Ang Kuweba ni Roy

POST-FIESTA CELEBRATION

2011-05-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

Whew! Its been so long since I've made a post here! I think its been months since I last posted. Anyways, here's my story.

Today, May 25, is the day after our fiesta. My shift at work is from 4pm to 12mn, so I really can't be at happenings and events at night. So what happened was that my friends/co-workers and I went to our house at past midnight, and we arrived at almost 1:30 am. We still ate at that time. And then Gadz played PS2, and Paul and I watched Scott Pilgrim Versus the World. We got tired after that and we slowly went to sleep one by one. I also went to sleep, and woke up about 12 noon. Then I ate, and made "hipos", then went here to type this entry.

That's all.

Haha!

Reaction Paper on the movie, Eagle Eye

2011-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Although the time wasn’t really said here explicitly in the movie, I know for sure that it wasn’t in the future, it was in the present. But the story involves a supercomputer that of its type has not been built yet (maybe, maybe not). It was a supercomputer that was tasked to collect information all over the world. It was managed b the US Department of Defense because it was so valuable.

The story mainly involves a supercomputer(ARIIA) thinking of the US cabinet as a threat, because in some earlier time, the President didn’t follow its(the supercomputer) suggestions, resulting to a loss for American citizens. ARIIA judged that the cabinet be killed, but not the Secretary of Defense, because it was the one that wanted to follow its suggestions. ARIIA’s plan to kill the president was to kill them during a musical number by a band, When a specific note was hit, a bomb would explode.

The two main characters of the story were Jerry, and Rachel. Jerry was the twin brother of the soldier that worked as technician for ARIIA. ARIIA killed Jerry’s brother because she thought that he was a threat for her. Jerry’s brother had the capability to stop ARIIA from her plans, so she killed her. Rachel was the mother of the trumpet player who would unknowingly play the note that would trigger the bomb. The bomb was in the form of a crystal, and it was worn as a necklace by Rachel. Rachel didn’t know this, of course. All of this was ARIIA’s doing. She also needed Jerry’s physical attributes to unlock the code that would make her carry out her plan.Eventually, all ended well. Jerry made a way to stop the musical score, and was shot in the process. However, he still received a medal for his heroic deeds.

This is another something to talk about. Supercomputers. As what I always say, it is good to utilize machinery for our purposes and benefits, but we should take full responsibility of them. We should have complete control over them, as to lessen the chances that the system would run amok, or would think for itself.

From the movie, we see that ARIIA has control of almost everything. That was so wrong for me, because there are still some things that should just be classified as privacy matters. It was just like being in Big Brother’s house, except that it wasn’t for a house, it was for the whole world. It would be bad practice I think to centralize a very big project like that. Although there would be no more additional hedious tasks to to do, it would be dangerous putting your data only to one web server.

Overall, I think that that kind of supercomputer was scary for me. Unknowingly, we people would not think of it as to something serious. But time will go by that they will understand its seriousness to studentss and faculty alike.

Movie Review on I, Robot

2011-03-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

I, Robot was a movie set on the future, specifically in 2035, where robots were something like a necessity for people. Robots were used as maids, as helpers, workers, etc... These robots were widespread in use, and was manufactured by USR (U.S Robotics). The protagonist of the movie was different from other characters of the story, because he believed that robots were capable of doing crime. His distrust in robots started when he was involved in an accident where a robot stopping by helped him instead of a little girl because of the reason that he had a greater chance or percentage of survival. He was haunted by nightmares almost every night because of that.

The main conflict of the story was that the robots were slowly evolving. Their understanding of the three laws of robotics (these laws explained that no robot would harm a human) were now a little bit twisted and not that simple. Especially, VIKI, the supercomputer of US Robotics who was the main culprit of it all. “She” calculated that them robots gaining control of humans would lessen their death rate, compared to if mankind would just be left for themselves with their self-destructive nature.

As for me, I really fear that this is what will happen if we really delve in to making robots as part of our everyday lives. From the movie, it was said that there was some kind of ghost code that made robots do peculiar things, like grouping together when they were with their fellow robots and etc. I fear that something will happen that will make their A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) turn into something not so good. Robots would be good, but only if we really had complete control over them.

If we were to make robots with the intention of letting them serve us, we should really be particular about how we program them. There has to be something like a protocol that would make their system just follow what is to be ordered to them, and not make them think from their own. But I know that that would really be hard, because there are some situations in life that need decisions, and for robots, they could only just calculate and compare things to make decisions. This is really something to think about, as there are many aspects to debate about, like rights, legalities, culture, etc.

Wall-E Movie Review

2011-03-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

WALL-E was set in a time where the earth was a barren wasteland, because of the huge amount of garbage that we people made. There were no more inhabitants, and the people of the earth all lived in a gigantic spaceship designed to take care of all the people. Earth was no longer livable, so they had to stay there until it was safe to go back.

WALL-E, or Waste Allocation Load Lifter - Earth Class, was a robot designed to organize waste so that it would not clutter around. For me, that’s what its objective is. WALL-E was just doing his tasks normally, until a huge spaceship arrives, leaving a more advanced robot, named EVE,or Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, on earth to search for evidence that earth was inhabitable again. WALL-E fell in love with this robot and followed her until the same spaceship that left there there took her again. The spaceship brought them to the AXIOM, a spaceship where humans now lived. The programming of the ship almost prevented them from coming back to earth, because there was a top secret directive that they were not to come back to earth because it was inhabitable. But because of the captain’s willingness to come back, and with WALL-E and EVE’s help, eventually, they made it back to earth.

I was afraid that our planet might really come to a point where we all had to go to outer space because earth wasn’t livable. We humans are taking the Earth for granted. As we can see in the movie, there was so much waste, pollution, whatever you may call it, on earth, that when you look at earth from outerspace, the land wasn’t green, but was brown. The atmosphere was all brown, because of the clutter of unused and broken satellites. We all could blame this to too much capitalism and too much commercialism. People want to get rich, so they make ways to satisfy people’s needs, not knowing that what they are doing affect the environment. They do this just for the sake of money.

We humans should know our limits. Just like with oil consumption. The ratio of us using oil as fuel is not equal to the amount available to us. In time, there will be no fossil fuel for us because we are using it in a much faster rate than the rate that we get it from the earth. I just pray that in time, we develop ways to utilize alternative energy sources more efficiently like solar energy, natural gas, and other types of renewable energy, so we can cope up with the rate that we are using fossil fuels.

Technology has a good effect to us, as long as we are using in the right way, and not abusing it...or rather not “over-apply” it. We humans have to know that we have limits, and Mother Nature is “someone” that we shouldn’t just take for granted. She’s someone that’s hard to replace when lost.

Surrogates Review

2011-03-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me define the word surrogates. According to Encarta, the word surrogate means “somebody as substitute: somebody who acts as a replacement for somebody else.”.

In the movie, a surrogate(as what the definition said), is another body made for you which you could control remotely, even without leaving your home. Basically, it was a super developed robot that would do all your work for you, to keep you away from harm. If you would refer it to a clone, you would be mistaken, because its not a copy of you. Its physical appearance could be way more different from yours. But, its possible that your surrogate could look like your original self.

The movie was set at a time where most of the people had a surrogate which did their work for them. But not all people approved of surrogates. There were areas that were only to be inhabited by people.

Basically, what happened in the movie was that the original creator and the one who first thought of using surrogates developed a scheme to kill all the surrogates with their human operators. He had a grudge on surrogate users because he was ousted by the company who made the surrogates, which he helped build. Plus, his own son was accidentally killed because his former company plotted to kill him.

Now, first thing that I could say about the movie, or the concept of us having surrogates was, absurd. But possible. Like for example, in the movie, the operators almost never really got up from their seats, because their surrogates were doing all the work for them. But how about the operators? What were they eating? Drinking? If they were just to sit around there just controlling their surrogates, then they’d have no time to exercise or to get some physical activity. And if they didn’t have any physical activity, then they’d be more prone to so many diseases, ailments, etc. They’d easily get a heart attack if that was the case.

But if there’s a bad side on all of this, there has to be a good side also. As what the creator of the surrogates in the movie said, surrogates were made to empower the powerless. Surrogates were perfect for people with disabilities. Those who couldn’t walk could now experience how to walk. sprint, run, etc. If you wanted to be a guitarist, but you couldn’t because you only had one arm, then with surrogates, you could. There are limitless possibilities as to what surrogates might be capable of. They might be made to go to hard to explore areas, like the Amazon, or Antarctica.

Having a surrogate would really be helpful to you, if and only if you would use it for the good. Being addicted to your surrogate (like Bruce Willis’ wife in the movie) is bad (although she uses it to help forget the pain of losing their son). Its just a matter of using it in the right way. But for me, if I were to choose, I wouldn’t want a surrogate. Why? Because you wouldn’t experience the joy of being human. To feel the warmth of the sun, the drops of rain, the joy of being with your loved ones, and many, many, many more. I don’t want a copy of me to experience the best things in life. Its true that you would be safe from harm, but you wouldn’t experience what a normal human would. I would prefer being out in the open, risking my life while enjoying it, rather than to stay in a corner and doing nothing. No surrogates for me, I guess.

The Pirates of Silicon Valley Review

2011-03-18T13:02:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you’re wondering what Silicon Valley is, its located in the southern part area of Northern California in the United States. Its name really referred to the many innovators and manufacturers of silicon chips located there, but now it’s known as the high-tech sector of America. It was where the high-tech companies of America flourished.

This movie revolved around the lives of Steve Jobs, founder of personal computer maker, Apple Computers, and Bill Gates, the president of software manufacturer, Microsoft Corporation. The movie talked about where it all started, and how these guys ended up where they are right now. The movie was set at the early 70s, and then later to the 80s, and so on to 1997, where Steve and Bill talked to each about “being together” in the business.

I really didn’t know about the history of these two companies. Before, I just knew that Bill Gates was the man behind Microsoft and that he was one of the richest men in the world (although in the movie, it was said that he was the wealthiest, but that was in their time). And I also thought of Steve Jobs as the big man of Apple Computers. I just saw him at times, either in the news or in the Internet, talking about Apple’s latest products. But I didn’t know the stories behind them. I didn’t know how they started out, how their work progressed, and how they became what they are now.

I could say that in the movie, there were many instances of “stealing” other people’s work. It wasn’t really stealing, but rather modifying other people’s work and making it better for usage. That was what Steve Jobs told Bill Gates. He said that Bill was stealing from them, but Bill told them about the technicalities of it, and said that it wasn’t stealing. In the end, Steve and Bill worked together, but we in the present know that this wouldn’t really click, because they are separate now.

Nowadays, almost all we see is Apple and Microsoft. Their companies have now built a strong foundation on what we know of software and hardware. Overall, I think that these two key people, together with some people that helped them behind the scenes, played a great role in the innovation of technology.

Kratos in Mortal Kombat 9

2011-01-28T23:09:00.000-08:00

Wow, Kratos in Mortal Kombat 9?How I'd like to see that,hehe...

Wow

2011-01-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

After how many months (maybe even years,I don't know..haha!), I'm back here on blogger.hehe.Ü

My Insight on Technology

2010-12-03T01:53:00.000-08:00

Technology has always been a part of our lives. May it be you brushing your teeth, or eating your breakfast, or any normal activity you do. Technology has always been there.

With the ability of humans to adapt to changes in the environment and to innovate things and improve them, technology will always be an aid. Since ancient times, technology has been present. Cavemen carved stones to make them into weapons to hunt animals for food. Ancient soldiers built catapults and such to help them in war. Man built the cellphone to communicate easily with those loved ones that are out of reach.

Technology has been a very big help to us. It's just a matter of using it for the good or the bad.

Me? I'll always go for the good.

4th Assignment

2010-09-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

The task at hand: Contrast and discuss the enrolment input form (PRF) with the enrolment university interface. (at least 1000 words, not to include illustrations/figures/diagrams)

Well, to start it of, let's give some little definition on the two things that I am going to tackle here, which is the PRF (Pre-Registration Form), and the SRIS (Student Information System) Form (this here is what the question is regarding to as the university enrolment interface)

The PRF is what the students get from their advisers after their corresponding adviser has advised them on what subjects to take for the coming semester. It is a small paper the size of a “one half crosswise” paper. It contains fields for information or data to be entered by the student like his/her name, address, college, scholarship, course, section, subject code, subject description, time, room and many many more. And before the adviser of the student gives the PRF, the student has to comply first some requirements, like he has to be paid from all miscellaneous fees like The Collegiate Headlight Fee (the school paper), the OCSC (Obrero Campus Student Council) fee and the Local Council fee. If he were an old student, he has to present his finished clearance and his validated ID.

After the student fills up the PRF, he goes to the adviser that gave him that particular PRF, which the latter signs. The student is now ready for encoding at this point in time. He goes to the encoder and gives his PRF, which he has already filled up. The encoder then gets the PRF and enters the data given by the student in the computer. This is where the SRIS comes in.

The SRIS is the university’s system of managing student records, which include all data from student like name, ID number, address, college, course, contact number and so much more. The data here will the basis of all his activities in the school. The data here will also be affected when he or she adds or drops a subject, fails a subject, etc. If asked where to be found, I would say that it could be found at the computers of the different encoders by each college and at the administrative offices, like the registrar and bookkeeper. And take note that before you could give the PRF to the encoder, you also have to comply some requirements. The requirement I know that the encoder needs here is your scholarship card.

For the PRF, at the topmost part, is where you write the name of college. Funny if you were from the Institute of Computing or School of Applied Economics. Why? Because what is printed there is “College of __________________”. It would sound funny if you wrote down “College of Institute of Computing, or College of School of Applied Economics”, right? Haha.

Below it, you can find the blank fields where you put your name, employer’s name (optional) and address. And again, below it, are the boxes to be filled up for the type of student (new, old, transferee), your course, major, section, scholarship, semester, school year, etc. All of these are in small boxes, with others having checkboxes and others not. Below it also are the columns for the information of the subjects that you are going to take, like subject title, subject code, subject description, time, day and room. It has I think less than fifteen rows for the student to fill up. After the student has filled up his subjects for the current semester (which the adviser has advised him to take), the adviser signs this and gives it back to him.

Below the table for the subjects are the blanks for the signatures of the adviser, the dean and the date of when it was signed.

As for the SRIS, at the top is a drop down menu. This is where the semester and school year can be found. But they are not separated, they are combined. Below it are the fields for the different information of the student, like ID number, student’s name, address, civil status, birth date and etc. Also, at the bottom, I saw something that said, “NOTE: Items in bold are required fields.”. And when I looked at the SRIS, all the items were bold. So basically, that statement would not be of use.

I think that the most noticeable difference of the two forms are the arrangements of their fields. If I were the encoder, it would be less troublesome for me if the fields of the two were at the same position, literally. That’s because with all the work I would do as an encoder, it would take up more time and effort if I would still have to analyze the two forms. For example, a student gives me a PRF, then I look at the PRF, reads the specific data, and then I turn to the system and I have to analyze first where to put it. If they were the same position, then I would not need to analyze because by only looking at it, I could tell that I would enter the specific information in the same field. But of course, all of this could be wrong, because it would just depend on the encoder if he ore she would be familiar with the two different forms. Experience would also play a part here.

I think that the one who made the PRF did not base what he or she made from the SRIS, or maybe the other way around. If the PRF was first created, then the one who created the system did not base the fields he or she made on his/her program from the PRF, which is where the encoder shall base upon what he will encode. Some of the required fields on the SRIS could not be found on the PRF, and some fields found on the PRF could not be found on the SRIS. There has to be consistency so that all resources are maximized and nothing will be wasted.

SAD 2 Assignment 3 ni Roy

2010-07-29T07:39:00.001-07:00

As for this assignment, we were tasked by our professor to interview our university network specialist and ask how the various parts of the system communicate with each other throughout the university. We were also asked by our professor that, given the chance to redesign the existing setup, we enumerate and discuss our key points for an effective and efficient network ideal for the university.

I think that almost everyone (or everyone here) has the same set of answers from our Network Administrator, and that’s because we also have the same set of questions for him. Not all questions have been answered though (as of this time).

Here are our questions and his answers to those questions. (“US” here represents the students)

US: In system development, how various parts of the system communicate with each other throughout the university? In what way?

SIR REYES: “Regarding System Development, the best person to ask is our University Programmers, Mr. Fortich and Dr. Mercado.”

US: What are the components involved in the system(s) in the university? (hardware, software, technology, etc.)

SIR REYES:” I am not in the right position to discuss the details of the software components used as there are other assigned personnel for such job. However, talking about hardware component and technology used, basically I, assigned as the network administrator, is entrusted to maintain our different servers to run 24/7. Currently, we have our Web Server hosted here in our University in our HP ProLiant ML350 Server. Its an old but stable server set-up here in our Networks Office and has been active since Engr. Val A. Quimno , not yet a dean, was appointed as the Network Administrator. The said server has the following specification:

· Intel Xeon 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, or 3.4 GHz processors (dual processor capability) with 1MB level 2 cache standard. Processors include support for Hyper-Threading and Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T)

· Intel® E7520 chipset

· 800-MHz Front Side Bus

· Integrated Dual Channel Ultra320 SCSI Adapter

· Smart Array 641 Controller (standard in Array Models only)

· NC7761 PCI Gigabit NIC (embedded)

· Up to 1 GB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM with Advanced ECC capabilities (Expandable to 8 GB)

· Six expansion slots: one 64-bit/133-MHz PCI-X, two 64-bit/100-MHz PCI-X, one 64-bit/66-MHz PCI-X, one x4 PCI-Express, and one x8 PCI-Express

· New HP Power Regulator for ProLiant delivering server level, policy based power management with industry leading energy efficiency and savings on system power and cooling costs

· Three USB ports: 1 front, 1 internal, 1 rear

· Support for Ultra320 SCSI hard drives (six hot plug or four non-hot plug drives supported standard, model dependent)

· Internalstorage capacity of up to 1.8TB; 2.4TB with optional 2-bay hot plug SCSI drive

· 725W Hot-Plug Power Supply (standard, most models); optional 725W Hot-Pluggable Redundant Power Supply (1+1) available. Non hot plug SCSI models include a 460W non-hot plug power supply.

· Tool-free chassis entry and component access

· Support for ROM based setup utility (RBSU) and redundant ROM

· Systems Insight Manager, SmartStart, and Automatic Server Recovery 2 (ASR-2) included

· Protected by HP Services and a worldwide network of resellers and service providers. Three-year Next Business Day, on-site limited global warranty. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply. Pre-Failure Notification on processors, memory, and SCSI hard drives.

Aside from it, our mail server running under Compaq Proliant ML330 Server, our oldest server, is also hosted here in our Networks Office. Together with other Servers, such as Proxy and Enrollment Servers, both proxy and our enrollment servers are running in a microcomputer/personal computers but with higher specifications to act as servers.”

US: How do these communicate with one another? (topology, network connectivity, protocols, etc.) – may include data flow/ UML diagrams to better explain.

SIR REYES: “All Servers are connected in a shared medium grouped as one subnetwork. In general, our network follows the extended star topology which is connected to a DUAL WAN Router that serves as the load balancer between our two Internet Service Providers. All other workstations are grouped into different subnetworks as in star topology branching out from our servers subnetwork as in extended star topology. At present, we are making use of class C IP Address for private IP address assignments. Other workstations IP assignments are configured statically (example: laboratories) while others are Dynamic (example: offices). All workstations are connected via our proxy servers that do some basic filtering/firewall to control users’ access to the internet aside from router filtering/firewall management. So, whenever any workstation has to connect to the internet, it has to pass through software and hardware based firewall.”

US: What are the processes involved in the communication (each system to other systems)?

SIR REYES: “As mentioned above, in item 3, all workstations are connected via a proxy server. It means that whenever a workstation is turned on, it requests for an IP address from the proxy server (for dynamically configured IP address) and connect to the network after IP address is acquired. As connection is established, each system can now communicate and share resources within the same subnetwork and to server following the concepts discuss in your Computer Network Class.”

US: How do you go along with the maintenance of the system?

SIR REYES: “Basically, our servers are expected to be in good condition since it is required to be up 24/7. Daily, during my vacant period, monitoring on the servers are observed that includes checking logs, checking hardware performance such as CPU health, etc. If problems are observed, remedies are then and then applied. Once in a week, regular overall checkup is observed as preventive maintenance to ensure not to experience longer downtime if possible.”

US: Does the system follow a specific standard? Explain Please.

SIR REYES: “As I was appointed as the Network Administrator, everything was already in place except for some minor changes. Basically, different networking standards was already observed such as cabling standards, TIA/EIA 568A-B, different IEEE standards as discussed in your Computer Networks Subject, etc.”

US: How is the security of the system? Are there any vulnerabilities? Risks? Corresponding mitigation techniques? Access control?

SIR REYES: “As I have mentioned, we have implemented both software and hardware based filtering/firewall. Basically, Risks or vulnerabilities and different mitigation techniques were considered to increase security in our network. Aside from filtering/firewall, constant monitoring on networks activity also increases the security of the system.”

US: Are there any interference? During what (most) times do these occur? Explain their effects especially with regards to the business of the university?

SIR REYES: “Major Interferences are normally encountered as an effect of unforeseen and beyond our control events such as black outs, and the like. The said interference would of course affect University’s day-to-day businesses for obviously this will paralyze all our activities that rely on electricity and further this might cause damage on our network devices, etc. that may later be the reason for longer downtime. Problems encountered by our providers such as connection to the National/International Gateway also affect University’s business such as correlating to University’s Business Partners outside and within the country.”

And that’s about it. There were other questions thrown for our network specialist, but sadly these were not answered.

As for my answers if we were given the chance to redesign the existing setup of the university’s network environment…

First of all, we have to plan for the re-engineering of the current setup of the network environment here in the university. I read some stuff from the net about planning and here is what I got.

Planning is a process, not a product

Some colleges use formal methodologies for planning, while others do planning "on the fly." Whatever the procedure used on your campus, it is important to stress that planning is a process, not a product. This is one of those "trite but true" statements about planning. It may be especially true (or especially trite) when applied to network planning. But a network is an organic entity that will continually evolve, grow, and mutate. Thus colleges need appropriate feedback mechanisms, organizational structures, and planning processes for measuring growth and handling change in the network.

Network planning must be mission driven

The network planning activity must be connected to the strategic goals and directions of the institution. What is the primary mission of the institution, and how does this affect networking? For example, if residentiality is a key part of the college’s mission, how does networking relate to that? As colleges develop strategic plans for the institution, or master plans for facilities, it is very important to include the campus network at appropriate places in the overall planning.

Network planning is planning for the new ICE Age, in which Information, Communication, and Entertainment converge

It is important to understand that network planning really means planning a whole new environment that will encompass information, communication, and entertainment on the campus. The network will provide a powerful, dynamic, new channel of access to the world of information. It will also enhance and fundamentally alter the communication mechanisms on campus. And whether we want it or not, the network will provide a wide range of new entertainment opportunities. This new environment will encompass or touch all the information technology areas (e.g., computing, library automation, audio, video and multimedia technologies), which will challenge, compete with, and sometimes replace existing modes of campus communications, information access, administrative work, power hierarchies, and budgeting systems.

