war”

孫子曰：”故不盡知用兵之害者 , 則不能盡知用兵之利也”

HKBU Library


Again using Sunzi’s strategy, a good system

analyst must be very careful to implement a

new database

To implement a new database should be the last

resort when there is no other alternative

Unless you know all the disadvantages of

implementing a new database, you cannot

fully grasp the advantages of it

HKBU Library


The disadvantages of implementing a new

database include

– New hardware and software cost

– Annual maintenance cost for new hardware and

software

– Additional staffing cost to monitor the new

hardware and software

HKBU Library


In an information system

End satisfy user’s information need

Means many ways to achieve the above end

• Create a new database (1st Proposal)

• Make use or expand the existing systems (2nd

Proposal)

HKBU Library


A question to information analysts:

How can we satisfy new information needs of our

clients without implementing a new database?

This may be answered by the following two

Sunzi strategies:

• Reduce Redundant Data

• Divide and Conquer

HKBU Library

3.4 Reduce Redundant Data

Sunzi said, “Hence a wise general is sure of getting

provisions from the enemy countries. One ton of

grains obtained from local area is equal to twenty

tons shipped from the home country; one pound of

fodder in the conquered area is equal to twenty

pounds from the domestic store”

孫子曰：”善用兵者……因糧於敵，故軍食可足也……故智將務食於敵。食敵一鍾，當吾二十鍾；芑稈一石，當吾廿石。”

HKBU Library


Sunzi calls attention to the dependence of war

upon the provisions of food and materials to

an army

Getting provisions from the enemy countries

(near or inside the battle fields) is much

more beneficial than transporting supplies

over long distances from the home country

HKBU Library


The importance of providing data to an

information system is similar to supplying of

food and materials to an army

Different ways of data supply have different

cost implications

HKBU Library


1st Proposal transport data from various

department databases to the central database:

– High transportation cost (network and staffing

costs)

– Redundant data created (duplicate copies of

records stored in department databases and central

database)

– Additional server to store redundant data

(hardware and software costs)

HKBU Library


2nd Proposal data required by the smart card

application systems are provided and stored

in the department databases:

– No redundant data

– No additional server

– Low transportation cost

HKBU Library

3.5 Divide and Conquer

Some of you may say that it is necessary to install a

central database because

“Big tasks can only be processed by a big and

powerful server”

A university smart card system is a big system which

deserves a big and powerful central server

(database)

Is this idea correct? NO

HKBU Library


Algorithms are a central field of computer science

One of the famous algorithms is divide-and-conquer

We all know that it is much easier to solve a small

problem than solving a big problem

This algorithm thus suggests a big problem can be split

into roughly equal size sub-problem

The sub-problems are solved in the same way – by

splitting, solving, and combining – and this can be

done recursively

HKBU Library


Sunzi has already expressed the similar thinking 2000 years

ago

Sunzi said, “We can keep our forces concentrated , while the

enemy’s must be divided. We can form a single united

body at one place, while the enemy must scatter his forces

at ten places. Thus, it is ten to one when we attach him at

one, which means we numerically superior.”

孫子曰：”我專為一，敵分為十，是以十攻其一也。則我眾敵寡，能以眾擊寡者，則吾之所與戰者約矣。”

HKBU Library


A smart card system is a big information system which

generates huge data transactions and requires data

storage and transportation

Such a “big” task can easily be processed by a big and

powerful server Central database in the 1st Proposal

Yet, a “big” task may be splitting, solving, and

combining by a number of “small” servers working

together various department database servers in the

2nd Proposal

HKBU Library

4. Conclusion

HKBU Library

4. Conclusion

Here comes to the end of my presentation.

After listening to my presentation, do you have a feeling

that

• Sunzi’s strategies are indeed something easier say

than done

• the ideas and algorithms that I have suggested to

develop the HKBU Smart System may only be

applied to a simple environment and may probably

not be intelligence adequate to cope with a more

complex organization

HKBU Library

4. Conclusion

In short, do you think that my explanation is too SIMPLE.

I am very happy if you have that feeling. I totally agree with

you if you say my presentation is simple.

Indeed, I originally thought I had discovered something new

and created some complicated theories when my paper on

Sunzi strategy was completed.

However, since then, I read my paper many times again.

Every time I read it, I have a feeling that my paper is of

nothing new and contains some very simple ideas only.

HKBU Library

4. Conclusion

I felt very uncomfortable, finally, until one day after

reading a book on Korea War by Bevin Alexander,

a famous American professional military historian,

I suddenly come to recognize that

SIMPLE implies the application of Sunzi strategies

on the development of HKBU Smart Card Project

is successful

Let me quote Bevin Alexander’s words to end my

presentation

HKBU Library

4. Conclusion

“Of course, all great ideas are simple.

The trick is to see them before anyone else.”Bevin Alexander. Korea: The First War We Lost. New York : Hippocrene Books, 2000, p. 149.

“當然 , 所有絕妙的主意都是簡單的 , 關鍵在於要比任何人都先想得出來 .”

[ 美 ] 貝文‧亞歷山大 : 《朝鮮 : 我們第一次戰敗》 , 北京 : 中國社會科學 , 2000, p.177.

HKBU Library

5. Bibliographies

《孫子校釋》 . 北京 : 軍事科學出版社 , 1990. ISBN:7800212572. [Sunzi. Text in Chinese, English,

French, Italian, Japanese, and Russian]

魯玉瑩 . 《活學活用孫子兵法》 . 臺北 : 先智出版事業股份有限公司 , 2001. ISBN: 9570482532.

李耀安 . 〈《孫子兵法》與現代信息系統開發原理〉 , 《圖書情報工作》 , 2003(9):14-18, 28. [Li, Yiu On. “Sunzi’s

Art of War as Principle of Systems Analysis and Design.”

Library and Information Services, 2003(9): 14-18, 28.]

Sunzi’s Art of War, HKBU Smart Cards System, and Innopac 4th Annual Hong Kong Innovative Users...

Documents

Transcript of Sunzi’s Art of War, HKBU Smart Cards System, and Innopac 4th Annual Hong Kong Innovative Users...