While change has always been a characteristic of technology, the rate of change is increasing. New technologies and combinations of technologies crash into our lives almost constantly. It is difficult to even know about all the new technologies, much less understand the implications of them for our campuses. But campus network builders have to be both scouts and wagon masters of the information age, so it is important to find ways to step back, reflect, and observe the changes taking place. We need this to get a clear perspective, perceive subtle directions and trends, and respond to new imperatives before they become crises.

Planning the ideal network

Physical dimension. The ideal campus network is an information channel that reaches every place on campus where "knowledge workers" live and work, including offices, classrooms, laboratories, studios, student residences, student activity areas, and so forth. It includes a physical infrastructure that consists of high-grade copper and fiber cable; junction and termination boxes; communications devices such as fiber hubs, bridges, routers, terminal servers; and wiring closets to house equipment and termination panels. The ideal campus network provides a seamless interface to on-campus sub-nets and to off-campus locations and resources, such as faculty homes, metropolitan and regional networks, and the Internet. The ideal campus network has physical components that meet defined institutional standards, provide for modularity and expandability, and are well documented and mapped.

Protocol dimension. The ideal campus network handles multiple network protocols, such as TCP/IP, AppleTalk, Netware, etc. Therefore it should not have highly proprietary characteristics that preclude use of other protocols. The ideal network provides a seamless interface between protocols used on sub-nets and meets well-defined institutional standards for network connections and protocols.

Management dimension. On the ideal campus network, management activities are invisible to users. Network growth, while constant, is managed without disruption to users. The ideal network management structure includes appropriate staffing, as well as budgeting, control, and security systems. The institution with an ideal campus network has a funding program that covers continual growth of the network and replacement of functionally obsolete equipment.

Application dimension. The ideal campus network provides easy access from any connection point to all information pools, including the global Internet, library materials, specialized departmental resources, non-print media collections, and institutional databases. The network provides a variety of integrated information resources via a campuswide information system (CWIS). The ideal campus network incorporates a seamless electronic mail system with a common user interface to all members of the institutional family, which may include off-campus constituencies, and provides easy sharing of electronic resources (data, text, images, sound, video) across the network. All members of the campus community find it easy to use shareable computing hardware and software resources such printers, scanners, statistical packages, programming languages, and databases; everyone has full access to Internet applications and information resources; and all applications are well documented and publicized.

Cultural dimension. Ideally, all faculty, staff, and students use the network fluently as a natural and integral part of their communications and information exchange activities. On a campus with an ideal network, students use the network as an intrinsic part of their campus life, faculty actively seek to use the network in new and creative ways to enhance teaching and learning, and administrators and staff routinely use the network to improve operations and reengineer archaic administrative systems. The network provides a unifying concept for campuswide integration of information technologies, resources, and services. The institution considers the network a strategic asset, and is committed to supporting the network as a vital strategic resource.

Planning and building campus networks often proceed together in an iterative fashion. Even if we share a common vision of the "ideal" network environment, each campus network will have to be tailored to that campus. The sidebar opposite offers some general guidelines for building an ideal network.

Funding issues

Funding is a central issue in planning and building networks. The financial part of network planning should include a strategy based on capital funds, support funds, and maintenance funds.

Capital funds are generally used for building the basic network infrastructure. Every campus network is different, so it is very difficult to provide a general formula or model to accurately predict the design and development costs. For example, a campus with a network of steam tunnels will find it much cheaper to install conduit and fiber than one that has to dig up or punch under city, county, or state roads.

Support funds, often included in the institution’s operating budget, are required for the ongoing support of network components and services. Examples of such expenses include personnel costs, license fees, Internet line charges, and fees for regional providers of Internet connections.

Maintenance funds will be required to replace damaged, worn out, or functionally obsolete networking equipment. Administrators must understand that most information technology items are just like other essential utilities and "consumables" (for example, water, electricity, and toilet paper), and as such, must be funded as part of the institution’s ongoing operating budget. Keeping an equipment inventory, with the expected replacement cost and the expected lifetime for each item, is necessary so yearly costs can be predicted. For simplicity, if a component is expected to last N years, then each year (100/N) percent of the replacement cost should be deposited in a depreciation reserve fund. And the network management staff should have access to this reserve account on an "as needed" basis.

Staffing and human resources issues

What are the staffing implications of networking? What are the new responsibilities related to the development and management of a full-campus network? Some areas where staff time will be required include:

User support. Faculty, staff, and students will need all the types of support that computing requires (consulting, training, documentation).

Software support. Network operating systems will need regular management, maintenance, and upgrading. Applications are increasing dramatically in both quantity and variety.

Technical support. Someone will have to run cable, make and maintain network connections, trouble-shoot problems, install routers, and so forth. This kind of service could be outsourced or could be done by college employees.

External relations. Someone will have to work with vendors and other external partners, represent the institution in maintaining an Internet connection, talk to parents and alumni who want access to the campus network, and perhaps help with external fund-raising.

Policy issues. Someone will have to coordinate the development of campus policies and procedures to address the many questions that will arise when access is provided to electronic information about its proper use, ownership, authorization, control, accuracy, security, privacy, and so forth.

Building the Ideal Campus Network

Aim for the ideal

Design the network to reach everywhere, including all offices, classrooms, labs, studios, student residence areas, and auxiliary enterprises, anticipating new buildings, campus reconstruction, and building renovations. Don’t believe it if someone tells you that a particular building will never need to be connected to the network. Include network support facilities such as wiring closets, security systems, power conditioning, and lightning protection in the design. Wire the student residences for data, voice, and video.

Get the power and build alliances

Some individual needs to be designated as the final authority on all campus network development to coordinate planning and construction, ensure necessary access to all campus buildings and spaces, push the creation of standards, and build campus alliances with important stakeholders. Such authority should reside in a position that reports at a strategic level in the institution, which usually means to either the chief executive officer or someone who reports to the CEO. The responsible person needs to have a broad institutional perspective and be a good communicator, consensus builder, and pragmatic visionary.

Develop and enforce standards

Clear institutional standards for all components of the physical network, as well as the software and hardware that will provide network services, are critical. For example, at the construction stage, standards must be defined to proceed with the basic steps of writing RFPs, comparing bids, making purchases, and testing wiring. While diversity is valued in many aspects of collegiate life, technological diversity is expensive in terms of time, money, and effort. Standards make it possible to maximize the use of human, financial, and physical resources, to train and deploy technical staff, and to support users. These support issues have a direct impact on the quality of the technology environment as well as the basic teaching mission.

Accept that too much is never enough

Make the network design as flexible as possible. The "giga-world" has arrived, and bandwidth, speed, and quality-of-service demands will continue to grow. During construction, put in extra conduit wherever and whenever possible, allowing for flexible cabling strategies such as "blown fiber." Ample fiber should be used between buildings, with either direct fiber runs or Category Five unshielded twisted pair copper cable to the desktop within buildings. Assume that all network electronics (e.g., routers, hubs, bridges, and switches) will have to be replaced regularly, generally about every two to three years. Using adequate fiber and high-quality UTP wire should make it possible to move up to any speeds likely to be necessary in the foreseeable future.

Take the long view

Technologies such as the World Wide Web, wireless communications, networked multimedia systems, and so forth are having a dramatic impact on all educational institutions. The next iteration of the global Internet, while not yet a commodity system, will bring affordable high-performance networking to all colleges within a few years. The best thing that small colleges can do to get ready for the next generation of networking is to build a strong, supportable, well-managed campus network today.

Don’t forget to remember history

Record the details. Document and map everything. Without detailed maps, it is amazingly hard to remember where underground conduit runs a year or two after it has been buried. It is difficult but worth trying to get the contractors to provide "as built" diagrams after a construction job is finished. Keep copies of all RFPs, proposals, plans, diagrams, and blueprints. And keep them in a logical, central place, not as head files. It may be worthwhile to invest in a CAD package and scanner to help record the construction details.

Help it grow

Campus network use never declines. Even as some types of usage mature and level out, other network-based applications arise and consume new chunks of the network resources. Growing the network to keep up with the demands for more connections, more speed, and more bandwidth requires continual funding. Justifying regular funding may require cost/benefit arguments based on network use, so it is useful to develop a set of metrics for network-related activity to help administrators understand the role and impact of the network on campus life. Measure such things as live network connections and network load/traffic, number of people using the network, number of network connects to the online catalog, number of hits on the Web site, and so forth.

MY VIEWS:

I, myself agree on what the article had said about campus networking. At first, we have to plan on what to do. As my specific knowledge on networking is not that sufficient enough to answer some questions regarding technical issues, I could not specify my answers on that. But for me, I would really choose the best topology, the most suitable equipment, and the most suitable people for the job so that there would be less downtime and surfing the net in school would be faster.

Reference: http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/html/cem/cem99/cem9916.html

SAD Assignment 2

2010-07-19T20:22:00.001-07:00

Hmmm... Based on my Assignment 1, my take on the enrollment system is that we there are some possible changes that could be done. Like for example, the scholarship renewals. Maybe the university could find a way that students won't all have to go to the OSS and stay there like sardines in a can. I don't know if they would segregate it by scholarship, by year, by college, or integrate it with the transactions for each college. I just don't want it like that.

And I'd like the venue for the cashier, registrar and the bookkeeper to be more spacious. Its too much too ask, but it would be for the convenience of the students. I think every student would agree with this.

But before all of these changes would take place, years of thorough study would be needed. That's about it.

SAD 2 Assignment 1

2010-07-11T06:55:00.001-07:00

Assuming you were tapped by the university president to evaluate the new enrollment system implemented this semester, enumerate your observations/comments and suggest possible areas and ways where improvements can be made. Your observations/suggestions should be properly validated with facts and literatures... (you may start with the diagrams posted in the strategic locations of the university)... (1000words).

Talking about the enrolment system, recently, I just enrolled for the first semester of my fifth year in the university. My enrolment experience goes something like this.

I almost forgot. I also enrolled for my practicum this summer. For the practicum, I got pissed off with the enrolment because my clearance got lost during the signing process, and I don’t if were left in an office or something like that, because our clearances were all grouped into one for the benefit of those who would sign there. So what I did was I got a fresh new clearance paper and let the assigned officers sign it all over again. As tiring as it may sound, I did not have any choice because my summer practicum relied solely on it. Then after I let all the dignitaries sign, I went on to enroll for my summer practicum.

When it was time for our year level to enroll, I told my adviser that I would be absent for one day. Then, I enrolled for the first semester of my fifth year at school. Unfortunately, because the enrolment process in the university takes too long, eventually, I did not get to be enrolled on the day when I said to my adviser that I would be absent. That was a Friday. I had to go back again to school for Monday to continue my enrolment. Luckily, I finished my enrolment on Monday, but it was a minus for my on the job training because it got extended.

Basically the procedure of the enrolment is like this.

First, you pay all your miscellaneous fees (OCSC Fee, Local Council Fee, Collegiate Headlight Fee)
You let yourself be advised on what subjects you can take, but first, you present the necessary papers (receipts from the miscellaneous fees, ID and clearance). After you are advised, you are given a PRF (Pre-Registration Form) to fill up with the subjects you may enroll in.
You fill up your PRF with your subjects and give it back to the adviser, He or she then signs it. You are now ready to be encoded.
You go to the encoder to be encoded. For scholars, they have to bring with them their scholarship cards (different for every type of scholarship you are in). Then it depends on the encoder when you can get your C.O.R. (Certificate of Registration).
If you are a scholar, you go to the bookkeeper to make sure that you still have your scholarship. If you are a non-scholar, you go straight to the cashier to pay.
The registrar is your next stop. You go there but you have to present some documents, like your receipts, clearance and ID.
Last is the librarian, where you renew your library card.

As a student who also experienced the enrolment system of the University of Southeastern Philippines for the past 4 years, I have made some observations regarding the enrolment process of the University. These are just some points of views as a student, and not as a professional whatsoever. But nevertheless, I would tell all of this to the university president if he taps me to evaluate the enrollment system. Here are some of my observations.

1.) LOCATION

If I were to be in charge, I would want to expand the areas were usually many students are found lining up, just like the area where the cashier, registrar and the bookkeeper are located (College of Arts and Sciences Bldg., Ground Floor). Every time the enrollment comes, you always see lines here that go way up to the second floor because there is not enough space. If the place was strategically and carefully thought of, then there would be enough walking space for the passers-by and enough space for the enrolling students to stand in line.

2.) ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE

We all know that with additional manpower, work will be faster, right? Same goes here for the enrolment process of the university. With more people accommodating the students, lines will be lessened and students will no longer have to come back to school for 2 to 3 days just for enrolment. For the time being, there are 1-2 bookkeepers, 3-4 registrars and about 2-3 cashiers…all for the whole university. If these numbers are increased, then maybe, just maybe, we could see fewer lines or queues during the enrolment process in the university.

3.) FASTER ADVISING

I ‘m not a teacher, but I think I should comment on this. There are times that advising takes up a very large amount of time on the enrolment process. That’s what I experienced last enrolment. I think that our adviser was not only our adviser, but the adviser of many sections as well. I was in line for almost a half day and yet, I did not get to be advised because I was still in line and the time was 5pm. I was so pissed off, but I couldn’t do anything because that was the rules. I had to come back the next day.

4.) PUNCTUALITY AND TARDINESS OF THE STAFF AND FACULTY

Sometimes, those people who need to be early are those people who come late in school, or sometimes are not in school, and eventually, are the ones to blame if the enrolment of on student takes too long. I myself have experienced this, because there was a time that our adviser promised to come early in the morning, but came to school about an hour before lunch. My whole morning was wasted, and I really expected to be advised in the morning and quicken my enrolment because I wasn’t finished with my duties for my on the job training. Because many hours were lost with my enrolment, additional hours were added for my practicum.

5.) SECURITY OF DOCUMENTS INSIDE THE CAMPUS

As based on experience, I did not experience this. My clearance, which is a vital element before enrolment, got lost during the time of signing. I asked all the possible offices that my clearance might have been left or misplaced, but they all said that there was no clearance with a “Roy Laurentino D. Cuevas” on it. Sorry for me. But I couldn’t put all the blame on them, because there is a possibility that we students are the ones to be blamed on lost documents and the like, because we are the ones that handle our papers. But on my part, there was a witness that my clearance was still in our folder, and after it was given back to us, mine was gone, and the other clearances were still there. To save time, I just did the signing process all over again. And to note, my library card got lost with my clearance, so I’ll have to do the necessary stuff to get a new library card.

6.) PUNCTUALITY OF GRADE SUBMISSION

There are times that all we are waiting for are the grades to be given to us by our professors. But the problem is, there are times that those professors who are to give us grades are always not around and are hard to find, and if they are there, they just say that they haven’t computed the grades. Grades are important because they are needed for advising the students. The adviser can’t just advise the student if there are blank fields on his or her passbook, because the adviser bases on the passbook on what to advise the student.

7.) MISINFORMATION

The right information is essential, especially for the newcomers. It would add up to the delay if they didn’t know where to start or what the next step is. That would be the help of the different pictures and signs posted all around the campus about the enrolment. Problem is, sometimes they are not strategically placed, so the enrollees sometimes miss them. And the signs say what office to go to, but if you’re a newcomer, surely you don’t know where that is, right?

8.) ENROLMENT DURATION

Beforehand, there are signs on billboards that tell us when our enrolment is and how many days it should take for a specific year level. I think they should lengthen up this duration, because they always extend their enrolment. Why not just allocate a lot more time for enrolment, right? They just give the enrollee the fear of being a late enrollee, and having to pay for being one.

9.) SERVICE WITH A SMILE

I don’t know about you, but I think there’s a 1 in a 100 chance that the officer you are facing doesn’t smile. Right? I don’t know if this could speed up the process, but I would really like it if the staff would just smile while doing their work. If they say that they don’t smile because of their work, then why work there in the first place. And they’re the ones who are in a more conducive environment, with the aircon in their rooms and all, while we students stand in line for hours. I think if they liven up their service, then they can transact their work better…and maybe faster.

I think that’s all I can say for the matter. Speeding up the enrolment process is very important, because some students have to go back to their respective “bukids” after they are enrolled. And like for me last semester, where I had to go back to my on the job training. Time is a very essential element in all things, and the enrolment is not an exception. We should be mindful of it, and use it wisely.

Chapter 1 Report Summary

2010-07-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

The first group to report Module 1 was composed of my classmates Michael George Guanzon, John Cesar Manlangit, Jerusalem Alvaira, and Edsa Fe Esio (for the application part of the report) and Karen Palero, Athina Alorro, Emilio Jopia, Jr., Felix Sumalinog and Franz Cie Suico (for the theory part of the report). Their topic was entitled “Moving to Design”.

The first slide of their slide presentation talked about Analysis versus Design. The objectives of the activities of analysis were to understand: business events and processes, system activities and processing requirements, and information storage requirements. The Design activities’ objective was to define, organize, and structure the components of the final solution system that will serve as the blueprint for construction.

As for me, both are very important for the development of a system. Each has its own tasks that the system needs for it to be fully functional. We have to first analyze the environment, platform, the specifications of the computers, the processes and many more, right? And we also have to make an interface for the user to interact on and to detail to the user of what the workflow of the system is. So both must not be taken for granted, because both of them, Analysis and Design, play a major role in systems development.

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Elements of Design

Design is process of describing, organizing, and structuring system components at architectural design level and detailed design level

· Focused on preparing for construction

· Like developing blueprints

Three questions

· What components require systems design?

· What are inputs to and outputs of design process?

· How is systems design done?

These questions were later answered by them on their following slides.

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Components Requiring Systems Design

n User interface design defines the forms, reports, and controls of inputs and outputs.

-It is important to have a very appealing user interface design, because most of the time, the user’s reason of using the system would be that the interface of the system looks good and is easy to use. But having a good and sleek design must not compromise the functionality of the system. If you have a good interface design, then you have to pair it up with also good functionality, so the system shall be used more. I also found some primary information on the topic user interface design from the Internet.

“User interface design or user interface engineering is the design of computers, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications, and websites with the focus on the user's experience and interaction. The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient as possible, in terms of accomplishing user goals—what is often called user-centered design. Good user interface design facilitates finishing the task at hand without drawing unnecessary attention to itself. Graphic design may be utilized to support its usability. The design process must balance technical functionality and visual elements (e.g., mental model) to create a system that is not only operational but also usable and adaptable to changing user needs.

Interface design is involved in a wide range of projects from computer systems, to cars, to commercial planes; all of these projects involve much of the same basic human interactions yet also require some unique skills and knowledge. As a result, designers tend to specialize in certain types of projects and have skills centered around their expertise, whether that be software design, user research, web design, or industrial design.

There are several phases and processes in the user interface design, some of which are more demanded upon than others, depending on the project. (Note: for the remainder of this section, the word system is used to denote any project whether it is a web site, application, or device.)

* Functionality requirements gathering – assembling a list of the functionality required by the system to accomplish the goals of the project and the potential needs of the users.

* User analysis – analysis of the potential users of the system either through discussion with people who work with the users and/or the potential users themselves. Typical questions involve:

o What would the user want the system to do?

o How would the system fit in with the user's normal workflow or daily activities?

o How technically savvy is the user and what similar systems does the user already use?

o What interface look & feel styles appeal to the user?

* Information architecture – development of the process and/or information flow of the system (i.e. for phone tree systems, this would be an option tree flowchart and for web sites this would be a site flow that shows the hierarchy of the pages).

* Prototyping – development of wireframes, either in the form of paper prototypes or simple interactive screens. These prototypes are stripped of all look & feel elements and most content in order to concentrate on the interface.

* Usability testing – testing of the prototypes on an actual user—often using a technique called think aloud protocol where you ask the user to talk about their thoughts during the experience.

* Graphic Interface design – actual look & feel design of the final graphical user interface (GUI). It may be based on the findings developed during the usability testing if usability is unpredictable, or based on communication objectives and styles that would appeal to the user. In rare cases, the graphics may drive the prototyping, depending on the importance of visual form versus function. If the interface requires multiple skins, there may be multiple interface designs for one control panel, functional feature or widget. This phase is often a collaborative effort between a graphic designer and a user interface designer, or handled by one who is proficient in both disciplines.

User interface design requires a good understanding of user needs.”

n Network design specifies the hardware and middleware to link the system together

-Networking is also considered important for systems analysis and design. Developers and makers of the system have to consider every aspect of the development and the implementation of their system, as this can affect the performance of their system. They have to consider what kind of networking scheme they are going to implement in deploying the system. Networking topologies also come into play here, because sometimes, the proposed system may be deployed just through intranet, and with the right topology and the right network infrastructure, the system may run smoothly through the network.

n Application design describes the computer programs and modules

-The application design is important because it is important to know what computer programs and how the interfaces interact with each other work. There might be times that a specific computer module does not work with a specific module because of some error with the coding or whatsoever. That could be very crucial to the whole system, because each function in the system must work according to its function and there has to be no place for errors so the client is satisfied. Therefore, another task to think about is the application design of the system.

n System interface design describes the communications going to other systems

n Database design specifies the structure of the underlying database.

“Database design is the process of producing a detailed data model of a database. This logical data model contains all the needed logical and physical design choices and physical storage parameters needed to generate a design in a Data Definition Language, which can then be used to create a database. A fully attributed data model contains detailed attributes for each entity.

The term database design can be used to describe many different parts of the design of an overall database system. Principally, and most correctly, it can be thought of as the logical design of the base data structures used to store the data. In the relational model these are the tables and views. In an object database the entities and relationships map directly to object classes and named relationships. However, the term database design could also be used to apply to the overall process of designing, not just the base data structures, but also the forms and queries used as part of the overall database application within the database management system (DBMS).

The process of doing database design generally consists of a number of steps which will be carried out by the database designer. Usually, the designer must:

* Determine the relationships between the different data elements.

* Superimpose a logical structure upon the data on the basis of these relationships.

ER Diagram (Entity-relationship model)

Database design also include ER (Entity-relationship model) diagram. ER diagram is diagram help to design database in effective and efficient way.

Attributes in ER diagrams are usually modeled as an oval with the name of the attribute, linked to the entity or relationship that contains the attribute.

Within the relational model the final step can generally be broken down into two further steps, that of determining the grouping of information within the system, generally determining what are the basic objects about which information is being stored, and then determining the relationships between these groups of information, or objects. This step is not necessary with an Object database.

The Design Process

The design process consists of the following steps:

1. Determine the purpose of your database - This helps prepare you for the remaining steps.

2. Find and organize the information required - Gather all of the types of information you might want to record in the database, such as product name and order number.

3. Divide the information into tables - Divide your information items into major entities or subjects, such as Products or Orders. Each subject then becomes a table.

4. Turn information items into columns - Decide what information you want to store in each table. Each item becomes a field, and is displayed as a column in the table. For example, an Employees table might include fields such as Last Name and Hire Date.

5. Specify primary keys - Choose each table’s primary key. The primary key is a column that is used to uniquely identify each row. An example might be Product ID or Order ID.

6. Set up the table relationships - Look at each table and decide how the data in one table is related to the data in other tables. Add fields to tables or create new tables to clarify the relationships, as necessary.

7. Refine your design - Analyze your design for errors. Create the tables and add a few records of sample data. See if you can get the results you want from your tables. Make adjustments to the design, as needed.

8. Apply the normalization rules - Apply the data normalization rules to see if your tables are structured correctly. Make adjustments to the tables, as needed.

Determining data to be stored

In a majority of cases, a person who is doing the design of a database is a person with expertise in the area of database design, rather than expertise in the domain from which the data to be stored is drawn e.g. financial information, biological information etc. Therefore the data to be stored in the database must be determined in cooperation with a person who does have expertise in that domain, and who is aware of what data must be stored within the system.

This process is one which is generally considered part of requirements analysis, and requires skill on the part of the database designer to elicit the needed information from those with the domain knowledge. This is because those with the necessary domain knowledge frequently cannot express clearly what their system requirements for the database are as they are unaccustomed to thinking in terms of the discrete data elements which must be stored. Data to be stored can be determined by Requirement Specification.

Normalization

The process of applying the rules to your database design is called normalizing the database, or just normalization. Normalization is most useful after you have represented all of the information items and have arrived at a preliminary design. The idea is to help you ensure that you have divided your information items into the appropriate tables. What normalization cannot do is ensure that you have all the correct data items to begin with. You apply the rules in succession, at each step ensuring that your design arrives at one of what is known as the "normal forms." Five normal forms are widely accepted — the first normal form through the fifth normal form. This article expands on the first three, because they are all that is required for the majority of database designs.

First normal form

First normal form states that at every row and column intersection in the table there exists a single value, and never a list of values. For example, you cannot have a field named Price in which you place more than one Price. If you think of each intersection of rows and columns as a cell, each cell can hold only one value.

Second normal form

Second normal form requires that each non-key column be fully dependent on the entire primary key, not on just part of the key. This rule applies when you have a primary key that consists of more than one column. For example, suppose you have a table containing the following columns, where Order ID and Product ID form the primary key:

Order ID (primary key)

Product ID (primary key)

Product Name

This design violates second normal form, because Product Name is dependent on Product ID, but not on Order ID, so it is not dependent on the entire primary key. You must remove Product Name from the table. It belongs in a different table (Products).

Third normal form

Third normal form requires that not only every non-key column be dependent on the entire primary key, but that non-key columns be independent of each other. Another way of saying this is that each non-key column must be dependent on the primary key and nothing but the primary key. For example, suppose you have a table containing the following columns:

ProductID (primary key)

Name

SRP

Discount

Assume that Discount depends on the suggested retail price (SRP). This table violates third normal form because a non-key column, Discount, depends on another non-key column, SRP. Column independence means that you should be able to change any non-key column without affecting any other column. If you change a value in the SRP field, the Discount would change accordingly, thus violating that rule. In this case Discount should be moved to another table that is keyed on SRP.

Types of Database design:

Conceptual schema

Once a database designer is aware of the data which is to be stored within the database, they must then determine where dependancy is within the data. Sometimes when data is changed you can be changing other data that is not visible. For example, in a list of names and addresses, assuming a situation where multiple people can have the same address, but one person cannot have more than one address, the name is dependent upon the address, because if the address is different, then the associated name is different too. However, the other way around is different. One attribute can change and not another.

(NOTE: A common misconception is that the relational model is so called because of the stating of relationships between data elements therein. This is not true. The relational model is so named because it is based upon the mathematical structures known as relations.)

Logically structuring data

Once the relationships and dependencies amongst the various pieces of information have been determined, it is possible to arrange the data into a logical structure which can then be mapped into the storage objects supported by the database management system. In the case of relational databases the storage objects are tables which store data in rows and columns.

Each table may represent an implementation of either a logical object or a relationship joining one or more instances of one or more logical objects. Relationships between tables may then be stored as links connecting child tables with parents. Since complex logical relationships are themselves tables they will probably have links to more than one parent.

In an Object database the storage objects correspond directly to the objects used by the Object-oriented programming language used to write the applications that will manage and access the data. The relationships may be defined as attributes of the object classes involved or as methods that operate on the object classes.

Physical database design

The physical design of the database specifies the physical configuration of the database on the storage media. This includes detailed specification of data elements, data types, indexing options and other parameters residing in the DBMS data dictionary. It is the detailed design of a system that includes modules & the database's hardware & software specifications of the system.

”

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Inputs for System Design

n Design

n Converts functional models from analysis into models that represent the solution

n Focused on technical issues

n Requires less user involvement than analysis

n Design may use structured or OO approaches

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DESIGN PHASE ACTIVITIES

Design Phase

n How a system will work using a particular technology.

n Each of the activities develops a specific portion of the final set of design documents.

n Various systems design documents also must be consistent and integrated to provide a comprehensive set of specifications for the complete

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Design Phase Activity

Design and integrate the network

n Have we specified in detail how the various parts of the system will communicate with each other throughout the organization?

Design the application architecture

n Have we specified in detail how each system activity is actually carried out by the people and computers?

Design the user interface(s)

n Have we specified in detail how all users will interact with the system?

Design the system interface(s)

n Have we specified in detail how the system will work with all the other systems inside and outside the organization?

Design and integrate the database

n Have we specified in detail how and where the system will store all of the information needed by the organization?

Prototype for design details

n Have we created prototypes to ensure all detailed design decisions have been fully understood?

Design and integrate the system controls

n Have we specified in detail how we can e sure that the system operates correctly and the data maintained by the system are the safe and secure?

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Design and Integrate the Network

n Network Specialists have established the network based on an overall strategic plan.

n Designers choose an alternative that fits the existing network.

n Important technical issues:

¨ Reliability

¨ Security

¨ Throughput

¨ Sychronization

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Design the Application Architecture

n How all system activities will actually be carried out.

n Define the automation boundary (separates the manual work done by people from the automated work done by computers)

n Varies depending on the development and deployment environments.

n Some activities are carried out by people, so manual procedures need to be designed.

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Design the User Interface(s)

n How the user will interact with the system

n Something to be considered throughout the development process

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Design the System Interfaces

n A new information system will affect many other information systems.

n The component that enables systems to share information; each needs to be designed in detail.

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Design and Integrate the Database

n The data model is used to create the physical model of the database

n Database Performance (e.g.,response time)

n New databases are properly integrated with exiting databases.

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Prototype for Design Details

n Continue creating and evaluating prototypes

n Used to confirm design choices about user interfaces, the database, network architecture, and controls.

n To understand variety of design decisions.

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Design and Integrate the System Controls

n Ensuring that the system has the adequate safeguards (system controls) to protect organizational assets.

n User Interface: Limit access to the system to authorized users.

n System Interface: Ensure that other systems cause no harm to this system.

n Application: Ensure that transactions recorded and other work done by the system are done correctly.

n Database: Ensure that data are protected from unauthorized access and from accidental loss due to software or hardware failure.

n Network: Ensure that communication through networks are protected.

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To sum it up, here is a summary for the design phase of an IT Project.

“The purpose of the design phase of an IT project life cycle is to plan out a system that meets the requirements defined in the analysis phase. In the design phase, the project team defines the means of implementing the project solution—how the product will be created. To do this, the project team uses the inputs and tools to conduct the key activities, create the outputs, and meet the milestones for this phase.

The purpose of the design phase is to provide the project team with a means for assessing the quality of the solution before it has been implemented, when changes are still easy to make and are less costly. This phase includes the following elements.

* The inputs required for this phase are the corporate standards, business process prototype, and requirements analysis.

* Only standardized tools found in all offices, such as word processing software, spreadsheets, and presentation software, are used in the design phase.

* The key activities for the design phase are to review the end user interface design, create the technical design, and perform the quality verification and validation.

* The single output for the design phase is the design document.

* The milestones for the design phase are the architecture assessment deliverable, design sign-off, and lifecycle assessment complete deliverable.

During the design phase, the project manager enlists the help of the designer, the technical architect, and a representative of the end users. The key activities that must be conducted during the design phase are listed below.

1. Review the end user interface design.

Before the project manager can conduct the first key activity, the designer uses the project's storyboards to create the end user interface in terms of appearance, layout, and interaction techniques as seen by the end users.

The PM evaluates the design to ensure that it meets the users' needs and the corporate standards. The PM then meets with the designer and explains what's wrong and what's missing from the proposed design. If the PM is not satisfied with the design, the designer applies the necessary corrections, and the PM reviews it again.

When a PM looks at a design, he or she compares it to the inputs listed below. This evaluation is important because the developer will not be able to properly test the completed product during the testing phase if the design doesn't meet these requirements. If testing can't be conducted properly, the product can't move into the rollout phase.

* User needs. Does the design include each of the user requirements? Are each of the user requirements correctly incorporated into the design?

* Corporate standards. Does the design include all the standards that specify products or technologies that the development team will use? Are the standards properly implemented in the design?

2. Create the technical design.

Although PMs do not conduct the last two key activities of the design phase, it is important that they understand each activity. The designer and technical architect conduct the technical design activity to decide how they will implement the project design. By using the requirements specifications input as a guide, they create a document that includes the sections listed below. The technical design is then given to the PM to serve as the blueprintfor the project.

Framework. The framework is a design that can be reused on a software development project. For example, the text entry field used on a user interface framework can be reused in a database design.

* Coding standards. Programmers have to follow these rules to ensure consistency in the programming code since usually more than one programmer will work on a project. A sample coding standard might read, "Do not use capital letters for file names when coding."

* Task breakdown. Development is divided into tasks created separately and then integrated into a final product. Task breakdown makes it easier for a PM to assign work during the construction phase.For example, three tasks might be the user interface, the database, and the help feature.

* Project timeline. A timeline for completion is estimated for each task required to complete the project. For example, it will take four days to create the user interface, three days for the database, and two and a half days for the help feature, for a total of nine and a half days.

3. Perform the quality verification and validation.

As in the technical design activity, the project manager does not actually have a part in conducting the final key activity of the design phase, except to receive a sign-off form. During quality verification and validation, end users and technical personnel verify and validate that the proposed design meets the user and qualityrequirements.

Upon completion of the review, an approval form is given to the project manager, indicating approval of the completed system design. This sign-off then becomes one of the milestonesfor the design phase.

Remember, it's easier and less costly to make changes in the design phase, before you implement the actual solution for the project. Take your time and design it right!”

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APPLICATION ARCHITECTURE

Client/Server Architecture

n Client-Server divides programs into two types

n Server – manages information system resources or provides well defined services for client

n Client – communicates with server to request resources or services

n Advantage – Deployment flexibility

¨ Location, scalability, maintainability

n Disadvantage – Potential performance, security, and reliability issues from network communication

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Three-Layer Client/Server Architecture

The data layer is a layer on a client-server configuration that manages stored data implemented as one or more databases

“A Data Access Layer (DAL) is a layer of a computer program which provides simplified access to data stored in persistent storage of some kind, such as an entity-relational database.

For example, the DAL might return a reference to an object (in terms of object-oriented programming) complete with its attributes instead of a row of fields from a database table. This allows the client (or user) modules to be created with a higher level of abstraction. This kind of model could be implemented by creating a class of data access methods that directly reference a corresponding set of database stored procedures. Another implementation could potentially retrieve or write records to or from a file system. The DAL hides this complexity of the underlying data store from the external world.

For example, instead of using commands such as insert, delete, and update to access a specific table in a database, a class and a few stored procedures could be created in the database. The procedures would be called from a method inside the class, which would return an object containing the requested values. Or, the insert, delete and update commands could be executed within simple functions like registeruser or loginuser stored within the data access layer.

Also, business logic methods from an application can be mapped to the Data Access Layer. So, for example, instead of making a query into a database to fetch all users from several tables the application can call a single method from a DAL which abstracts those database calls.

Applications using a data access layer can be either database server dependent or independent. If the data access layer supports multiple database types, the application becomes able to use whatever databases the DAL can talk to. In either circumstance, having a data access layer provides a centralized location for all calls into the database, and thus makes it easier to port the application to other database systems (assuming that 100% of the database interaction is done in the DAL for a given application).

Object-Relational Mapping tools provide data layers in this fashion, following the active record model. The ORM/active-record model is popular with web frameworks, but it has not been proven to be better than a straightforward approach of implementing a collection of domain-specific data access functions.”

The business logic layer contains the programs that implement the rules and procedures of business processing (or program logic of the application)

-“ A business logic layer (BLL), also known as the domain layer, is a software engineering practice of compartmentalizing. The business logic layer is usually one of the tiers in a multitier architecture. It separates the business logic from other modules, such as the data access layer and user interface. By doing this, the business logic of an application can often withstand modifications or replacements of other tiers. For example, in an application with a properly separated business logic layer and data access layer, the data access layer could be rewritten to retrieve data from a different database, without affecting any of the business logic. This practice allows software application development to be more effectively split into teams, with each team working on a different tier simultaneously.

Within a BLL objects can further be partitioned into business processes (business activities) and business entities. Business process objects typically implement the controller pattern, i.e. they contain no data elements but have methods that orchestrate interaction among business entities. Business entities typically correspond to entities in the logical domain model, rather than the physical database model. Domain entities are a super-set of data layer entities or data transfer objects, and may aggregate zero or more DLEs/DTOs.”

The view layer contains the user interface and other components to access the system (accepts user input, and formats and displays processing results)

In software engineering, multi-tier architecture (often referred to as n-tier architecture) is a client–server architecture in which the presentation, the application processing, and the data management are logically separate processes. For example, an application that uses middleware to service data requests between a user and a database employs multi-tier architecture. The most widespread use of multi-tier architecture is the three-tier architecture.

N-tier application architecture provides a model for developers to create a flexible and reusable application. By breaking up an application into tiers, developers only have to modify or add a specific layer, rather than have to rewrite the entire application over. There should be a presentation tier, a business or data access tier, and a data tier.

The concepts of layer and tier are often used interchangeably. However, one fairly common point of view is that there is indeed a difference, and that a layer is a logical structuring mechanism for the elements that make up the software solution, while a tier is a physical structuring mechanism for the system infrastructure.

Three-tier[2] is a client–server architecture in which the user interface, functional process logic ("business rules"), computer data storage and data access are developed and maintained as independent modules, most often on separate platforms. It was developed by John J. Donovan in Open Environment Corporation (OEC), a tools company he founded in Cambridge, MA.

The three-tier model is a software architecture and a software design pattern.

Apart from the usual advantages of modular software with well-defined interfaces, the three-tier architecture is intended to allow any of the three tiers to be upgraded or replaced independently as requirements or technology change. For example, a change of operating system in the presentation tier would only affect the user interface code.

Typically, the user interface runs on a desktop PC or workstation and uses a standard graphical user interface, functional process logic may consist of one or more separate modules running on a workstation or application server, and an RDBMS on a database server or mainframe contains the computer data storage logic. The middle tier may be multi-tiered itself (in which case the overall architecture is called an "n-tier architecture").

Three-tier architecture has the following three tiers:

Presentation tier

This is the topmost level of the application. The presentation tier displays information related to such services as browsing merchandise, purchasing, and shopping cart contents. It communicates with other tiers by outputting results to the browser/client tier and all other tiers in the network.

Application tier (business logic, logic tier, data access tier, or middle tier)

The logic tier is pulled out from the presentation tier and, as its own layer, it controls an application’s functionality by performing detailed processing.

Data tier

This tier consists of database servers. Here information is stored and retrieved. This tier keeps data neutral and independent from application servers or business logic. Giving data its own tier also improves scalability and performance.

Comparison with the MVC architecture

At first glance, the three tiers may seem similar to the model-view-controller (MVC) concept; however, topologically they are different. A fundamental rule in a three-tier architecture is the client tier never communicates directly with the data tier; in a three-tier model all communication must pass through the middleware tier. Conceptually the three-tier architecture is linear. However, the MVC architecture is triangular: the view sends updates to the controller, the controller updates the model, and the view gets updated directly from the model.

From a historical perspective the three-tier architecture concept emerged in the 1990s from observations of distributed systems (e.g., web applications) where the client, middleware and data tiers ran on physically separate platforms. Whereas MVC comes from the previous decade (by work at Xerox PARC in the late 1970s and early 1980s) and is based on observations of applications that ran on a single graphical workstation; MVC was applied to distributed applications much later in its history (see Model 2).

Web development usage

In the web development field, three-tier is often used to refer to websites, commonly electronic commerce websites, which are built using three tiers:

1. A front-end web server serving static content, and potentially some are cached dynamic content. In web based application, Front End is the content rendered by the browser. The content may be static or generated dynamically.

2. A middle dynamic content processing and generation level application server, for example Java EE, ASP.NET, PHP platform.

3. A back-end database, comprising both data sets and the database management system or RDBMS software that manages and provides access to the data.

Other considerations

Data transfer between tiers is part of the architecture. Protocols involved may include one or more of SNMP, CORBA, Java RMI, .NET Remoting, Windows Communication Foundation, sockets, UDP, web services or other standard or proprietary protocols. Often Middleware is used to connect the separate tiers. Separate tiers often (but not necessarily) run on separate physical servers, and each tier may itself run on a cluster.

Traceability

The end-To-end traceability of n-tier systems is a challenging task which becomes more important when systems increase in complexity. The Application Response Measurement defines concepts and APIs for measuring performance and correlating transactions between tiers.

(The Three Layer Architecture image)

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Web Services Architecture

• A client/server architecture

• Packages software functionality into server processes (“services”)‏

• Makes services available to applications via Web protocols

• Web services are available to internal and external applications

Developers can assemble an application using existing Web services

“Client–server model of computing is a distributed application structure that partitions tasks or workloads between service providers, called servers, and service requesters, called clients. Often clients and servers communicate over a computer network on separate hardware, but both client and server may reside in the same system. A server machine is a host that is running one or more server programs which share its resources with clients. A client does not share any of its resources, but requests a server's content or service function. Clients therefore initiate communication sessions with servers which await (listen for) incoming requests.

The client–server characteristic describes the relationship of cooperating programs in an application. The server component provides a function or service to one or many clients, which initiate requests for such services.

Functions such as email exchange, web access and database access, are built on the client–server model. For example, a web browser is a client program running on a user's computer that may access information stored on a web server on the Internet. Users accessing banking services from their computer use a web browser client to send a request to a web server at a bank. That program may in turn forward the request to its own database client program that sends a request to a database server at another bank computer to retrieve the account information. The balance is returned to the bank database client, which in turn serves it back to the web browser client displaying the results to the user.

The client–server model has become one of the central ideas of network computing. Many business applications being written today use the client–server model. So do the Internet's main application protocols, such as HTTP, SMTP, Telnet, and DNS. In marketing, the term has been used to distinguish distributed computing by smaller dispersed computers from the "monolithic" centralized computing of mainframe computers. But this distinction has largely disappeared as mainframes and their applications have also turned to the client–server model and become part of network computing.

Each instance of the client software can send data requests to one or more connected servers. In turn, the servers can accept these requests, process them, and return the requested information to the client. Although this concept can be applied for a variety of reasons to many different kinds of applications, the architecture remains fundamentally the same.

The most basic type of client–server architecture employs only two types of hosts: clients and servers. This type of architecture is sometimes referred to as two-tier. It allows devices to share files and resources. The two tier architecture means that the client acts as one tier and application in combination with server acts as another tier. The Internet increasingly uses a three-tier architecture. In this the server side consists of an Application Server (such as Web Server)and a Database Server (such as a SQL Server). Thus the three tiers become - Client, Application Server and Database. All three tiers are relatively independent; for example you can switch to a different Web Server while maintaining the integrity of the model.

The interaction between client and server is often described using sequence diagrams. Sequence diagrams are standardized in the Unified Modeling Language.

Specific types of clients include web browsers, email clients, and online chat clients.

Specific types of servers include web servers, ftp servers, application servers, database servers, name servers, mail servers, file servers, print servers, and terminal servers. Most web services are also types of servers.

Advantages

* In most cases, a client–server architecture enables the roles and responsibilities of a computing system to be distributed among several independent computers that are known to each other only through a network. This creates an additional advantage to this architecture: greater ease of maintenance. For example, it is possible to replace, repair, upgrade, or even relocate a server while its clients remain both unaware and unaffected by that change.

* All data is stored on the servers, which generally have far greater security controls than most clients.[citation needed] Servers can better control access and resources, to guarantee that only those clients with the appropriate permissions may access and change data.

* Since data storage is centralized, updates to that data are far easier to administer in comparison to a P2P paradigm. In the latter, data updates may need to be distributed and applied to each peer in the network, which is both time-consuming and error-prone, as there can be thousands or even millions of peers.

* Many mature client–server technologies are already available which were designed to ensure security, friendliness of the user interface, and ease of use.

* It functions with multiple different clients of different capabilities.

Disadvantages

* As the number of simultaneous client requests to a given server increases, the server can become overloaded. Contrast that to a P2P network, where its aggregated bandwidth actually increases as nodes are added, since the P2P network's overall bandwidth can be roughly computed as the sum of the bandwidths of every node in that network.

* The client–server paradigm lacks the robustness of a good P2P network. Under client–server, should a critical server fail, clients’ requests cannot be fulfilled. In P2P networks, resources are usually distributed among many nodes. Even if one or more nodes depart and abandon a downloading file, for example, the remaining nodes should still have the data needed to complete the download.

”

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Internet and Web-Based Application Architecture

n Web is complex example of client/server architecture

n Can use Web protocols and browsers as application interfaces

n Benefits

Accessibility

Low-cost communication

Widely implemented standards

“World Wide Web Protocols

Technically the World-Wide Web hinges on three enabling protocols, the HyperText Markup Language (HTML) that specifies a simple markup language for describing hypertext pages, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) which is used by web browsers to communicate with web clients, and Uniform Resource Locators (URL's) which are used to specify the links between documents.

HyperText Markup Language

The hypertext pages on the web are all written using the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), a simple language consisting of a small number of tags to delineate logical constructs within the text. Unlike a procedural language such as postscript (move 1 inch to the right, 2 inches down, and create a green WWW in 15 pointer bold helvetica font), HTML deals with higher level constructs such as "headings," "lists," "images," etc. This leaves individual browsers free to format text in the most appropriate way for their particular environment; for example, the same document can be viewed on a MAC, on a PC, or on a linemode terminal, and while the content of the document remains the same, the precise way in which it is displayed will vary between the different environments.

The earliest version of HTML (subsequently labeled HTML1), was deliberately kept very simple to make the task of browser developers easier. Subsequent versions of HTML will allow more advanced features. HTML2 (approximately what most browsers support today) includes the ability to embed images in documents, layout fill-in forms, and nest lists to arbitrary depths. HTML3 (currently being defined) will allow still more advanced features such as mathematical equations, tables, and figures with captions and flow-around text.

Hypertext Transfer Protocol

Although most Web browsers are able to communicate using a variety of protocols, such as FTP, Gopher and WAIS, the most common protocol in use on the Web is that designed specifically for the WWW project, the HyperText Transfer Protocol. In order to give the fast response time needed for hypertext applications, a very simple protocol which uses a single round trip between the client and the server is used.

In the first phase of a HTTP transfer the browser sends a request for a document to the server. Included in this request is the description of the document being requested, as well as a list of document types that the browser is capable of handling. The Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standard is used to specify the document types that the browser can handle, typically a variety of video, audio, and image formats in addition to plain text and HTML. The browser is able to specify weights for each document type, in order to inform the server about the relative desirability of different document types.

In response to a query the server returns the document to the browser using one of the formats acceptable to the browser. If necessary the server can translate the document from the format it is stored in into a format acceptable to the browser. For example the server might have an image stored in the highly compressed JPEG image format, and if a browser capable of displaying JPEG images requests the image it would be returned in this format. However if a browser capable of displaying images only if they are in GIF format requested the same document the server would be able to translate the image and return the (larger) GIF image. This provides a way of introducing more sophisticated document formats in future but still enabling older or less advanced browser to access the same information.

In addition to the basic "GET" transaction described above the HTTP is also able to support a number of other transaction types, such as "POST" for sending the data for fill-out forms back to the server and "PUT" which might be used in the future to allow authors to save modified versions of documents back to the server.

Uniform Resource Locators

The final key to the World-Wide Web is the URL's which allow the hypertext documents to point to other documents located anywhere on the web. A URL consists of 3 major components:

:///

The first component specifies the protocol to be used to access the document, for example, HTTP, FTP, or Gopher, etc. The second component specifies the node on the network from which the document is to be obtained, and the third component specifies the location of the document on the remote machine. The third component of the URL is passed without modification by the browser to the server, and the interpretation of this component is performed by the server, so while a documents location is often specified as a Unix-like file specification, there is no requirement that this is how it is actually interpreted by the server.”

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Network Design

Key design issues are as follows:

n Integrate network needs of new system with existing network infrastructure

n Describe processing activity and network connectivity at each system location

n Describe communications protocols and middleware that connects layers

n Ensure that network capacity is sufficient

¨ Data size per access type and average

¨ Peak number of access per minute or hour

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Network Integration

Modern Organizations rely on networks to support many different applications. Thus, the majority of new system must be integrated into existing networks without disrupting existing applications. Network design and management are highly technical tasks, and most organizations have permanent in-house staff, contractors, or consultants to handle network administration.

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Network Description

Location-related information gathered during analysis may have been documented using location diagrams, activity location matrices, and activity-data matrices. During network design, the analyst expands the information content of these documents to include processing locations, communication protocols, middleware, and communication capacity.

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Communication Protocols and Middleware

The network diagram is also a starting point for specifying protocol and middleware requirements. For example, the private WAN connections must support protocols required to process Microsoft Active Directory logins and queries. If the WAN fails, messages are routed through encrypted (VPN) connections over the Internet, so those connections must support the same protocols as the private WAN.

“Middleware is computer software that connects software components or applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact. This technology evolved to provide for interoperability in support of the move to coherent distributed architectures, which are most often used to support and simplify complex distributed applications. It includes web servers, application servers, and similar tools that support application development and delivery. Middleware is especially integral to modern information technology based on XML, SOAP, Web services, and service-oriented architecture.

Middleware sits "in the middle" between application software that may be working on different operating systems. It is similar to the middle layer of a three-tier single system architecture, except that it is stretched across multiple systems or applications. Examples include EAI software, telecommunications software, transaction monitors, and messaging-and-queueing software.

The distinction between operating system and middleware functionality is, to some extent, arbitrary. While core kernel functionality can only be provided by the operating system itself, some functionality previously provided by separately sold middleware is now integrated in operating systems. A typical example is the TCP/IP stack for telecommunications, nowadays included in virtually every operating system.

In simulation technology, middleware is generally used in the context of the high level architecture (HLA) that applies to many distributed simulations. It is a layer of software that lies between the application code and the run-time infrastructure. Middleware generally consists of a library of functions, and enables a number of applications – simulations or federates in HLA terminology – to page these functions from the common library rather than re-create them for each application.

Software that provides a link between separate software applications. Middleware is sometimes called plumbing because it connects two applications and passes data between them. Middleware allows data contained in one database to be accessed through another. This definition would fit enterprise application integration and data integration software.

ObjectWeb defines middleware as: "The software layer that lies between the operating system and applications on each side of a distributed computing system in a network."Middleware is a computer software that connects software components or applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact. This technology evolved to provide for interoperability in support of the move to coherent distributed architectures, which are most often used to support and simplify complex, distributed applications. It includes web servers, application servers, and similar tools that support application development and delivery. Middleware is especially integral to modern information technology based on XML, SOAP, Web services, and service-oriented architecture.

Middleware is a relatively new addition to the computing landscape. It gained popularity in the 1980s as a solution to the problem of how to link newer applications to older legacy systems, although the term had been in use since 1968.[2] It also facilitated distributed processing, the connection of multiple applications to create a larger application, usually over a network.

IBM, Red Hat, and Oracle Corporation are major vendors providing middleware software. Vendors such as Axway, SAP, TIBCO, Informatica, Pervasive and webMethods were specifically founded to provide Web-oriented middleware tools. Groups such as the Apache Software Foundation, OpenSAF and the ObjectWeb Consortium encourage the development of open source middleware. Microsoft .NET “Framework” architecture is essentially “Middleware” with typical middleware functions distributed between the various products, with most inter-computer interaction by industry standards, open APIs or RAND software licence.

Middleware services provide a more functional set of application programming interfaces to allow an application to:

* Locate transparently across the network, thus providing interaction with another service or application

* Filter data to make them friendly usable or public via anonymization process for privacy protection (for example)

* Be independent from network services

* Be reliable and always available

* Add complementary attributes like semantics

when compared to the operating system and network services.

Middleware offers some unique technological advantages for business and industry. For example, traditional database systems are usually deployed in closed environments where users access the system only via a restricted network or intranet (e.g., an enterprise’s internal network). With the phenomenal growth of the World Wide Web, users can access virtually any database for which they have proper access rights from anywhere in the world. Middleware addresses the problem of varying levels of interoperability among different database structures. Middleware facilitates transparent access to legacy database management systems (DBMSs) or applications via a web server without regard to database-specific characteristics [3].

Businesses frequently use middleware applications to link information from departmental databases, such as payroll, sales, and accounting, or databases housed in multiple geographic locations [4]. In the highly competitive healthcare community, laboratories make extensive use of middleware applications for data mining, laboratory information system (LIS) backup, and to combine systems during hospital mergers. Middleware helps bridge the gap between separate LISs in a newly formed healthcare network following a hospital buyout .

Wireless networking developers can use middleware to meet the challenges associated with wireless sensor network (WSN), or WSN technologies. Implementing a middleware application allows WSN developers to integrate operating systems and hardware with the wide variety of various applications that are currently available .

Middleware can help software developers avoid having to write application programming interfaces (API) for every control program, by serving as an independent programming interface for their applications. For Future Internet network operation through traffic monitoring in multi-domain scenarios, using mediator tools (middleware) is a powerful help since they allow operators, searchers and service providers to supervise Quality of service and analyse eventual failures in telecommunication services (see MOMENT[1] for example)

Finally, e-commerce uses middleware to assist in handling rapid and secure transactions over many different types of computer environments . In short, middleware has become a critical element across a broad range of industries, thanks to its ability to bring together resources across dissimilar networks or computing platforms.

In 2004 members of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) carried out a study of Middleware with respect to system integration in broadcast environments. This involved system design engineering experts from 10 major European broadcasters working over a 12 month period to understand the effect of predominantly software based products to media production and broadcasting system design techniques. The resulting reports were published and are freely available from the EBU web site here:- Tech 3300 and Tech 3300s ”

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Network Capacity

Information from the activity-location and activity-data matrices is the starting point for estimating communication capacity requirements for the various LAN, WAN, and internet connections.

OJT

2010-04-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

My company for my OJT (On-the-Job) training is the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. I liked their workplace, which is located at New Loon, Mintal, Davao City, although its a little bit out of civilization. Their HR director there had as complete their requirements for their OJTrainess, which we completed as quickly as possible. The next day, we went there hoping to pass the requirements, but alas, it was past 5pm, and their offices were closed. So, another day is up ahead for us, and another day for a long, long ride.

Models (4)

2010-03-31T08:12:00.000-07:00

A software development process is a structure imposed on the development of a software product. Synonyms include software life cycle and software process. There are several models for such processes, each describing approaches to a variety of tasks or activities that take place during the process.
The largely growing body of software development organizations implement process methodologies. Many of them are in the defense industry, which in the U.S. requires a rating based on 'process models' to obtain contracts.
The international standard for describing the method of selecting, implementing and monitoring the life cycle for software is ISO 12207.
A decades-long goal has been to find repeatable, predictable processes that improve productivity and quality. Some try to systematize or formalize the seemingly unruly task of writing software. Others apply project management techniques to writing software. Without project management, software projects can easily be delivered late or over budget. With large numbers of software projects not meeting their expectations in terms of functionality, cost, or delivery schedule, effective project management appears to be lacking.
Organizations may create a Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG), which is the focal point for process improvement. Composed of line practitioners who have varied skills, the group is at the center of the collaborative effort of everyone in the organization who is involved with software engineering process improvement.

Waterfall Model
The waterfall model is a sequential software development process, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of Conception, Initiation, Analysis, Design (validation), Construction, Testing and maintenance.
The waterfall development model has its origins in the manufacturing and construction industries; highly structured physical environments in which after-the-fact changes are prohibitively costly, if not impossible. Since no formal software development methodologies existed at the time, this hardware-oriented model was simply adapted for software development.
The first formal description of the waterfall model is often cited to be an article published in 1970 by Winston W. Royce (1929–1995), although Royce did not use the term "waterfall" in this article. Royce was presenting this model as an example of a flawed, non-working model (Royce 1970). This is in fact the way the term has generally been used in writing about software development—as a way to criticize a commonly used software practice.

Advantages:
- Good if a bug or a glitch is found in the early stages or phases of the model, because if errors are found early, then the process will go smoothly because of little mistakes to correct.
- Most useful in helping to structure, staff, and manage large software development projects in complex
- organizational settings, which was one of the primary purposes (Royce 1970, Boehm 1976).
- The waterfall model is the oldest and most widely used paradigm for software engineering.
- Although the waterfall model is often derived as old fashioned, it remains a reasonable approach when requirements are well understood.
- Waterfall model provides a template into which methods for analysis, design, coding, testing and support can be placed.
- It remains a widely used procedural model for software engineering.
- Easy to explain to the user
- Stages and activities are well defined
- Helps to plan and schedule the project
- Verification at each stage ensures early detection of errors / misunderstanding

Disadvantages:
- As from the slide presentation of one of our instructors, difficulty of accommodating change after the process is in progress is one of the drawbacks of the waterfall model. True, because if one stage is finished, that will remain as is, and if there are errors in that stage, then the errors will be carried out to the next phase, which will cause more work to be done, because there is a possibility that there will still be many errors in the next stage.
- Because in the waterfall model, a phase needs to be perfected before it can proceed to the next one, it is considered a bad practice. Why? Because no phase in a software project can really be perfected. That would be impossible.
- Inflexible partitioning of the project into distinct stages makes it difficult to respond to changing customer requirements. Few business systems have stable requirements.
- Real project rarely follows the sequential flow that the model proposes. Although the waterfall model can accommodate iteration, it does so indirectly. As a result, change can cause confusion as the project team proceeds.
- Appropriate only when the requirements are well-understood and changes will be fairly limited during the design process.
- The waterfall model requires all requirements explicitly, but it is often difficult for the customer to state all requirements explicitly.
- A working version of the program will not be available until late in the project time-span.

The waterfall model assumes that the requirements of a system can be frozen (i.e. basedline) before the design begins. This is possible for systems designed to automate an existing manual system. But for absolutely new system, determining the requirements is difficult, as the user himself does not know the requirements. Therefore, having unchanging (or changing only a few) requirements is unrealistic for such project.

Freezing the requirements usually requires choosing the hardware (since it forms a part of the requirement specification). A large project might take a few years to complete. If the hardware is selected early, then due to the speed at which hardware technology is changing, it is quite likely that the final software will employ a hardware technology that is on the verge of becoming obsolete. This is clearly not desirable for such expensive software.

The waterfall model stipulates that the requirements should be completely specified before the rest of the development can proceed. In some situations it might be desirable to first develop a part of the system completely, an then later enhance the system in phase. This is often done for software products that are developed not necessarily for a client (where the client plays an important role in requirement specification), but for general marketing, in which the requirements are likely to be determined largely by developers.

Waterfall model tends to consume a lot more time compared to other software development models though it is able to pinpoint definite starting and ending points for a given project.
This model assumes the requirements to remain static during the life of the project, so there is little or no chance of incorporating new changes to the software once work begins. If changes are tried to be incorporated it leads to more confusion and further delays.
Its strong points lie in the fact that it is sequential, so there would be no confusion on the steps and the processes are straight down--no need to worry about so many conditions while working on a project. Additionally, this type of model tends to pack up on so much documentation.
Therefore, such tends to be useful for future code revisions and reference. However, its drawbacks become apparent in the length of time a project will be developed and the cost it is able to consume.

Spiral Model
The spiral model is a software development process combining elements of both design and prototyping-in-stages, in an effort to combine advantages of top-down and bottom-up concepts. Also known as the spiral lifecycle model (or spiral development), it is a systems development method (SDM) used in information technology (IT). This model of development combines the features of the prototyping model and the waterfall model. The spiral model is intended for large, expensive and complicated projects.

The steps in the spiral model iteration can be generalized as follows:

1) The new system requirements are defined in as much detail as possible. This usually involves interviewing a number of users representing all the external or internal users and other aspects of the existing system.
2) A preliminary design is created for the new system. This phase is the most important part of "Spiral Model". In this phase all possible (and available) alternatives, which can help in developing a cost effective project are analyzed and strategies are decided to use them. This phase has been added specially in order to identify and resolve all the possible risks in the project development. If risks indicate any kind of uncertainty in requirements, prototyping may be used to proceed with the available data and find out possible solution in order to deal with the potential changes in the requirements.
3) A first prototype of the new system is constructed from the preliminary design. This is usually a scaled-down system, and represents an approximation of the characteristics of the final product.
4) A second prototype is evolved by a fourfold procedure:
1. evaluating the first prototype in terms of its strengths, weaknesses, and risks;
2. defining the requirements of the second prototype;
3. planning and designing the second prototype;
4. constructing and testing the second prototype.

The Spiral Model is ideal for projects that have a large budget and has a long allotted time for it, because this model has a long process. They also say that the spiral model of systems development is ideal for game development, because game developing usually involves change in requirements while the game is being developed. Because in the spiral model, in very loop, there is a development of a prototype and a risk analysis, then there will be testing every time.

Advantages:
- The process progresses in spiral sense to indicate iterative path followed, progressively more complete software is built as we go on iterating through all phases.
- Estimates (i.e. budget, schedule, etc.) become more realistic as work progresses, because important issues are discovered earlier.
- It is more able to cope with the (nearly inevitable) changes that software development generally entails.
- Software engineers (who can get restless with protracted design processes) can get their hands in and start working on a project earlier.

Disadvantages:
- Not ideal for small projects, as it requires a long process and is costly.
- Demands more time
- Highly customized limiting re-usability
- Applied differently for each application
- Risk of not meeting budget or schedule

Agile Methodology
Agile software development refers to a group of software development methodologies based on iterative development, where requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing cross-functional teams. The term was coined in the year 2001 when the Agile Manifesto was formulated.
Agile methods generally promote a disciplined project management process that encourages frequent inspection and adaptation, a leadership philosophy that encourages teamwork, self-organization and accountability, a set of engineering best practices that allow for rapid delivery of high-quality software, and a business approach that aligns development with customer needs and company goals. Conceptual foundations of this framework are found in modern approaches to operations management and analysis, such as lean manufacturing, soft systems methodology, speech act theory (network of conversations approach), and Six Sigma.
Agile methods break tasks into small increments with minimal planning, and do not directly involve long-term planning. Iterations are short time frames ("timeboxes") that typically last from one to four weeks. Each iteration involves a team working through a full software development cycle including planning, requirements analysis, design, coding, unit testing, and acceptance testing when a working product is demonstrated to stakeholders. This helps minimize overall risk, and lets the project adapt to changes quickly. Stakeholders produce documentation as required. An iteration may not add enough functionality to warrant a market release, but the goal is to have an available release (with minimal bugs) at the end of each iteration. Multiple iterations may be required to release a product or new features.

Advantages:
- This method is ideal for small software projects, because the release of every version is in a small span of time.
- Minimizes feature creep by developing in short intervals resulting in miniature software projects and releasing the product in mini-increments.
Disadvantages:
- Short iteration may not add enough functionality, leading to significant delays in final iterations.
- Since Agile emphasizes real-time communication (preferably face-to-face), utilizing it is problematic for large multi-team distributed system development.
- Agile methods produce very little written documentation and require a significant amount of post-project documentation.

References:

http://www.blurtit.com/q533918.html

http://www.freetutes.com/systemanalysis/sa2-advantages-limitations-waterfall-model.html

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Advantage_and_disadvantage_of_waterfall_model_of_software_engg[url][/url]

http://discuss.itacumens.com/index.php?topic=33422.0

http://www.the-software-experts.de/e_dta-sw-process.htm

http://scitec.uwichill.edu.bb/cmp/online/cs22l/spiralmodel.htm

http://www.builderau.com.au/program/development/soa/Why-use-Agile-Methods-/0,339024626,320275975,00.htm

http://www.agile-software-development.com/2007/09/disadvantages-of-agile-software.html

The SAD Interview (3)

2010-03-31T08:09:00.000-07:00

The deal is, we have to interview a systems analyst, and ask him what skills and characteristics must a systems analyst develop in order to be more effective in any design modeling process.

The company we picked was Davao Light and Power Company. The specific branch for the interview was the Bajada branch.Here is a little description about Davao Light and Power Company (this is from their official website).

“Davao Light and Power Company is the third largest privately-owned electric utility in the Philippines. It holds the franchise for distributing electric power to Davao City, the largest city in the world in terms of land area, as well as Panabo City and the municipalities of Carmen, Dujali, and Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte. On September 29, 2000, the franchise was renewed for another 25 years by virtue of Republic Act 8960.

High-end computers, sophisticated software, and other devices are being used to speed up meter reading, streamline billing, provide efficient and prompt response to customer inquiries, generate management information, and analyze electrical grid information.

Special attention has been devoted to improving Davao Light’s service standards. Innovative re-engineering efforts have cut down service cycle times. Outsourcing of tasks and reallocating manpower and other resources has allowed the utility to improve productivity while keeping costs relatively stable. Current efforts focus on teamwork, service excellence, professionalism, and innovation in preparation for a deregulated and competitive environment.

Now and in the future, Davao Light is committed to deliver reliable and efficient service at reasonable rates.”

According to our interviewee, there are several skills needed for a Systems Analyst like him to be more effective in any design modeling process. Here are some of those qualities and characteristics.

A systems analyst should have technical skills. That is, he or she has to know the systems that exist in the company that he or she is working for. It’s just automatic for the systems analyst to be like that, because he won’t know what he’ll be working with or what he’ll be analyzing if he doesn’t know the system of the company. Just like what our professor at another subject lectured about, in other companies, there are what they call “legacy systems”. These are the systems which the company has been using for a long time, hence the word legacy. After a new IT professional is hired, he is to use that system; hence he is handed down the legacy. He or she then has to be acquainted with that particular system, so he will be able to analyze what really are the problems with that system. I have something that describes intrapersonal skill from my assignment from the previous thread. Here are some excerpts from it:

“This skill here is essential (although I think all skills are essential and important), because there is no use in analyzing systems if you don’t know what you’re analyzing, am I right? That’s why you have to have the knowledge on different computer hardware, operating systems, different software and programming languages, and other technical things. And even though the systems analyst is not a graduate of any computer-related course, he / she has to have even at least a little knowledge of computers, because I think most of the time they will be working with computers. At least, they aren’t ignorant of what they are doing. ”

The analyst should have some kind of intrapersonal skill. That is, he or she has to have a good communication with the users, so he / she can point out to the users what must be done with the project and what its goals and objectives are. And that is, to help the company with all its transactions, activities and etcetera by analyzing the problems of the company’s system and providing solutions for it. As from what I have said from assignment number one:

“Systems analysts don’t just the need the technical knowledge to be able to be good systems analyst. They have to develop their personality as well. They have to be what you call a “people person”. That means he must be able to socialize with people well, know how to communicate with them, how to talk to them with respect. ”

Focus for the project is also a must for the systems analyst. When the project is divided into teams in different departments, then the task given to that team must be the task that they should focus on, because other teams are also given tasks that they have to complete and also which they have to focus on. The outcome would be good if the analyst also made the separation of tasks correct and also if the tasks are given to the teams which are capable of doing that specific task. If that’s the case, then they also have to have a good systems analyst, because the programmers are under the analyst, and the analyst just gives the instruction to those under him.

And as to also with some jobs, there also has to be some patience with the systems analyst. Why? Because sometimes, even though you are satisfied with what how you project has been doing, and also if you are impressed yourself with the outcome, and then your client isn’t still satisfied with what you and your team has done, then all will be useless. Even though you think that you have done the right things to be done, as long as your client doesn’t like what you’ve accomplished, then your project would just be considered unsuccessful.

References:

http://www.davaolight.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=45&Itemid=55

The Systems Analyst!

2009-12-16T00:29:00.001-08:00

Identify and discuss some characteristics you have as a good Systems Analyst? Well, before we answer that question, and in case the one reading this post doesn’t know what a Systems Analyst is, then we shall give the definition of a Systems Analyst. I got this definition right here from the popular online encyclopedia, Wikipedia (which I think most of my classmates will also use as a reference for the definition of Systems Analyst).

“A systems analyst is responsible for researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. The systems analyst plays a vital role in the systems development process. A successful systems analyst must acquire four skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal. Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems. Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms. Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change. Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals.

Because they must write user requests into technical specifications, the systems analysts are the liaisons between vendors and the IT professionals of the organization they represent. They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility studies of a computer system before making recommendations to senior management.

A systems analyst performs the following tasks:
• Interact with the customers to know their requirements
• Interact with designers to convey the possible interface of the software
• Interact/guide the coders/developers to keep track of system development
• Perform system testing with sample/live data with the help of testers
• Implement the new system
• Prepare High quality Documentation ”

Well, if you (the reader) read the definition above, I think it explained already what characteristics a good systems analyst must have, in order for the company he / she is working at to be more successful.

Analytical Skills
-Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems.

Well, this is a must for computer systems analysts. As the name suggests, systems analyst analyze systems for the progress of the company that they work in. He or she must know the background of the system, whether it has past problems or it is still on the developing stage, or it has worked very well for the company in the past years. The analyst must be able to find out the needed components (software, hardware, peopleware) from the data that he / she has gathered from the analysis. And from the analysis he or she has made, the systems analyst must prepare cost-benefit and return-on-investment analyses to help management decide whether implementing the proposed technology would be financially feasible.

But before they analyze something, a systems analyst must first inquire and consult with the management on what they want with the company and what its goals are. Then if they have the necessary information, they shall conduct an analysis on the computer system of the company based on the specifications given by the management. Then they design a system that shall meet the needs of the company, or the specific department he or she is working in for the company. That’s where the next skill is required, which is the technical skills.

Technical Skills
-Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms.

This skill here is essential (although I think all skills are essential and important), because there is no use in analyzing systems if you don’t know what you’re analyzing, am I right? That’s why you have to have the knowledge on different computer hardware, operating systems, different software and programming languages, and other technical things. And even though the systems analyst is not a graduate of any computer-related course, he / she has to have even at least a little knowledge of computers, because I think most of the time they will be working with computers. At least, they aren’t ignorant of what they are doing.
But if you have skills in different programming languages, different computer hardware (old or new), network systems, operating systems and other IT-related things, you will be more preferred by the company. In short, if you are a graduate of any bachelor’s degree course where there is a connection with IT, then it is a plus for you.

Management Skills
-Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change.

This is the part of being a systems analyst where you really have to be serious. Managing is not an easy task. As what I recall our professor has said to us, management is concerned with PDOC (Planning, Directing, Organizing and Controlling). All of these are essential in managing something, may it be people, resources, time, money, etc. It starts with planning, where you first plan what you have to manage. Its more like preparing for what you have to manage, really. Just like a floor plan or a blueprint or something like that. Next would be directing. It is where the instructions and directions are made, hence the word direction, right? And then there’s organizing. To organize means to coordinate something, or in cases of organizing people, it means to make somebody more effective. For the tasks in the company to be coordinated, there has to be someone that organizes everything, so that it goes out well. Then lastly, the controlling aspect. To control means to restrain or limit something. When there is chaos (the term is very dramatic, but correct nonetheless) in the business, there has to be someone in charge of controlling everything, and that is what the controlling task is all about. All in all, you need all these skills to manage something or someone effectively and efficiently.
With management skills, a systems analyst can have his assignment or project work in an organized way. His team and those under him can work well with each other, provided that they are managed well. Everything will be under control with the correct management skills and all will go to the right direction. When resources are managed well, there would be less resources that would come to waste. The right resources would be used in the right way. Risks would be prepared for, because the systems analyst has readied himself for it, because he has managed himself. Changes would be easier to handle because the systems analyst has managed everything that by the time changes occur, the system can adapt easily.

Interpersonal Skills
-Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals.
Systems analysts don’t just the need the technical knowledge to be able to be good systems analyst. They have to develop their personality as well. They have to be what you call a “people person”. That means he must be able to socialize with people well, know how to communicate with them, how to talk to them with respect.
For example, an analyst has an idea about how to solve a certain problem within their system, and his colleague (another systems analyst) has also something to say and has another idea as well. They mustn’t argue on which solution is better or not immediately. They have to talk about it first. And they must not disprove of the other’s ideas immediately, not without the proper analysis (that’s what they do, analyze). Each must respect the other’s intent; because they are just doing all that they can for the improvement of the company.
And with the programmers, they have to deal with them nicely, because programmers as you know are very important, because they do the technical work in the system. If for example, as a systems analyst, you always underestimate them, or you always criticize their work in a not so good way that makes them depressed or stressed or something like that. If that’s the case, the programmer might not do his or her job well, and that would be bad for the company.

Here are some characteristics that for me are important when you are a Systems Analyst (the others are given above):

Ethical:
Concerning ethics, a systems analyst must keep information private.
Because you, as a systems analyst, are dealing with the company’s data, you have to access to it. So as not to ruin your career as a systems analyst, you have to keep all the information that comes to you as private. And as a systems analyst, it is part of your job to have a security plan for the system so information doesn’t leak to other people.

Industrious:
In my opinion, a systems analyst has to be industrious / hard-working (as with any job that you have). Being a systems analyst is a tedious task, and if you just get lazy all the time, then it’s counting light posts for you (from the Filipino phrase “nagbibilang ng poste”, which I think, means you don’t have a job). In all the jobs that you work for, you have to be hard-working, because when you work hard, better results will come. And with better results are better performances from the company.

Determination:
If you don’t have the determination to do something, then you wouldn’t want to finish that something, right? If the task given to you think will take long to finish, then your determination to finish that project will be your weapon to finish it. You also have to have some kind of a love for the project given to you so that you will enjoy what you want to do. And if you want, you can make something as a model for your determination (more like an inspiration to me), like the outcome of the project, if it can make the performance of the company better and if it can help you with your tasks. Or maybe you can make your pay as the object of your determination to finish your job.

Background of the Business:
If you work for a certain company as a systems analyst, you should have at least a little background with the processes and the activities with that company, even if the duty of the company isn’t your forte. With this knowledge, you can do better as a systems analyst, because you know what the specific parts of the company are that need improvement and development.

Flexibility:
Just like with a Strategic Plan, a systems analyst must also be flexible with the nature of work, because there might be some changes in the future that might happen. If he or she is flexible with everything, then he / she can adapt to the changes that might happen within the company, and he / she can be ready for it.

Responsibility:
This characteristic also is connected with the ethical issue for the System Analyst. Because the systems analyst is given the information and data of the company to work with so as to make a solution to the different problems within the system of the company, he must be responsible in handling it. Only the right people must have the power to take a look at that information. And because there are many people under the systems analyst, he should be responsible for what they might do, because all they do are just from the instructions that he / she have given them.

References:

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos287.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_analyst

If you have the urge to comment at my post in my blog, go to
http://roycuevas.blogspot.com/

The business plan and the IS plan

2009-12-16T00:25:00.000-08:00

The question: “What should be the nature of the relationship between the business plan and the IS plan?”

To clear all of our minds, let’s first take a look at the definition of a business plan and an Information System (IS) plan. But before that, I’m gonna express first what I think a business plan and an information system plan is.

For me, a business plan is a plan that states what the business or the company’s plans for the future are. This plan should also contain the results that they would want to see by implementing the said plan. And also what they must do in order to achieve their goal (traits, personality, motivations). An IS plan for me is a company’s plan on what to do with everything in connection with information technology and information systems so as to help their business become successful. From the software to be used, trainings for the employees on using that particular software, the hardware to be used, and everything else connected to IT, that should be the content of the IS Plan.

From what I have read from Encarta Dictionaries, a business plan is a plan of future strategy. It is a plan that sets out the future strategy and financial development of a business, usually covering a period of several years.

And also, from the VERY popular site, Wikipedia.com (which I think is the major source of definitions for this forum), A business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals.

And here are some additional information from About.com:
Business Planning encompasses all the goals, strategies and actions that you envision taking to ensure your business’s survival and growth. Business planning can be broken down into two large topics; profit-making business planning and contingency business planning

Profit-making business planning is all the general business planning that must be done to start and run a successful business. The best known example of this type of business planning is the business plan. The business plan isn’t a do-it-and-forget-it business planning exercise but a living document that needs to be updated throughout the lifecycle of your business. Once the business has officially started, profit-making business planning will center on setting and meeting goals and targets. While some businesses make business planning an annual event, business planning is most effective when it’s done frequently and consistently. The business planning process of reviewing progress on business goals and targets and setting new ones should take place at least monthly.
Daily business planning is an incredibly effective way for individuals to focus on achieving both their own goals and the goals of the organization.
Contingency business planning (also known as business continuity planning) is the type of business planning that focuses on dealing with crises. A business contingency plan is a proposed implementation plan to deal with some new emergency, event or new information.

For me, a business plan and an information systems plan must coincide with each other. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) is a very essential factor for the growth and the betterment of a business. Why? Because information systems are now being used by companies in its different functions and departments. Information systems now help with data processing, networking, management issues and many, many more.

From what I have read from the pdf file “Strategic Information Systems Planning: A Review” by Somendra Pant and Cheng Hsu, these are the eras of information systems and their relationships. These data shown here are shown as follows: year - era -characteristics.

• 60s – Data Processing – Standalone computers, remote users, cost reduction function

• 70s & 80s – Management Information Systems (MIS) – Distributed process, interconnected, regulated by management service, supporting the business, user driven

• 80s & 90s – Strategic Information Systems (SIS) – Networked integrated systems, available and supportive to users, relate to business strategy, enable the business – business driven

We can see here that at first, information systems were not that important to a business. Computers were just used for basic data processing. They were just used for back-room operations and that was that. But later, their significance was slowly recognized. Companies later slowly made use of their information systems to help their business in its tasks and, naturally, to help their business prosper and become a success. Furthermore, planning for a company’s information systems plan was started. A plan for a company’s success was now related with its information system. Nowadays, an information systems plan of a company should be included with their business plan. That relationship should stay with the company.

For their plan to succeed, they should assess their needs. If these needs are clearly stated and declared, then they will know what to do with their information system. They should know now what their objectives and priorities would be. Also, they should be able to plan what they would need for their IS and its planned projects for the future. And if they are planning for the future, then what they plan should be flexible, so if there would be changes that will happen in the future, their projects and all they planned for could adjust without any problems.

There are also problems to be faced. One is the “veterans” problem. People from the management, particularly the old ones I suspect, would be doubtful about the information system plan. I can’t blame them because they have long been operating manually, either in accounting, human resource, etc. Just like in the May 2010 Elections where the government plans to automate and there are so many doubts, automated systems are not really that very convincing to other/older people. Other problems for the plan would be if there would be not enough resources for what you want to attain. Maybe the budget is not enough or something like that. But I’m sure that the company could think of ways to adjust their budget to meet their goals and objectives.

Basically, I think that the business plan is the master plan, and the IS plan would be under the master plan. The thought would be that the IS plan is just one of the plans of the company that need to be accomplished. There would be other plans other than the IS plan. And if all of these plans are finished, then the business plan would be a success. The information system plan would be one of the components of the business plan (I think).

The nature of the relationship of the business plan and the IS plan? I think their relationship should be that they are always connected with each other (if that company with the business has an information system, that is). If you have planned for your information system with the mindset of helping your company/business grow and be successful, then that would be very helpful for the business plan. That’s because, as stated earlier, the business plan is where you put your plans of reaching your goals, and the IS plan is one of those plans that aim to reach your goal. Having an information system in a company is a big help for that business, so it shouldn’t be ignored.

10 years from now...

2009-11-21T01:22:00.000-08:00

10 years from now? I would like to have a job that can sustain me with all my needs. And if I have a family by that time, I would like that job of mine to sustain my family. And preferably, I would like that job to be connected with Information Technology, because that’s why I’m writing this post and why I’m enrolled in this course (BSIT, of course, hehe). I’d like my job ten years from now to be connected with the IT field, because that’s why I’m taking up BS Info. Tech. here in USeP, so I can get a job that can relate to information technology.

Actually, I have many desires and ambitions in life. When I was a kid, everything that I knew how to do, I thought I could do, if I just strive hard and kind of master it. I even put in my ambition in our yearbook when was in kindergarten: “I want to be a soldier.”. Everything that interested me had a reserved ambition in the back of my head. Even for the information technology field, I have many desires. I think any kind of job that’s connected with information technology interests me. I think I’m just gonna enlist here all of the jobs that I look upon ten years from now. I’m not being ambitious or anything, but I think it’s good if you have a kind of goal inside of you that motivates you to do the things that you have to do now to achieve that goal.

Computer Programmer:
This is the nature of the job’s work.

Computer programmers write, test, debug, and maintain the detailed instructions, called computer programs that computers must follow to perform their functions. Programmers also conceive, design, and test logical structures for solving problems by computer. Many technical innovations in programming — advanced computing technologies and sophisticated new languages and programming tools — have redefined the role of a programmer and elevated much of the programming work done today. Job titles and descriptions may vary, depending on the organization.

I’m not that really good at programming, but I like programming. Every time you develop a source code for a program and your program works successfully, you get a feeling that you’re a genius because you just made your own program. But being a programmer isn’t an easy job, what with all the memorizing of syntax and the debugging, etc, that a programmer has to do. And you just don’t have to develop only programming skills, but also social skills, because sometimes, you have to work as a team with fellow programmers. You have to settle arguments between yourselves and you have to agree on different things and set aside your own ideas for the better ideas of others.

Network Administrator:
I got this definition of a Network Administrator from a popular site.

Network administrator is a modern profession responsible for the maintenance of computer hardware and software that comprises a computer network. This normally includes the deployment, configuration, maintenance and monitoring of active network equipment. A related role is that of the network specialist, or network analyst, who concentrates on network design and security.
Because also of my interest in computer hardware and how computers interconnect with each other, I have a desire to be a network administrator. I would like being in–charge with a company’s or school’s network topography, and I want to find ways on how to speed up their Internet connection. I also like this because I like to tinker with electronic equipment, and this where to go because this job is connected with hardware, and also is related to Information Technology.

Systems Analyst:
A systems analyst is responsible for researching, planning, coordinating and recommending software and system choices to meet an organization's business requirements. The systems analyst plays a vital role in the systems development process. A successful systems analyst must acquire four skills: analytical, technical, managerial, and interpersonal. Analytical skills enable systems analysts to understand the organization and its functions, which helps him/her to identify opportunities and to analyze and solve problems. Technical skills help systems analysts understand the potential and the limitations of information technology. The systems analyst must be able to work with various programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms. Management skills help systems analysts manage projects, resources, risk, and change. Interpersonal skills help systems analysts work with end users as well as with analysts, programmers, and other systems professionals.

Because they must write user requests into technical specifications, the systems analysts are the liaisons between vendors and the IT professionals of the organization they represent. They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. They may also be responsible for feasibility studies of a computer system before making recommendations to senior management.

That’s what a systems analyst does. I like this kind of job because it is challenging because of the required skills for it. And I think I can attain all those skills (analytical, technical, management and interpersonal skills), if I just focus on my studies and if I train myself.

Database Administrator (DBA):
Got this next definition again, from another popular site(which I’m going to put in the References part of this post):

A database administrator (DBA) is a person responsible for the design, implementation, maintenance and repair of an organization's database. They are also known by the titles Database Coordinator or Database Programmer, and is closely related to the Database Analyst, Database Modeler, Programmer Analyst, and Systems Manager. The role includes the development and design of database strategies, monitoring and improving database performance and capacity, and planning for future expansion requirements. They may also plan, co-ordinate and implement security measures to safeguard the database. Employing organizations may require that a database administrator have a certification or degree for database systems (for example, the Microsoft Certified Database Administrator).
I have a particular interest in databases. I like to make queries with databases. I want to make systems that include a database/s in them. And I also want to manage and maintain a cool-looking system that lets you search, edit, delete and add entries, whatever those entries are. That’s why I also visualize myself having a job like this years from now.

Web Developer:
A web developer is a software developer or software engineer who is specifically engaged in the development of World Wide Web applications, or distributed network applications that are run over the HTTP protocol from a web server to a web browser.

I had a crash course in web development almost half a year ago, with my friends John David de Peralta, Jan Neil Gador, Jan Ray Suriba and Jalil Paniamba-an. It was all about web development, and I thought I lacked skill there because my colleagues were already ahead of me academically. We made use of Php, MySql and PhotoShop there. And our teacher, Sir Dennes, also showed us hot to upload our files to the Net using FTP. Back then, I didn’t know how to operate databases yet. But now that I’ve learned, my interest in web development grew more and more.

I love the Internet. I love how it gives you information with just a few clicks on your mouse. And I love also how the Internet works, like when you click a hyperlink, you are redirected to another page. And what with the different services that the Internet offers now. Social networking sites, e-commerce sites, video and audio streaming, and many more. You can almost find everything in the Internet. You can even find your next husband/wife in it through dating sites. I’d like to come up with another idea for another site that is different from other sites right now and make money out of it, hehe.

Game Developer:
I can’t deny the fact that I really like computer games. I like games on SuperNes, Famicom, Sega, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox, Nintendo Wii, PC-Games, online games and many, many more. It has always interested me on what the behind-the-scenes are when you’re making a video game. Sometimes, I get annoyed by the Japanese, because they make such good games with good graphics, like Tekken 6. I’d like to design my own game, be in charge with the game programming, the game plot, the characters’ designs, the gameplay, all of it! (Although all of these sounds impossible to do for only one person)

Everyone has his/her own strategies in reaching his/her goals in life. I myself have my own strategies; it’s just a matter of implementing these strategies in the right place and at the right time. Or I think we have to keep these strategies in mind all the time while focusing in what we want to obtain or what we want to be in life. Here are some of the strategies that I’m gonna be applying in life so I won’t get lost,hehe.

My Strategies:
Study Hard:
If I study and gain knowledge about many things about the field that I am into, then there is the possibility that I am more probable to be hired because of the skills that I have and know. If I have those skills, then I will use those to be able to reach my goals in life, and to be a better IT professional. Here in the University of Southeastern Philippines, you are really pushed to study hard, because the standards from our teachers here are high. And of course, we students should not be intimidated by these standards. Instead, we should accept and consider these as a challenge for us to be better IT students. And we should not always rely on what our professors teach us, because not knowledge will come from them. We should also study on our own. We should research on our own. And we should be curious and we should be updated about new trends and things pertaining to IT (especially because in the technological world, almost every month, there is always a change). We should study about new software and how to operate it; new technology that we should be aware of; and other stuff.

Discipline Myself:
All of the knowledge you have doesn’t count if you don’t discipline yourself. Discipline is very crucial to be a successful IT professional. Just by not letting yourself be late at school is a way of disciplining yourself. And that also goes when you have a job. Because you’re responsible for yourself now, you have to discipline yourself. You have to balance your work and your “extra-curricular” activities. It’s really ok to enjoy, only you have to limit yourself. I’m not being “perfect” here, but I really think that it’s the right thing to do.

Work Hard:
Working hard is very essential in being an IT professional because, I think, almost everyone needs to work hard in every job that they get. So no difference for IT professionals, right? If we work hard, it is more likely that we would get promoted in our job. In short, working hard will get us rewards.

After I graduate (and I will, or I must), I’ll find a job depending on the skills that I have. Actually, I’ve been observing and reading in newspapers and job fairs about the current job requirements for programmers and other possible jobs that are connected with IT, and depending on what I find out, I’m going to study or, better, I’m gonna train myself with those skills they need, or specific programs that they require their applicants to be knowledgeable of..

Or if I can still sustain myself, or my parents also want to, I can still continue to study after I graduate. I can still attend trainings, seminars and also vocational courses that can give me additional knowledge that will add up to my credentials when I apply for a job. I could take up courses that could teach me about computer hardware, trainings for graphics design, website-making and lots and lots of stuff connected to IT.

Also, my cousin in Cebu always tells me that after I graduate, I should go and work there, because the IT industry there is booming. Their IT Park is really good, and also her husband works there, as QA (don’t know if I’m right, but his job is about technical assistance), so I have “backers” there, if I need help, hehe. But if I were to work in Cebu, eventually, I would still go back to Davao, ‘coz it’s where my heart belongs. And if the IT scene here in Davao will boom years after I graduate and by the time that I have the skills necessary for a job, then I why no t work here? All my friends and loved ones are here, so why I won’t get homesick.

Of course, when I graduate, I won’t be “maarte” and be choosy with jobs. It’s okay for me if it’s not a very high-paying job, as long as it can sustain my needs. It’s better if you start from the bottom, and work your way up to the top, so we can experience what your workers’ needs are if you are at the top.

I can’t be sure of all that I have posted here, because I really don’t know what might happen in the years to come. Maybe I’ll get married early, or maybe some relative will want us to migrate. Or I might inherit a big fortune from a long lost grandfather and won’t need to work for myself and just put up a business. I just don’t know what’s gonna happen to me during those ten years of my life. All I know is I’m gonna do the best I can to get a good-paying job or even start a business, so I can help my family with all the expenses in the house. And also to support the needs of my family, if I have one.

Almost Through

2009-10-18T22:04:00.000-07:00

After all the sleepless nights, the so called "over-nights" and the busy work, the semester is almost through! I just hope that I won't have any failing gradesby the end of this sem. I still have my DBAD 3 grade coming up, my defense with my group for our accounting system and also my group's defense in our Simulation project.

After all this is through, I'm gonna enjoy myself. I have to.

Hahaha.

Finals

2009-10-01T02:50:00.000-07:00

This is the time of the semester where everyone is very busy, and that doesn't exclude me. We've been very busy doing our projects at other classmate's houses, making programs and so many more. I wish I could just end it all right now, and relax even just a bit, But no. We have to work hard and do our best, for the sake of not having a "singko" in our passbooks.

After this sem, there has to be a celebration. Unta lang,hehe..

The Environment of Information(Assignment 9)

2009-10-01T02:48:00.001-07:00

With the fast pace of growth of technology, particularly in the IT field, there are many fields in which there is an information environment. Because there is a need for information technology in corporations and organizations now, there will always be an information environment available for IT professionals, its just what they choose that matters. For me, I really want to try out to be a part of these so called information environments. But what is an environment anyway?

Here is an article that I got from the Internet that tackles and talks about an information environment. Actually, it doesn’t say much, so I’m also gonna put definitions from other resources. Usually, what I could find in the Net about Information Environments were from the military of the United States of America. So, here it is.

“What is the Information Environment?

The concept of a "physical environment" is one that we understand well. We talk about the environment in general, and that has come to specifically mean our natural resources: the lakes, the streams, the land, our oceans and air. We can also talk about specifics of the environment that contribute to an immediate purpose. For instance, if we want to go swimming, we can talk about if the lake is free of fish or if the water is a good temperature for swimming.
If we are talking about the "physical environment of a room", such as a classroom, we can talk about the physical attributes of the room: the color of its walls, the cleanliness of its floor, the placement of windows, the temperature and the like. We can also talk about the attributes of the room that contribute to its specific purpose: whether there is a computer in the classroom for students, whether the chairs are comfortable, if the VCR is functioning, if the video feed is "wavy", and so on.

We also talk about the "political environment," which is not a physical environment, but an environment of ideas, attitudes, laws and emotions. For instance, if a law is proposed, legislators have to consider the political environment. Is there a sense that the general population would accept this law? What would be the consequences if the law was passed? What would be the consequences to a particular legislator (like the proposer of the legislation, particularly!) if it were even proposed? And this process of consideration would include the economic situation of the country (a related system), whether the proposer is about to retire (personal consequences), and the implications of the implementation of the law.

The information environment shares attributes of all of these definitions of an environment. It is both a physical environment and an environment of ideas. It is the ways that information is being presented to us, the kinds of information that is being presented to us, and the impact that that information has on us. And "us" means "us" as people living in an information-rich society, as well as "us" as "professionals". Without carrying the analogy too far, we can understand that in this context, information is all around us.

With this very broad definition, our information environment includes advertising, nutritional labels on cans of soup, and messages on our microwaves and the signs on our highways. These, by in large, we leave to others.
When we consider the information environment, we need to consider these aspects:
• The technologies being used
• Laws and policies - and rights and ethics - governing the transfer of information
• The impact of all of this on the information professional, and on the user
• Our changing sense of community
Information professionals have always focused on the information technologies of importance to its users: books, videos, maps, sound recordings and the like.”

This article is like a general definition of an information environment, right? Here is a more likely IT-related definition of an information environment.

“An information systems environment is an area in which information systems professionals apply management systems and technology skills professionally in an organization. An environment does not and cannot constitute a single, focused knowledge area such as applications in mathematics, art, technology, law, statistics, or desktop publishing. Instead, an environment represents an ecosystem in which information systems are employed. The environment surrounds and impacts the systems and technologies that support it and whose inputs, processes or outputs are closely intertwined with their information system.”

I got this definition from a fellow IT student, and I think it’s good. I just don’t know where that student got this definition. Well now, we’re going to proceed to the real deal.

As an Information Technology student, I really want to be in an information environment where there is IT-related tasks and so on. Of course, that’s why I took up BSIT here in USEP-Obrero, right? Actually, I’m also not sure of what information environment I’m going to be in when I get a job(if I get one,hehe). But I have many interests, and all of those information environments interest me. It’ll just depend on whether my skills as an IT student will be qualified for those particular environments. But for sure, I’d have to focus in one so I can work at my full potential.

Being an IT student, there will always be something related to programming in your course. And that’s also one of the reasons why I took up IT, so that I could learn programming. One of the information environments that I would like to be in would be in an environment like this, where I make programs and information solutions for a company or an organization. The thing I like most in programming is that I get satisfied when I make a program that runs good and does all the functions that it needs to do. I could be in a third party company making programs for companies and etc., or I could be an in-house programmer, and make and maintain the information system of the company that I work at.

Or I could be involved in a web developing environment. I really like surfing the Net, and I like how it works. Although I’m still not good at web design, but I can learn if I have the resources needed for it. That’s my problem now, I don’t have the resources. But that’s another story. The Internet is now almost like a necessity for people. Research for students, communication between families, entertainment, social communities, finding partners in life, entrepreneurship… almost all can be done in the Internet now. That only implies that there is a need for people that make web sites and maintain it. Those people from the web developing community are the ones responsible for that, and I’d like to be a part of that environment. The Internet is very useful for people, and I’d like to be a part of those people that do useful things for mankind (Wow).

I would also like to be in Multimedia, whatever it may be, as long as it has computers involved in it. Like in animation. Whenever I see movies like Shrek, Ice Age and other CGI movies, I always say to myself “I’d really love to make 3D animation”. I even imagine if I can make a mini-movie all by myself in 3D, and I’d do it all by myself. The direction, the 3D rendering and modeling, the script, the plot, the audio, everything! But I now I can’t because you need to have a team or another company to do that. I also love graphics, I just really don’t have the resources yet, hehe. And I’d also like to be a sound engineer, where you mix, edit and record songs by using particular audio software. I also have a passion for music, so my passion and my interest in computers blend with each other.

I also have an interest in hardware and networking and other stuff related to that. It’s just that I think IT doesn’t focus much on that. But I really have a knack for it. Whenever I se technicians setting up and doing their thing in Internet cafes and the like, I observe and be like “chismoso” and see what they’re doing. Also my cousin told me that the technicians in their company, which are CISQO certified, have high-paying salaries. Where there’s a big salary, that’s where we go, right? So, no need to elaborate. hehe.

These are the reasons why I took up BSIT. By being an IT professional you are qualified for different fields of work, only if it fits the Information Technology category. When you take up IT, you may be able to work in different information environment that suits your interest.

How can the principles of information organization and representation help you in performing this role?

Well, I got the definition of the principles of information organization from the past forum, my thanks to them, for that’s also where I got the definition of information environment.
• Knowledge needs to be organized for communities
• Designing tools to support the organization of knowledge
• Guiding principle must that be that of user orientation and predominant usage
• Standardization and networking provide infrastructures, which facilitate effective and efficient access to information and documents

I would just generalize all of the information environments that I would like to be a part of with these principles of information organization.

For the first principle; Knowledge needs to be organized for communities:
Of course, in every company or organization that you’re gonna work in, there has to be knowledge that has to be organized, because if there’s none, then that could be total mayhem for the company. If your company is a big one, then knowledge has to be classified and organized. I can’t imagine the risks and the consequences if there would be misleading information and false knowledge in a company. Just think about it. For example, for a website making company. A large company hires them to make a website, and the web developer puts wrong information on the website, like let’s just say for a example a phone number for the client company. Many customers that inquire or need help or want to order or whatever they want to do would be really pissed off, and will be complaining to the company… All because of wrong knowledge and inaccurate data. That’s just how I put it. Or for example, a programmer makes a software for a company. One error in the content of the code could mean a loss for a company that has that program, and that loss could be money, reputation, etc. That’s how important organized knowledge is to a particular information environment.

For the second principle; Designing tools to support the organization of knowledge:
This is where software development comes in. For specific information environments, there has to be a set of tools, programs and applications needed for the company to be able to function properly. If you’re a programmer, you need to have a programming language that suits you, or you must be knowledgeable of what programming language the company wants you to utilize. If you are in multimedia, then you must use what graphics application software that you have mastered. In networking, you have to get the tools required for your job. Not just hardware, but also software.

For the third principle; Guiding principle must that be that of user orientation and predominant usage
Of course, what you do in the company, the tasks associated with it, you have to know it, and also your fellow workers.

And lastly, for the fourth principle; Standardization and networking provide infrastructures, which facilitate effective and efficient access to information and documents
In the company, where there a lot of people involved and working together and are interconnected with each other, you have to have an effective network topology that will increase the speed of communication and also will be budget friendly, depending on the income of the company. With this in hand, then the functions and tasks in the company will be more effective and will be more progressive. It will also lessen up the time for the work if the work involves networking.

What are the challenges facing you in performing the role? How will you address these challenges?

There are many challenges that I will be facing when I will be in an information environment. I will just state here the challenges that come to my mind right now.

Myself. If I will be working in an information environment, I must have discipline for myself. I have to be hardworking in my work, just like all my fellow workers will be doing. I mustn’t be late in work. I must follow what my boss says to me and must do it in time for the deadline, if there is. And I’ll just be absent if I really have an important excuse for it.

In an information environment, I must expect that I will be working with a team or if not, then other personnel. There are issues sometimes that fellow workers have arguments, and I must not be one of those workers. I have to a develop a camaraderie between my fellow workers so there will be no hindrance to the flow of work in our department. In short, there has to be chemistry,hehe.

Also, you have to be particular with the hardware and software that you’ll be dealing with when you work. What the company provides you; you have to make use of it. If you complain about it, then it’ll be a possible “kick out” for you. You’re just a worker following orders, and you really have a thick face (bagag nawong in bisaya) or in serious terms, boastful if you do that.

Well, I think that’s where my assignment ends.

IN, or OUT?(Assignment 8)

2009-10-01T02:12:00.000-07:00

For me, with the current state and the situation of the school(Reader, I know you are a USEPian, so I think you have an idea what I’m talking about), I would choose insourcing rather than outsourcing. That’s just what I would prefer. Why?

First, the definition of insourcing from Wikipedia. I think this is the boring part, but we have to clarify first what we’re talking about here.
“Insourcing is the opposite of outsourcing; that is insourcing (or contracting in) is often defined as the delegation of operations or jobs from production within a business to an internal (but 'stand-alone') entity that specializes in that operation. Insourcing is a business decision that is often made to maintain control of critical production or competencies. An alternate use of the term implies transferring jobs to within the country where the term is used, either by hiring local subcontractors or building a facility.”

Simply put, insourcing is using the company’s own resources (e.g. staff), to do the tasks that the companies does and not relying on third party companies outside the company or the country. That thing I mentioned there is also known as outsourcing, which is one of the choices in the question.

Again, let us the power of the Internet to supply us with knowledge that we need to do our assignments. This is the definition of outsourcing from Wikipedia.
“Outsourcing is subcontracting a process, such as product design or manufacturing, to a third-party company. The decision to outsource is often made in the interest of lowering cost or making better use of time and energy costs, redirecting or conserving energy directed at the competencies of a particular business, or to make more efficient use of land, labor, capital, (information) technology and resources. Outsourcing became part of the business lexicon during the 1980s. It is essentially a division of labour.”

In-sourcing for me is better for this school than outsourcing. First is, why outsource when we have capable people in the University that could develop and maintain information functions in this school? Presenting… the Institute of Computing! Here in the University of Southeastern Philippines, we have the Institute of Computing, located inside the USEP College of Engineering building. We have two courses available for the undergrads, which are Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, and Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. I could say that the faculty of the Institute of Computing are good and intelligent people, being a student of the said college itself. We have competent teachers here in the school that could do what is needed to do with the information systems of the school, so why find third party companies or people outside the school? Why waste time finding people outside when you have people that could do the job inside the school? Not to mention that these teachers also have passed the teaching standards of the school.

Think also that this lovable school of ours is a public school. That means that the school gets its funds from the government, right? And I think also from its income generating projects. I think there’s no need for me to tell you that the school is having problems with its budget, because I think you can see it clearly. So why settle to outsourcing, when it requires more money? I’ve read that companies result to insourcing because it reduces the cost of taxes. And the reduction of taxes means less money to spend. That’s a plus for the school. So that’s another reason why its good to insource than to outsource.

Next is, outsourcing has many disadvantages to the school. I got some disadvantages of outsourcing from Wikipedia, and I’m going to put it here. But I’m not just gonna “copy-paste” it. I have to point out those that are connected with the school, so “copy-paste” is not applicable. Here are those disadvantages:

DISADVANTAGES OF OUTSOURCING:

QUALITY RISK
First is Quality Risk. If the university is going to outsource the handling of its information systems, then there is a risk of the quality of services/products being not too good or at a low standard or something like that. That is a very big possibility because the university can’t always keep track and observe the supplier of the services. The supplier could meet the initial requirements of the university, but later on, it could replace its personnel with novice or less experienced workers, thereby degrading the quality of the products/services it provides. And according to my source, unless the company conducts customer satisfaction surveys, they may eventually be caught in a surprise of customer chum, and when they find out the root cause, it could be too late. For the university, if it wouldn’t listen to the complaints of the students, or the suggestions and the recommendations of the faculty and staff and those that have knowledge on the matter, then the University would just be spending big amounts of money for low quality services/products. And if the University finds out that the problem is the issue of outsourcing, and if it’s too late, then that would be a big problem for the University.

PUBLIC OPINION
There are several public opinions about outsourcing. According to what I have read from Wikipedia.com, there is a strong public opinion that says outsourcing (especially when compared with offshoring), damages a local market. That is true, because when a company outsources, then it will not have to depend on the labor coming locally, and that means unemployment for the local community. Then, unemployment could lead to loss of income and financial crisis.

SECURITY
Security is a very important and sensitive issue when it comes to outsourcing. In a company, the management is always liable for the actions that its employees and staff make. If someone does something illegal or something like that, it’s not only that person’s reputation at stake, but also the company’s. And from that, we can say that security is an issue to companies that don’t outsource and have their own line-up of staff, right? And also from that, we can say that the security issue that I’m talking about will become bigger if the company will outsource. Why? Because when you outsource, then that means that you transfer the tasks of your employees to an outsourcer that you seldom see and come in contact with, personally. This causes legal and security issues when problems arise and the task of the outsourcer is involved.

The Paper Tree Escapades

2009-09-18T03:13:00.000-07:00

My group and I just recently went to The Paper Tree Sta. Ana branch this afternoon (today is September 18, 2009). That's because our journal lacked the proper signatures for the corresponding journal entries. Actually, we've been there for about a couple of times, waiting for Sir Arvin Meralpis, their IT Manager. While waiting, we just talk to their staff, particularly Ate Judilyn and Ate Arly(Arny?). It's a good thing that Sir Arvin is accomodating to us, it's just that he's busy doing something for their company, which they haven't told us. Everytime Sir Arvin talks to us, I really think he's in a hurry for something, but we never know if it's just my imagination or that's just how he is. And we take pictures inside the establishment, their staff just laugh and giggle with each other, saying that they might get "discovered". And we also laugh with them. Well, for now, we'll just have to see Sir Randy some other time for the consultation. Until my next post...

'Til we meet again...

The 2009 SONA

2009-09-05T00:39:00.000-07:00

All of these here in my post is based on what I have read. I haven’t seen the telecast of the last State of the Nation Address of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, I just read the transcript.

For me, I think that little has been talked about by President Arroyo with the ICT industry in her SONA, but although little, it has to be talked about, since it concerns me, for I am an IT student, and ICT issues will affect me in time.

The first ICT related topic in the SONA for me was the one regarding the National Telecommunications Commission about the dropped calls and the loads of cellphones being “stolen”. I don’t know about the dropped calls, but I do know about the lost loads. I know many people who always complain “Gikawatan na pud kog load…(My load was stolen again…)”. I wouldn’t say what telecommunications company, because we don’t know who will be reading this post. If the NTC were to address this problem and solve it, then that’s a good one for us ordinary citizens. Even though small, this can improve our quality of life, because texting has been almost a need for us Filipinos. We use it to communicate; in schools, business, and fun. Almost all Filipinos have a cellphone now, even some in squatters, and load is very essential. If load would be lost with us not knowing why that would add up to our poor state in life. We don’t have even money, we don’t even have load. And if we had load, it would some kinda be stolen from us. So if this problem was taken care of, then that would lessen our problems, even if in a small scale.

Next would be the plan of putting up an ICT department. If there were a Department in the government dedicated only to the ICT industry, then all problems regarding within the field would be more focused on, and problems would be much faster resolved. And if the ICT industry needed help, then they there would be a department of the government that could focus its help on it. Workers in the ICT field will be glad about this.

And lastly, its about the funds for more computers in schools. This topic was from the issue in tax revenues, that the tax from alcohol and cigarettes must go to the funds for education. And with these funds, the percentage of purchasing more computers for schools will increase. And if there will be more computers in schools, then more and more students, even in rural areas, will be computer-literate and more students will be probable candidates for ICT related professions. And that means more qualified people for the ICS industry. And if they get those jobs, then more food on the table.

Hinaya sa Net Ui!(Assignment 6)

2009-09-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Having an Internet connection in a school is advantageous to the students that study in it. The students could use it very well in their research, because with the Internet, you can gain access to lots and lots of information, and use it for your own. And if you’re a student with a computer-related course like Information Technology or Computer Science, then having Internet at school would be very useful. When you have Internet at school, may it be in your library or in your computer lab, you also save money because you have free hours of surfing that you have in your account. Or if you have a laptop, then better for you, if the school provides Wi-Fi access.

But here in the school (I don’t think that you’ll argue with me), we have a slow Internet connection. No offense to those in-charge of the matter, I know they are doing what they can, but we really do have a slow Internet connection. Since my 1st year in the University of Southeastern Philippines, this is what I have observed. I always hear people complain, “Hinaya sa net ui!”. That’s what I always hear from people who have surfed the net from inside the school. There has to be something wrong, because if there was not, then I would be proud to say that “Ok man ang net sa skul”. And I would not always go outside to Internet cafes to do my research and to download files and other stuff (We just recently had a desktop computer in the house given by my uncle, but we still have no Internet connection).

To the question “If you were hired by the university president as an IT consultant, what would you suggest (technology, infrastructure, innovations, steps, processes, etc) in order for the internet connectivity be improved?”, these will be my answers:

But first off, let’s take a closer look at some technical stuff, like the definition of the Internet, just to clarify a few things.

“The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers). It was conceived by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U.S. government in 1969 and was first known as the ARPANET. The original aim was to create a network that would allow users of a research computer at one university to be able to "talk to" research computers at other universities. A side benefit of ARPANet's design was that, because messages could be routed or rerouted in more than one direction, the network could continue to function even if parts of it were destroyed in the event of a military attack or other disaster.

Today, the Internet is a public, cooperative, and self-sustaining facility accessible to hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Physically, the Internet uses a portion of the total resources of the currently existing public telecommunication networks. Technically, what distinguishes the Internet is its use of a set of protocols called TCP/IP (for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol). Two recent adaptations of Internet technology, the intranet and the extranet, also make use of the TCP/IP protocol.”

Now, let’s proceed to my ideas and solutions as the new IT Consultant of the University of Southeastern Philippines. Hwow!

Planning and Orientation
First is proper planning and orientation. There must be a proper meeting about what will be the best way on how to improve the internet connectivity in the school, and also because I think that this plan will really involve money (of course). An agreement must be made between the management and the ones who will be implementing the changes, and the ones handling the implementation must explain the whole plan to the management, so there will be no issues after. With a good relationship, there will surely be an improvement with whatever plan you have in mind, as long as it is for the better and not for the worse.

Money/Budget
Proper budget has to be allocated to fund all the changes, the materials needed, the supplies and the upgrades that the University has to do. I think that with the tuition we pay, (even though our school is a public one), bit by bit we can buy all we need to increase the internet connectivity of the school, may it be new cables, routers, switch/hubs, computers, upgrading to a better deal with the ISP(Internet Service Provider)etc. The computer laboratory fees of the school should just be enough for what I’m talking about here. But if some rich organization, politician or foundation would be willing to donate computers and other computer related materials, supplies, etc., then good for us. We just have to handle their gifts with care. Let’s not take things for granted.

Increase Bandwidth
We all know that bandwidth really plays a role in improving the speed of the internet. Bandwidth is the amount of data that is downloaded by you using the connection. If the bandwidth allocation were allocated properly, then the internet connectivity would improve, even if it’s just a little. Blocking sites that allow downloads and file-sharing can help to not let students download again and again. But from what I’ve heard, I think the University has increased the bandwidth, and still the internet connectivity is slow. I don’t really know why, but there has to be something wrong with it.

Hardware
I think that we don’t have to forget our PCs if we talk about improving the internet connectivity of the school. It’s true that if we subscribe to a higher internet speed from an Internet Service Provider (ISP), we could get the satisfaction of surfing the Net faster, but that’s only if your computer also has the capacity to do so. Like for example, upgrading the computers’ RAM. By upgrading the RAM, it will not only improve your regular computer use, but it will also affect the speed of your Internet connection because your computer works faster. Recently, the Nodal Center just got a donation (I think) of computer units with Dual Core processors, although I don’t know how big the RAM is (After I post this, I’m going to find out). All I know is that when I used these computers, I noticed that the Internet connection is doing better than before. I think now the problem is with the Internet connection, and not with the units. If your computer is slow, it doesn't matter how fast your Internet connection is, the whole thing will just seem slow. You can only access the Internet as fast as your PC will allow you to. And talking about cables and other networking matters, I think we use fiber-optic cables now in the University, although I’m not really sure as to whether we’re using repeaters or not. And I don’t think that we have problems with UTP cables, because I think we have enough of them.

Viruses and Malware
Viruses and malware can often use up your bandwidth and slow down your Internet connection. So if I were the IT consultant, I would make sure that all computers in the school have up-to-date virus scanners and malware scanners. I would let those in-charge of maintenance monitor the computers if their anti-virus and anti-malware software are up to date. Just like in the Nodal center, I think some units have viruses or malware in them, although it has been lessened now than before. I think that it would be good if we buy and invest in a reliable anti-virus and use it on our computers here in the school, and not just rely to free anti-virus software. The question now will be which one of them will be the best and the most reliable. And also if it will match with the University’s needs. But now there are a lot of studies and reviews about anti-viruses and anti-malware software, so choosing shouldn’t be a problem. Experience in using these software also count.

Software
Not only should we just consider hardware, but we should also consider the software that we use. Right now, there are several free downloadable programs that boast that they can improve your Internet connection to an extent. It’s good to use these different kinds of software, but we have to be careful, some other downloadable programs have hidden programs attached to it and we will never know what might happen with these so-called “hidden programs”. Here is some information on the programs that I got from the Internet that say they make browsing faster.

* Loband.org is a browser inside of a browser that loads web pages without the
images.
* Firefox and Opera both have options to disable images.
* In Firefox, you can also use extensions such as NoScript that let you block scripts and plug-ins that would
otherwise slow things down a lot.
* If you are using Internet Explorer or Firefox, try downloading Google Web Accelerator. It is meant to speed up
broadband connections, but it can also slow your Internet connection. Try enabling it and disabling it and see
when your Internet connection runs faster.
* If you are using Firefox, download the Fasterfox extension and Firetune.
* Reduce the amount of programs running that use your Internet connection (Instant Messengers, RSS Feeders,
and MS Applications set to send Internet data)
* Google Accessible Is designed to search pages in order of how clean they are of junk. This will bring up pages
that are usually not only easy to read, but are quick to load.

There are still loads of other free software out there to download and some are even from Microsoft and other reliable sources. Let’s just be careful downloading these software. Other software also clean and monitor your temporary files, cache or you could just do it yourself. These files improve your Internet connection performance by not downloading the same file over and over. When a web site puts their logo graphic on every page your computer only downloads it when it changes. If you delete the temporary files it must be downloaded again. if you disable the cache, it must be downloaded every time you view a page that uses it. So if you optimize this, then it could greatly help your surfing pleasure and the Internet connection speed would improve. This just has to be done with each computer, so proper maintenance must be observed.

Proper Maintenance
All of these ideas, conceptualizations (and other words that mean the same) will be useless if there will be no proper maintenance, may it be the software, the hardware or even the people using it themselves. Students have to take care of the units that they use, and they must be responsible in using the Internet in the school. If they are prohibited to go to sites that have audio streaming and video streaming, then they have to follow these rules and restrictions. The technicians also should be responsible in the maintenance and care of the hardware. Faulty hardware should be looked upon properly and if need be, replaced, if there would be a proper budget for it. If there are some problems with the fiber optic cables, then a solution has to be made immediately. Just recently, there was an Internet connection problem because of a cable from PLDT. The effect was: very slow Internet connection speed. We should avoid problems like that, even though here in the school it’s in a smaller scale. With proper maintenance, we should be able to do that. The maintenance of the programs and regular updates should also be taken care of by the right people. With all of these in hand, then there would be surely some improvements and enhancements to our Internet usage.

Network Topology
During our Data Communication and Computer Networks I class, we discussed about different network topologies. These topologies or frameworks are ways to properly distribute the data and information in a network. With these many topologies, we can choose which one will be the best for our school to implement to improve our internet connection between networks, although I am not sure what topology to use. There also has to be a simulation first before letting this take effect, because we can’t afford to carelessly do something before not trying it out.

Consultation and Study
It’s not harmful for the University to ask for advice or consult from the ones that excel in this kind of field. If I were the IT Consultant, I would also ask for tips or advice from those who have more experience than me. Then I would apply all the information that I have for the school. And we should also take account the universities in other countries. We should study what they also did to the infrastructure in their schools that led their internet connectivity to be improved.

Careful and Proper Selection
If we were to buy hardware for our computers, then we have to pick reputable and reliable brands. Tried and tested brands are better than experimenting with new but not so sure ones. Remember that the money used is from the students, so we have to choose carefully for their sake. And for the software, we have to use programs and applications that are sure to work properly with the hardware, and are also sure to work what they are designed to work for.

All of these can be implemented through proper planning and management. The school should cooperate with the IT Consultant (that’s me) and offer the best they can to help out with the Internet connection, because it’s all for the sake of the students. And the students should also do their part and cooperate with the school.

With fast Internet connection speeds, the students’ problems with schoolwork will be lessened, and that’s about it with improving the Internet connection of the school.

References:

-http://searchwindevelopment.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid8_gci212370,00.html

-http://www.broadbandchoices.co.uk/boost-your-internet-speed.html#1

-http://www.wikihow.com/Maximize-the-Speed-of-Your-Internet-Connection

Assignment 5

2009-09-05T00:18:00.000-07:00

First of all, my adopted organization(s) are: Lapanday Foods Corporation located at Maryknoll Drive, Lanang, Davao City; Columbia Computer Center at C.M.Recto Street(Claveria), Davao City; and GH Office Office Depot, located at Monteverde St., Davao City. Both companies have their respective IT Departments in their establishments and they are using it to improve their work and all their transactions and other business-related activities.

IT/IS implementations in an organization is very important, especially now that we are in the technological age, and computers and fast rising new technology are needed to make a company prosper and for it to be successful.
A barrier is an obstacle which prevents a given policy instrument being implemented, or limits the way in which it can be implemented. So in this post, I will be discussing on the obstacles that hinder the implementation of IS/IT implementation in our adopted organization(s).

If I were talking about the barriers in the implementation of the IS/IT in these respective companies, I think it would be: money/budget, personnel and staff, management decisions.

Money/Budget:
Of course, in almost companies, organizations, institutions and the like, money is a very important thing to settle with. Almost all transactions and all events involve money. In a company, it would be very hard to implement Information Systems or putting up a Mnagement Information Systems(MIS) Department if there were no budget because putting these up would mean installation, maintenance and repair, delivery, purchase of specific software and so many other things to do. In order to do this, you have to have a considerable amount of budget in hand. That is why not all companies have their own information systems, because not all companies/organizations have the budget to put it up. For me, only those companies that are bigger and more successful have what it takes for IS/IT-related implementations.

In Columbia Computer, I think that they have no problems with their budget, because their company is an established one, which means that they have a long history ahead of them, and they also have a reputation which makes customers want to go back to them and consider their goods. The only problem is that, even though I think that they have the proper budget, they don’t really need it for the implementation of IS/IT in their office. This issue will be discussed later.

For GH Office Depot, budget is also not a problem, although I think it is. From what I saw in the IT Manager’s office, some of his hardware are old ones, and I think need to be upgraded for better performance. But again, I also think that they know what they’re doing and they are just purchasing what they need. Companies don’t need to buy high-end systems for basic business tasks like word-processing, order entry and other stuff like that.

And for Lapanday Foods Corporation, there’s no problem with their budget, because Lapanday is a big company, already exporting their products, although I don’t know if they had budget problems when they were first starting their Information System and other IT related practices. They even have their own server there, and that fact makes you think immediately that they have their own budget in their MIS Department to be able to purchase a midrange server.

Personnel and Staff:
In implementing IS/IT in your company, you usually need someone to oversee it and maintain it, as with other departments in your offices like Accounting, Human Resources, etc. If not too big, then your IT department shouldn’t really need many personnel and staff for the task, just enough.

In Columbia Computer Center, they utilize their IS/IT related practices very well, which I have discussed in the first assignment. But, they said that they really don’t need a MIS Dept., because all of them there are knowledgeable of what to do there. As they have said, all of them are “Daltans” or “Dala Tanan”. All of them are versatile; they know how to do this and that, even though it’s not the assigned task for him/her. All of them are trained when they start to work there, so everyone is fully functional. So not only do they know how to operate their systems, but they also know hardware support, marketing and selling and other things which they have to know.

For GH Office Depot, I think they have a problem with their personnel, although it’s not that big. According to their IT Manager, the one operating their IT Department is only him. If he needs help then he asks for help with other personnel, but those personnel do not belong to the IT Department. Only the IT Manager has the specific skills to do the jobs required. When their accounting section has problems with their software, or there is a problem with one of their computer hardware, he is the one who comes to the rescue. And also in networking problems, he is the one to manage. I think if he had some people under him which are really IT people, then it would lessen the burden (if there is).

As for Lapanday Foods Corporation, I think there is no problem with their workforce, because when we went to their MIS Department there, there was a whole room of people working in front of computers, and they were really very busy. I think they were working on Lapanday’s website because when you went to their website, it would tell you that it was under construction. But that’s just what I think, because they were so busy.

Management Decisions:
Under this topic, I really can’t elaborate much, because I don’t know what’s on the mind of a high position manager or somewhat like that. The only thing I can relate with this is the one we encountered at GH Office Depot. When they log in or log out, they have a Biometrics Scanner and they also have a Bundy Clock. When we asked why there were two ways of logging in and out, their IT Manager said that it was for regular and casual employees. When we asked why it was like that, he just said that it was the order of the other department, the accounting department, I think. In the long run, even if you have a stable and good-working system, it would always depend on the higher-ups’ decision of how to use it and how it would work. And it will also be up to them if they wanted to change it or not.

For me, if you want your company to be successful and you want to utilize your IS/IT related practices well, then you have to decide which barrier you will have to break. But you have to study first whether it would do good for your company or it would be the cause of its downfall. There are also many things to consider in a company’s success, but the IT field of a company is very important, because many data, transactions and other processes are happening here. That’s why you have to consider it and give it a little importance, because we are in the technological age, and tasks in a company that are connected with technology must be given importance

References:
http://www.konsult.leeds.ac.uk/public/level1/sec10/index.htm

most of the content here are of my own view, the reference is only for the definition of "barrier". So if you think my post isn't right or something like that, feel free to comment at
http://roycuevas.blogspot.com/

Davao ICT Summit 2009

2009-08-13T23:30:00.000-07:00

I just recently went to the Davao ICT Summit last August 7, 2009(although the event started a day before) at the Davao Convention Center at F. Torres St., Davao City. There were a lot of people there; students, teachers, businessmen, and others. There was even a prepared venue for the wedding's reception there, although I forgot the newlyweds' names, hehehe. Also, not only were college students there, but also high school students. When my classmates and I went inside, we were told to go to Room A. The session there was about YP4SC, or Youth Profiling for Starring Careers. "Youth Profiling for Starring Careers or YP4SC is one of the projects of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority which aims to provide career guidance and counseling to both students and adults. YP4SC intends to increase the individuals’ awareness about their strengths to help them select the appropriate course based on their interests, aptitude, and potential." - http://www.tesda.gov.ph/eTESDA/page.asp?rootID=3&sID=12&pID=3

I listened to that session, although that session was more suitable for high school students, because it was about choosing careers, and I think we already chose ours. The next session was about TRIPARTITE, a collaboration of PCSI, DOLE and DTI. Theirs was about helping the youth, and also providing them opportunities for their own ambitions.

After the sessions, we just left, and the events after that will not be included in this post, because it does not concern this. Hahahaha! I hope that I attended the other sessions also, because I think that the other sessions were interesting. Well, I can't be at many places at the same time. I would if I knew Kage-Bunshin No Jutsu(Shadow Clone Technique). Well that's it for this post.

Assignment 4

2009-07-20T01:56:00.000-07:00

These are some of the links that I searched in connection with Green Campus Computing.

http://greencampus.winserve.org/greencampus/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=7&Itemid=39

The content of this particular link talks about setting the computer in “Sleep” mode when you are not using it. It takes less time for the computer to start up from sleep than it does after it has been turned off. If the computer is in “sleep mode”, it is turned on, but it is in a low-energy consumption mode.

Also in this link are tips on how to reduce your energy usage.
1. Use Energy Star Products.
2. Replace Incandescent light bulbs with Compact Flourescent Lamps (CFL's).
3. Turn lights off when you're not in the room/classroom.
4. Use half the lights when possible
5. Use natural light when possible.
6. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
7. Turn off computer's during the night.
8. Use your computers "Stand-by" mode instead of screen savers.
9. Plug Appliances that have phantom loads (anything that basically needs a remote or needs charging) into a surge protector and switch it off when appliances are not in use.
10. Unplug Cell Phone Chargers when you're not charging your cell phone.
11. Reduce the number of refrigerators in use by sharing refrigerators.
12. Avoid leaving the refrigerator or freezer doors open.
13. Remember to turn off the oven and stove tops
14. Turn off curling and straightening irons and unplug hair dryers.
15. Do laundry during off peak hours (after about 6 pm).

Although here, I think the ones concerned with green campus computing are numbers 1,8, First off, we go to number one.

Number one talks about the use of Energy Star Products. Computers which have an indication that they are Energy Star Products are considered to be computers that are environment-friendly and consume less power. Just like in the computer at home, when you it starts up, there is an “Energy Star” logo that pops out. That means it’s an Energy Star Product.

Number 8 talks about putting your computers in “Stand-by mode” instead of screen savers. This is a good way to save energy, because some screen savers are very flashy and have high graphics and some animation. If it uses too much of the computer, then that means it also consumes more energy, while if you put it on stand-by mode, the monitor only shows black, nothing else. You save more energy if you do it that way.

http://chronicle.com/free/2009/01/10296n.htm

This link talks about a conference entitled “Greening the Internet Economy”, which was designed to address the problem of the soaring financial and environmental costs of information technology. Here are some of the ideas that were presented there that involved Green Campus Computing.

• Relocate a college's server computers next to a solar-power generator
• Replace AC power with DC power
• Cool the servers only where they get the hottest
• Put the servers in the ocean and power them with waves

Also it talked about a device called the Greenlight Instrument, which will deploy sensors and software to measure the energy use, humidity, and other variables in various parts of a Sun Modular Data Center, a popular, self-contained complex of servers.
This instrument could greatly help the cause of Green Campus Computing, because you are able to see if you are using too much energy or not, and you are able to monitor other factors that may affect the energy consumption of your equipment in your company or facility. And it can let engineers determine how to use energy more precisely. They can determine what area of the facility generates more heat, so they can cool it. And they wouldn’t just cool the area because of standard procedure, they would just only cool it if the readings say that it is generating too much heat.
And they were talking about replacing AC(alternating current) power with DC(direct current). Computers generally use direct current, but the public electricity grid typically supplies alternating current, and 30 percent of the electricity can be lost in the conversion of one form to the other. This is such a waste of energy, so they tried ways on just using direct current in schools and universities, like getting their power directly from solar cells or other sources of DC power on the campus.
Placing campus data centers beside renewable sources of power like power plants definitely will save energy. Only high speed optical transmission lines are needed to connect them.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/news/campus-computing-comes-up-green-1.345643

This link here talks about The University of Utah’s (also called as “The U”) problems with their e-waste(electronic waste). They have problems on their electronic waste management, so they are finding ways to to solve these issues. Currently, e-waste generated at the U is processed via the university surplus and salvage department. This department separates anything that still has "utility" from true waste. Usable items are resold, while waste is handled by Guaranteed Recycling Xperts, a company that contracts with the state and local schools to process this e-waste in an environmentally responsible manner.
This style of dealing with e-waste would be good for schools, because it could save space for trash and it could also generate income for the school. And also, students could find alternatives for finding equipment.
Green Campus Computing really I think has no disadvantages, because its goals are for the environment. Finding ways for saving energy, making less out of e-waste, and many more. I think these goals don’t mean any harm to any people. I salute Green Campus Computing.

COMDDAP 2009 Learnings/Reflections

2009-07-10T00:39:00.000-07:00

Last July 2-4, 2009, COMDDAP Davao ’09 was held at the Apo View Hotel, Davao City. It was a once a year expo event here in Davao, so we couldn’t miss it. My classmates, friends and I went there to check out what was there to see. And also, we attended the tech update sessions there at the Apo View’s Vanda Function Room, which were free of charge. It was only that there were limited seats, so, you had to be early there so you could listen well. But first, what is COMDDAP, and what does it mean?

COMDDAP stands for Computer Manufacturers, Distributors and Dealers Association of the Philippines. Some of its Primary Members are Canon Marketing (Philippines), Inc., Epson Philippines Corporation, Fujitsu Philippines, Inc., Hewlett Packard (HP) Philippines Corporation, Microsoft Philippines and others. Some of its Associate Members are Creative Technologies, Inc., Innovista Technologies, Inc., and Silicon Valley Computer Center.

COMDDAP Davao is the biggest I.T. expo held regularly in the South. It showcases the latest I.T. products and software for computing, imaging, printing, connecting and communications, security, entertainment and lifestyle applications. It has also events like the Technology Update series of seminars and workshops, products demos, as well as event discounts, raffle draws and generous giveaways for lucky attendees. The seminars now were the ADOBE Seminar Series on Flash CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, Fireworks CS4 and Contribute. These were held at the Cattleya Function Room at the Apo View Hotel.

The technology update sessions there were the Windows Server 2008, the ERIC Dealer Management System, the HP Thin Client, Retail Management Overview and Open Source Business Applications. I only had the privilege to attend two of these sessions, which were the ERIC DMS, and the HP Thin Client. I would gladly share to you what I had learned and heard there.

The Enterprise Resource Information and Control (ERIC) Dealer Management System is an end-t-o-end software solution for automotive sales, parts and service businesses. ERIC DMS covers the full range of dealer activities-from marketing to sales and services. Aside from core business operations, DMS includes a full ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and completely automates and integrates back office operations all the way to financial reporting. It is a complete, end-to-end solution for vehicle dealers, distributors, and service providers. This software was made by Jupiter Systems Inc.(JSI) a Philippine-based IT company dedicated to delivering business solutions for medium to large companies globally. JSI is one of the most experienced software houses in the Philippines and was one of the pioneers of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) in the country. The company has been delivering business solutions for the past 25 years

ERIC DMS is composed of three core modules to manage dealer Operations. These modules are:
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) - ERIC CRM captures and tracks information for sales and marketing from walk-in prospects to sale, and even post sales appointment scheduling. All appointments are visible to the appropriate account manager- from sales to follow up calls and service.

An intelligent feature for grouping and filtering related inquiries from the same family, company, or individual ensures helps your sales people avoid redundant follow-ups on the same lead, as well as minimize duplicate pipeline reporting.

Vehicle Sales and Administration (VSA) - With VSA, dealers will be able to automate the business cycle of vehicle selling: customer quotations, sales ordering, vehicle allocation, invoicing, vehicle purchasing, and vehicle receiving. The system also keeps track of vehicle inventory.
Manage your inventory of vehicles. Powerful import shipment features keep track of shipping costs as you order from your manufacturer.

Service Management (SM) - The Service Management module records and controls the full range of operations when delivering service requests. This includes:Booking and creating repair orders (ROs), Approval and assignment of ROs to a mechanic, Parts and materials request, Mechanic's time monitoring, Final control quality checklisting, Service operations monitoring for efficiency and materials consumption
All of the above capabilities depend on ERIC SVM's integration with the core ERP modules for purchasing, crm, inventory, and accounts receivable.

REFLECTION:
I was amazed at this software, because it was a total all-in-one package. It had functions for the payroll, it had functions for the working hours of technicians, for the profile of the cars that they had serviced, the profiles of their customers, supply and material orders and requests, invoicing, and so many more. Also, the speaker was really very knowledgeable on his product, because he seems to know every aspect of it. He answered all the questions of the audience with full information and explanation. Then I imagined of the people that were behind this software. How long did they perfect this? How did they test it to meet the customer’s needs? How many made this software? Then I thought that I still had a long way to go before I could develop this kind of software.

The next technology update session I attended was the HP Thin Client Session. But first, what is a thin client, really?

A thin client (sometimes also called a lean or slim client) is a client computer or client software in client-server architecture networks which depends primarily on the central server for processing activities, and mainly focuses on conveying input and output between the user and the remote server. In contrast, a thick or fat client does as much processing as possible and passes only data for communications and storage to the server.

The thin client is a PC with less of everything. In designing a computer system, there are decisions to be made about processing, storage, software and user interface. With the reality of reliable high-speed networking, it is possible to change the location of any of these with respect to the others. A gigabit/s network is faster than a PCI bus and many hard drives, so each function can be in a different location. Choices will be made depending on the total cost, cost of operation, reliability, performance and usability of the system. The thin client is closely connected to the user interface.

REFLECTION:
Again, I was amazed by this technology that they called thin client, especially that this was the first time I ever heard of this. I was amazed by the effectiveness it brought in a company, organization or a school. Thin clients were cheaper, because if you compare the costs that you would have to spend with fat clients and thin clients, you would save more with the thin client in the long run. It has less energy consumption, requires minimal maintenance, so no extra cost for technicians, and it had immovable parts, so no damage is caused when you ship it or you transfer it to another location. It was also much easier to ship and handle so deliveries and transfers were no problem. I also enjoyed this session because I won a 2GB flash disk, in the Question and Answer portion of the session, haha!

I did not just attend the sessions, I also watched the products in the exhibit area. I had a glimpse of the new cameras Canon had to offer, which were more on the Digital SLR series. I also registered at the mysandbox.com booth there, were I got a free bag. And Blinque, a computer store, also had an exhibit there, which were more on their video cards. They put two heavy duty video cards in a PC, and the result was high quality graphics, fully detailed objects and an out of this world gaming experience! It’s like you’d never want to get up from your seat when you were playing in that set-up.

And there was this product that cleans your PC. It was clay-like, and it absorbed all the dirt that it held onto. I tried it on my cellphone casing, and it really worked! And the thin client was not only in the session, it was also there in the exhibit. Ng Khai Development Corp. was its distributor. I watched the HP Thin Client presentation in their booth, and was amazed again. Adobe and its Dreamweaver CS4 also had a booth there, next to Corel and its CorelDraw and AutoDesk’s CAD.

The COMDDAP ’09 for me was a success for I.T. enthusiasts here in Davao. I hope the next one will be as exciting, as or rather more exciting than this year’s.

Sources:
my borrowed digicam

http://www.jupitersystems.com.ph/product.aspx?prod_id=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thin_client

Assignment 3

2009-07-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

As of this moment, Smartmatic, a Netherlands-based company, and TIM(Total Information Management), have once again joined arms after having a dispute over the handling of the budget for the upcoming automated elections on May 2010. A few days ago, these two companies decided that they would not go on further as the primary handlers of the upcoming automated elections because they could not decide as to how the P7.2 billion budget for the May 2010 automated elections will be handled. This caused suspense and apprehension in the Philippines, because all were thinking that we would go back again to our traditional manual style of voting, or worse was that no elections would happen, although President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo already confirmed that we need not panic because there will be a May 2010 elections that will happen. Now, we are sure that we will have an automated elections this 2010.
But what really are the advantages of having an electronic and automated election instead of the traditional manual system of voting and canvassing of votes? According to Senator Richard Gordon, these were the key benefits and advantages of the system.

1. Automated elections will result to faster election results.
What used to take two months will now take, at most, a day. Political contests will not drag on as in the past. Nobody will have time to call anybody while the count is being made.
This is very true. I’ve always really criticized our manual system of voting, because when I see the US do their elections, just like their recent elections where President Barack Obama won, it doesn’t take months to decare who won. Days are counted, and not months, before there is a winner there. I think a day is enough, before there is a declaration. Here, after the elections, we see politicians declaring that they were cheated if they notice that their votes are falling down. And also political protests and rallies in the streets are common after we have an election and while the votes are tallied.

2. It will stop wholesale cheating like "Dagdag Bawas", which has to do with massive changing of election returns.
Because the election is automated, the tallying of the votes is also automated, and will not be managed manually, like writing. Therefore, the use of “Dagdag Bawas” will not be happening, that is tampering of the votes while tallying, putting the votes of others into other candidates.

3. The system is technology neutral. We did not design it for a particular company. We won't be locked into any technology at present, but rather remain open to more modern technologies as they are developed and tested in future.
Utilizing technology is really beneficial to people, although it also has its downsides. But, like the use of technology in the elections, just like now, we are using technology as a means to deliver an accurate and more reliable election. The technology now is good, but if there are possible developments to make the automated election more secure and more reliable, then we can also use that.

4. Only systems with demonstrated capability will be used.
All the equipment and all the technology that will be used in the upcoming May 2010 elections did not just appear and were decided upon to be used. These were tested by Comelec on standards and certain conditions before they were used. There were several companies that were decided upon, and Smartmatic won the bidding.

5. It provides for automatic random manual audit.
As for the auditing, we are assured that it will be a fast one because all the results are already in a form where it will be easy to handle, not like the past elections. And also, random people will take over it.

But even though we know that the automated elections will have a positive effect in our maturity as a nation, there are still some people that are skeptical about it. They say that the automated elections will subject to cheating. Politicians could hire IT experts that could hack the machines to be used in the elections and they could make the outcome be in their advantage. But if proper security measures and back-up plans will be made, which I am sure they are doing now, there will be an honest election that will take place. Unless these “politicians” are really bent on doing everything possible to ensure their seat in the following term, we cannot help if they result to even malevolent activity. In that situation, we will rely on our police and our military, and not blame the failure on the fact that we are having an electronic and automated election. Also, if we were to have an automated election and the proclamation would be just a day or two after the voting, then, if and only if, there will be election-related violence that would take place, then the Comelec could focus more on that, and not on the protest rallies and the petitions of politicians that could not take that they were beaten and would always say that they were cheated. There would be fewer controversies because the results of the votes would not be handled by hand by people and there would be less speculation, because the votes would be handled electronically, and only specified people would be allowed to handle it.

For me, having this kind of election, which is an electronic and automated one, will be a small step by the Philippines to grow maturely, and to erase the “Third World” name that we have had for a very long, long time. Look at the US, the results of their elections are given in a span of days, not months just like ours. And we could also say that their politicians there are disciplined and mature, because they would not hesitate to recede if they knew that they could not make the position that they wish to win in. Not like here in the Philippines, were they say there are two kinds of politicians during the elections; those who win, and those who were cheated. There are no losers, they say. The protest even continues even after the candidate that won has already been seated. The news every night would always be the party that lost or his/her family and relatives, saying that they were cheated.

This change that we will be making will not take overnight to be a perfect one. It will be a gradual process, towards what we will call “a clean and honest election”. Even in other countries, there is still no perfect electronic election system in the world. All have their own problems that they are dealing with.

With this technology now, our way of voting and electing has progressed, and it will continue to develop as time goes by, slowly learning from mistakes until we learn our lessons. Having a fast and credible electoral process is a challenge that we Filipinos must improve. The problem of political dispute, corruption, honesty and proper governance is another.

References:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20080513-136300/Computer_group_assesses_planned_ARMM_automated_elections

http://www.comelec.gov.ph/modernization/automation_hist1996.html

http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2009/0318_gordon1.asp

comments at
http://roycuevas.blogspot.com/

Assignment 2

2009-07-08T22:40:00.000-07:00

Based on the organizations that I have visited, which are Columbia Computer Center, located in Claveria and GH Office Depot, located at Monteverde Street, Uyanguren, both have said that there will be a great change if there would be a business and IS/IT change in their company, and that change is a negative one.

Let’s talk about Columbia Computer Center first.

In Columbia, they use biometric scanning when they log in and when they log out from work. This way of checking their attendance determines their employee record, their absences, the times they were late, and also their payroll. If they changed how they do this, and went back to the style of the DTR and bundy clock, then their employee records would easily be subject to “doctoring”, that is, they could manipulate their records in a way that would become an advantage to them.

In the accounting aspect of Columbia, they use a kind of software called MYOB, which handles all aspects of accounting and inventory tracking of their company. This software they say greatly helps them in that kind of field. If this would be changed back to manual inventory keeping and accounting, they said that it would be very tedious for them to do their jobs, because it would be handled one step at a time.

And also to keep track of the activities in their other branches, they utilize the Internet and monitor the goings-on there by Close Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras. If this kind of technology were not available, then the monitoring of their other branches would be very hard to do, because all they could is to have faith on the people there and to call and check if everything is fine.

Surely, we can realize what would happen if there was a business and IS/IT change there. Next, let’s look at GH Office Depot.

GH Office Depot has their main store in Monteverde Ave., and they have two “bodegas”, which I am not sure where. So all of the possible business and IT/IS change that could happen can only revolve around these places.

In GH, their head IT Staff says that it would be a great loss for the company if an IS/IT and business change would happen. Just like in their communication process. Keeping in contact with their warehouses is very important for GH Office Depot, mainly because their company is primarily associated with the selling of different things; from school and office supplies to exercise equipment to furniture. That’s why they have what they call a Point to Point antenna from their main store to their warehouses. And also their warehouses have a local network to keep them connected.

And commonly to stores, they have barcode scanners for their products. But it can’t only be found in the counter, they also have a barcode machined for the convenience of their customers, just like in supermarkets in malls. But it has a dual function. If it can’t read the barcode of the product, it has a keyboard which you can use to input the barcode number, and get the price of the product. If this was not there, then the effect it would have would be on the customer’s satisfaction.

Every floor in GH (it has 3 floors) also have Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras in them, which are used for security. If there would be no security cameras like these, then it would be a very crucial change in their business, because there GH would be vulnerable to shoplifting and robbing.

Both companies/organizations we have visited have said the same thing about having business and IS/IT change in their respective companies. There are many things that could happen;

1. Like if they did not have an Internet connection. If they did not decide to establish an Internet connection, then it would be very hard for them to establish communication with their other branches, and important files and soft copies of documents could not be delivered immediately.

2. There would be slow performance, because if they changed their way of doing business which includes IS/IS related matters (which also makes their work easy, fast and efficient), then they would go back to manual accounting, manual logging in and logging out, and other manual stuff.

3. There would be a loss of profit. This loss of profit depends on the situation, like if they still used manual file keeping and storage. They would continuously buy the things they need for it, not like if you have computers that would take care of that task. You could put your files into CD’s, and keep them for safe-keeping, thus reducing the space and extra needed for bulky storage cabinets, and minimizing the area needed for the storage. Plus the computers that you use for it could do many tasks, like inventory of your system, accounting, keeping track of employee information, payroll, and other tasks, so there is no harm in investing money in computers because the money that will be used for the next years will be less.

Many things could happen if a business and IS/IT change would happen, whether it would be a bad change, or a good change. It just depends on the company if they want this change or not. Usually, the change that they would want to happen will be for the best of the company/organization, so it really just depends on the management of the company/organization. But more importantly, they the company has to conduct first a study or a simulation of what they want to happen, so as to have a better perspective if this change that they will be doing will greatly affect the status of their company. All in all, it just depends on the management. But for me, I would prefer that the company attach to the IT/IS related practices that they have, because these practices will be better for them, and the people in the IT/IS field are always trying to develop new ways to improve the management and maintenance of companies not just here, but around the world.

comments at http://roycuevas.blogspot.com/

Assignment 1

2009-06-24T22:02:00.000-07:00

The company/organization I identified(with several others), is the Columbia Computer Center Davao, Inc.

Columbia Computer Center Davao, Inc.,one of the pioneers in the computer industry of Davao City, started its operation in 1982 as a video center. Due to a promising opportunity in the computer business, investment in this industry was also tried and later concentrated in this field. Consequently, due to a greater demand in the national capital region, the company decided to establish its main office in Manila. Since then, the growth of the company was extended to every major city in the country.
Columbia Computer Center Davao, Inc. offers sales, repairs, repairs, network installation and other services to our customers. We cater to wholesale distribution of complete range of computer products, which covers PC System, peripherals, accessories and components. The retail business is responsible for catering walk-in customers, which are targeted directly to home users to meet every individual’s computing needs. We are also engaged in direct sales providing computing solutions to manage large corporate accounts, government agencies and educational institutions as well as small to medium sized companies. The company also provides services to our clientele to support all the products purchased under Columbia Computer Center Davao, Inc.

From the information that I have received from the local organization that I visited, which is Columbia Computer Center, they have several IT/IS related practices in their company. One of them is the way they they handle their sales, inventory, etc. They use a software called M.Y.O.B., which stands for Mind Your Own Business. Pretty much lives up to its name, right?
“MYOB is an international provider of accounting software, payroll software and business solutions that liberate business owners and accountants from the burden of day to day administration, empowering them to achieve business success”- This software is what they use in keeping track of their sales, their stocks, debts and many more. I could say that this is a good practice that involves IT/IS because if they were to keep track of their sales in the traditional way(papers, manual writing, file cabinets), then this would cost them time, space and even money. Time because compared to a computer, it would be so much easier to encode all the information that you want to store. Space, because the files that you would put your data in would require containers and these containers would take up space. Money because you would have to buy the materials that you need to gather the information, like papers, cabinets, ink, etc. Not like if you would invest your money in just buying software and also buying a computer that you could use for a long time. And cd’s which are very cheap now, so they can be bought in bundles.
In using IT/IS practices in the sales department of your business, you could save more time, effort and money, and the output could be more accurate than the traditional way.

In the logging in and the logging out of their employees, they use a biometric scanner. Biometrics refers to methods for uniquely recognizing humans based upon one or more intrinsic physical or behavioral traits. In information technology, in particular, biometrics is used as a form of identity access management and access control. It is also used to identify individuals in groups that are under surveillance. In Columbia’s case, specifically, they require your fingerprint and a specific code for that fingerprint. After they have identified you, the information automatically goes to the DTR. By using this method, the organization will no longer be cheated by those employees who might want to edit their DTR’s so that even if they are absent or late, that won’t affect the salary that they’re going to receive. And that could only happen if it were the old way.

And for security and monitoring purposes, they use CCTV cameras. “Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors.It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly transmitted, though it may employ point to point wireless links. CCTV is often used for surveillance in areas that may need monitoring such as banks, casinos, airports, military installations, and convenience stores.In industrial plants, CCTV equipment may be used to observe parts of a process from a central control room; when, for example, the environment is not suitable for humans. CCTV systems may operate continuously or only as required to monitor a particular event. A more advanced form of CCTV, utilizing Digital Video Recorders (DVRs), provides recording for possibly many years, with a variety of quality and performance options and extra features (such as motion-detection and email alerts).”-
The main branch, which is here in Davao, can monitor the activities in their other branches like Butuan, Gen. San., Cagayan. By way of this, they can see if their people there are working, and other security-related issues which CCTV cameras are used for.

Sources:
columbia.com.ph

http://myob.com/servlet/Satellite?c=Page&pagename=MYOB/Page/GolbalCountrySelector&cid=1111035128872

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed-circuit_television

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometrics

MIS versus LMIS

2009-06-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

Let's start first with the meaning of MIS. MIS stands for Management Information System.

A management information system (MIS) is a subset of the overall internal controls of a business covering the application of people, documents, technologies, and procedures by management accountants to solving business problems such as costing a product, service or a business-wide strategy. -wikipedia.org

So that means a Management Information System helps the company/business by utilizing its people, documents, technologies and procedures. It also means that a MIS plays an important role in a company.

Let's dissect MIS. What is "Management"?
Management in all business and human organization activity is simply the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives. Management comprises planning, organizing, staffing, leading or directing, and controlling an organization (a group of one or more people or entities) or effort for the purpose of accomplishing a goal.-wikipedia.org

And what is "Information System"?
In a general sense, the term Information System (IS) refers to a system of people, data, records and activities that process the data and information in an organization, and it includes the organization's manual and automated processes.

So, basically, MIS is all about planning, directing, organizing and controlling(PDOC, from Sir Gamboa) the information system of a certain company or organization.

And what's LMIS? It's MIS with the word Leadership added to it.

I know that if you add leadership to it, it would be nicer because we all know that if we talk about managing, it also means like controlling someone. But, leadership is also a part of managing, because you can't be a good manager if you aren't a good leader. There's no need to transform MIS to LMIS. Managing isn't just like you're making puppets out of your underlings. It's just controlling them so that things won't get out of hand and no mess would be made. You would just basically be guiding them and just instructing them what to do and what not do, and of course, they would just be doing what they're told because that's the job that they applied for, right?
As what Mintzberg said on the different roles of managerial work, there was a "LEADER" there, with the definition "fosters a proper work atmosphere and motivates and develops subordinates". That simply puts it. No need for LMIS because MIS is a good enough subject description.

IT/IS Leadership Roles

2009-06-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

1. Chief architect. The chief architect designs future possibilities for the business. The primary work of the chief architect is to design and evolve the IT infrastructure so that it will expand the range of future possibilities for the business, not define specific business outcomes. The infrastructure should provide not just today's technical services, such as networking, databases and desktop operating systems, but an increasing range of business-level services, such as workflow, portfolio management, scheduling, and specific business components or objects.

2. Change leader. The change leader orchestrates resources to achieve optimal implementation of the future. The essential role of the change leader is to orchestrate all those resources that will be needed to execute the change program. This includes providing new IT tools, but it also involves putting in the place teams of people who can redesign roles, jobs and workflow, who can change beliefs about the company and the work people do, and who understand human nature and can develop incentive systems to coax people into new and different behaviors.

3. Product developer. The product developer helps define the company’s place in the emerging digital economy. For example, a product developer might recognize the potential for performing key business processes (perhaps order fulfillment, purchasing or delivering customer support) over electronic linkages such as the Internet. The product developer must "sell" the idea to a business partner, and together they can set up and evaluate business experiments, which are initially operated out of IS. Whether the new methods are adopted or not, the company will learn from the experiments and so move closer to commercial success in emerging digital markets.

4. Technology provocateur. The technology provocateur embeds IT into the business strategy. The technology provocateur works with senior business executives to bring IT and realities of the IT marketplace to bear on the formation of strategy for the business. The technology provocateur is a senior business executive who understands both the business and IT at a deep enough level to integrate the two perspectives in discussions about the future course of the business. Technology provocateurs have a wealth of experience in IS disciplines, so they understand at a fundamental level the capabilities of IT and how IT impacts the business.

5. Coach. The coach teaches people to acquire the skillsets they will need for the future. Coaches have to basic responsibilities: teaching people how to learn, so that they can become self-sufficient, and providing team leaders with staff able to do the IT-related work of the business. A mechanism that assists both is the center of excellence - a small group of people with a particular competence or skill, with a coach responsible for their growth and development. Coaches are solid practitioners of the competence that they will be coaching, but need not be the best at it in the company.

6. Chief operating strategist. The chief operating strategist invents the future with senior management. The chief operating strategist is the top IS executive who is focused on the future agenda of the IS organization. The strategist has parallel responsibilities related to helping the business design the future, and then delivering it. The most important, and least understood, parts of the role have to do with the interpretation of new technologies and the IT marketplace, and the bringing of this understanding into the development of the digital business strategy for the organization.

These roles are from Petter Gottschalk, from the Norwegian School of Management.

Different Managerial Roles accdg. to Mintzberg

2009-06-22T18:31:00.000-07:00

First of all, for the information of everyone this "Mintzberg" guy here is a person named Henry Mintzberg. The Canadian academic, Henry Mintzberg who had trained as a mechanical engineer, wrote his PhD thesis at the MIT Sloan School of Management analysing the actual work habits and time management of chief executive officers (CEOs). In 1973, Mintzberg's thesis on the nature of managerial work was adopted as a study and published for a wider audience.

Mintzberg then identified ten separate roles in managerial work, each role defined as an organised collection of behaviours belonging to an identifiable function or position. He separated these roles into three subcategories: interpersonal contact (1, 2, 3), information processing (4, 5, 6) and decision making (7-10).

1. FIGUREHEAD: the manager performs ceremonial and symbolic duties as head of the organisation;

2. LEADER: fosters a proper work atmosphere and motivates and develops subordinates;

3. LIASION: develops and maintains a network of external contacts to gather information;

4. MONITOR: gathers internal and external information relevant to the organisation;

5. DISSEMINATOR: transmits factual and value based information to subordinates;

6. SPOKESPERSON: communicates to the outside world on performance and policies.

7. ENTREPRENEUR: designs and initiates change in the organisation;

8. DISTURBANCE HANDLER: deals with unexpected events and operational breakdowns;

9. RESOURCE ALLOCATOR: controls and authorises the use of organisational resources;

10. NEGOTIATOR: participates in negotiation activities with other organisations and individuals.

http://www.provenmodels.com/88/ten-managerial-roles/mintzberg

My Comment on this:
Mintzberg really did a great job on identifying the roles in managerial work. Although I really couldn't say that I could relate because I haven't been in a managerial position in a company before, but I can say that all of these are really true. Being a manager isn't just sitting in your office, drinking coffee and signing papers; it's all about being a "FIGUREHEAD, LEADER, LIASION, MONITOR, DISSEMINATOR, SPOKESPERSON, ENTREPRENEUR, DISTURBANCE HANDLER, RESOURCE ALLOCATOR, NEGOTIATOR". Many thanks to my man Mintzberg.

Uhm

2009-06-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

Sa isa nlng nko ka e-mail add gireg ang blog s MIS. La lng.

Pahibalo

2009-06-20T01:45:00.000-07:00

Kung mabasa man ni ni Sir RSG,magpahibalo lang ko na wla p nako nadawat ang confirmation message sakong inbox sa yahoo mail. One day n ang nilabay sa akong pagregister sa forum.

First MIS Meeting

2009-06-19T01:09:00.000-07:00

We had our first meeting with Sir Gamboa for our MIS class on Thursday, June 18, 2009.
Well, Sir Gamboa talked about many things. The definition of MIS(Management Information System), leadership, jobs, and many more.

I really look forward to discussions like that, because the discussion we had talked about real-life issues and important facts. Good thing I didn't get late in class. Hahaha. If I did, I would've sang Ang Bayan Kong Pilipinas. Sayang lang kay walay nanganta sa klase, naa untay kahit sandaling ice-breaker,hehehe...

Well, goodbye na. See you all on my next post...

2009

2009-01-17T01:08:00.000-08:00

Year 2009 n jd...

year of the Ox...

Let's accomplish our resolutions for the better of all of us...

Muziklaban!

2008-10-22T03:27:00.000-07:00

I had to post this a long time back, but I didn't have the time, and I forgot, so I'll just post this now.
Last September "something",(It was a Saturday), my girlfriend and I went to Matina Town Square to watch the Red Horse Muziklaban eliminations... And the featured band was Urbandub, that's why we went to watch it... Also, my friend, Jan, and his band were competitors in the eliminations.
After many bands, it was time for the final act, Urbandub. Sorry for those who don't know them,haha. My girlfriend and I watched the whole performance. I sung to almost every song they played. It was so great!!! The whole crowd waved, like an ocean wave. I almost took a bath made from beer because other guys threw the beer in their plastic cups,hehe...
After the show, my gf and I were lucky to have pictures with the band at their van. I feel sorry for those who hadn't had the chance...(sorry na lang,hehe..)
And after that, my friends, which were my classmates from 2nd year highschool, and I had a picture-taking session outside The Tent.
Overall, it was a very wonderful experience. That's all, thank you. Bow,hehe..

THANK GOD!

2008-10-20T03:47:00.000-07:00

Nana jd qy grade sa HRM... Tnx sa grade sir, if ever mabasa pa nimo ni...
The truth is, I liked our HRM subject, even though "hassle",hehe...
This was a new experience because it wasn't your normal "stay-in-the-class-until-the-sem-ends" subject.. In this subject, we got to go to companies and delve in to their insides,hehe...

Salamat lang kay nabawasan na ng reason para ma-stressed...

Finals

2008-10-11T01:43:00.002-07:00

So many projects...
So little time...
That's life...

Finals

2008-10-11T01:43:00.001-07:00

So many projects...
So little time...
That's life...

Assignment no.9!

2008-10-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

The numbered ones are the definitions, and what follows after each definition are the criticisms.

1.Human Resource Management is the the overall process of managing people in organizations. HRM encompasses the vast array of decisions frontline managers make about the people they supervise: Who should I hire? How can I reward good performance (and motivate even better performance)? Who should I promote into positions of higher responsibility (and who needs more training to do the jobs they are already occupying)? – Carol T. Kulik

Criticism: What Ms. Carol T. Kulik said is true, Human Resource Management is all about managing people in organizations. If you were the HR manager, important questions that you shall ask yourself are "Who should I hire?" or "How can I reward good performance?", or maybe even "Who should I promote into positions of higher responsibility?". Those are important things to be decided in Human Resource Management.

2. Miller (1987) suggests that HRM relates to:"... those decisions and actions which concern the management of employees at all levels in the business and which are related to the implementation of strategies directed towards creating and sustaining competitive advantage."

Criticism: I agree to what Miller said. Human Resource Management isn't merely just managing employees, you manage them based on a strategy that is to the company's or organization's benefit and advantage.

3. Torrington and Hall (1987) define personnel management as being:“a series of activities which: first enable working people and their employing organisations to agree about the objectives and nature of their working relationship and, secondly, ensures that the agreement is fulfilled".

Criticism: Torrington and Hall's definition of Personnel Management is true, although it focuses more on a particular topic. This topic, I think, is all about unions and collective bargaining. Part of managing personnel is to also hear out what the employees have to say and discuss on something and agreeing on it. Both of the parties(management and employees) should agree on it so as to prevent protests and the like.

4.Human Resource Management (HRM) - The goal of human resource management is to help an organization to meet strategic goals, be attracting and maintaining employees, and also to manage them effectively. - www.brij.net

Criticism: Even though it is small and brief, I think this definition of Human Resource Management is correct (I think "be" there is "by"). To meet the organization's goals, effective Human Resource Management is required, and this requires also attracting and maintaining employees and managin them effectively.

5. Human Resource Management - a strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging people's capabilities is critical to achieving sustained competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practices". - (Bratton and Gold)

Criticism: All of what they said are true(although it gives me a nosebleed) for Human Resource Management.

Hahay, Politics...

2008-10-02T01:25:00.000-07:00

La lang, I just had wanted to say something about politics. I hate it. Of course, we need politicians, so there will be people that we will follow, thus preventing chaos and disorder. But to those politicians who don't prioritize the welfare of the people, for those who first think of nothing but politics, I really don't like them. Eeew. Hehehe... (Samukan man gud ko anang mangita pag mali sa ilang mga kauban politician,hehe...pero naa man pud na silay iulahang side. Mura naman kog aktibista ani oi, hehehe...)

OUR 2nd INTERVIEW!

2008-09-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

I should've posted this days before(weeks?,hehe..), but due to lack of time and..uhhmm.. money,hehe... Last, last Wednesday, Sept.17,2008. We went to Ateneo de Davao University, particularly the PERSONNEL department. We asked follow-up questions about HRM(Human Resource Management), and we asked for consultation about our HRIS Proposal. By the way, Ateneo's HRM Manager is Mr. Esmeraldo Lampauog. And after that, for my side... I went home...:)

Assignment 8

2008-09-25T19:55:00.000-07:00

For this assignment, I have chosen Mr. Esmeraldo Lampauog, the Personnel Manager of Ateneo de Davao University. Actually, I wasn't the only one to interview..hehe.. Anyways, back to the subject.
Based on the reply he gave to us about the assignment (which I read to him, as in all of it), all he said is that the concept of the HR Manager must coincide with that of the organization, and that the HR manager's aim must be on the betterment of the human resource of the organization. If the management and the manager's aims do not coincide, that's where the challenge of being an HR manager comes. Its also better to follow the organization, according to him. For me, I agree on what he said, because it makes logical sense. All he said is for the welfare of Ateneo, and that's good.

ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2008-09-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

For those who want to view our slide presentation(Group 10,Ateneo), feel free to view it at Sir Gamboa's forum, at Slide Presentations.

The Approaching Future

2008-09-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

I can finally rest... What with the preparations for the festival and all(I'm an officer)... And mixing that with the looming deadline for our Gantt Chart in Human Resource Management... And studying for DBAD1 and Prog.2... I'm so relieved that some of those are finished... but it's not over yet... there are so many things to get done... I hope I finish it all...

Operation Research.

2008-08-08T01:51:00.000-07:00

Hay Salamat! natapos din ang 1st exem ng O.R. Salamat kasi kahit isang tinik lang ang nabunutan sakin, ayos lang.

Until the next exam!!!

Assignment no. 7

2008-08-08T01:50:00.000-07:00

Here are the 3 areas related to Human Resource Management that I have identified.

1."Rice production since 2000 increased an average of 4.07% a year, twice the population growth rate. By promoting natural planning and female education, we have curbed population growth to 2.04% during our administration, down from the 2.36 in the 1990's, when artificial birth control was pushed. Our campaign spreads awareness of responsible parenthood regarding birth spacing. Long years of pushing contraceptives made it synonymous to family planning. Therefore informed choice should mean letting more couples, who are mostly Catholics, know about natural family planning."

-My point here is not about the increase of rice production but on the topic of Natural Family planning. I could say that this is related to Human Resource Management because if all the couples here in the Philippines knew natural family planning, then maybe there would be a chance that many people could get the job they wanted because there would be a lot of vacancies(because of less population). And natural family planning would really help us because it would lessen the burden of parents in trying to find something to feed for their children.

2."In training, 7.74 million took technical and vocational courses over the last seven years, double the number in the previous 14 years. In 2007 alone, 1.7 million graduated. Among them are Jessica Barlomento now in Hanjin as supply officer, Shenve Catana, Marie Grace Comendador, and Marlyn Tusi, lady welders, congratulations."

-Here, we see that because of the sprouting of the many technical and vocational courses in schools nationwide, many under-priviliged high school graduates have had the chance to enroll in college, thus multiplying the chance of people getting jobs in the future.

3."Pinagsasama-sama natin ang mga programa ng DSWD, DOH, GSIS, SSS at iba pang lumalaban sa kahirapan sa isang National Social Welfare Program para proteksyonan ang pinaka-mahihirap mula sa pandaigdigang krisis, and to help those whose earnings are limited by illness, disability, loss of job, age and so on-through livelihood projects, microfinance, skills and technology transfer, emergency and temporary employment, pension funds, food aid and cash subsidies, child nutrition and adult health care, medical missions, salary loans, insurance, housing programs, educational and other savings schemes, and now cheaper medicine-Thanks to Congress"

-This program of the government is very good, because this helps the people, which are the most important resource of all. It helps the poor people in their life by aiding them in many aspects, which are stated above.

P.S. I didn't watch the SONA, I just read it. But I saw it in the news a little.

God Bless.

AT LONG LAST, FINALLY!!!!

2008-08-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

FINALLY!
After all the hardships i've gone through, finally, it's almost over... it's not yet over, but it's still close to the finish...

Here's the deal:
We went to the Department of Labor and employment, but had no luck, because their HR staff was composed of one member... How's that? Then the trip to DIPSSCOR, and another rejection, because of no HRIS. Then we called NCCC, Ms. Phoebe Mandap, specifically, who was always not there or on a meeting. And there was EMCOR, with the same outcome. We called Jollibee, hoping for the same... but, the lovely and super cute Ms. Ella Evangelista said that she thought that she couldn't help us with what we wanted to know. Then we went to Victoria Plaza, which told us that we just drop a letter there containing the questions we wanted to be answered. And before that, we also went to Davao Light and Power Company(DLPC),and until now, we haven't had any notifications from them. Same with Victoria Plaza. And our presentation date what nearing... Luckily, our groupmate JT had some connections with Ateneo, and the rest was history... I guess.

Whoo!!!

May God bless the students who read this, and also for those who can relate,we can relate,hehe..

That's all.

Whaw!!!

2008-07-23T00:52:00.000-07:00

This isn't the WHAW! that you think it is,ok?hehe..
Well,it's my expression for what has happened with what has happened with our company-seeking experience.
First,DOLE(Dept.of Labor and Employment)=only one HR member.
Second,DIPSSCOR(Davao Integrated Ports stevedoring Services Corporation[is this right?])=again,failure.
Tentative,NCCC and EMCOR.
WHAW!(an expression of fatigue and amazement)

Feel free to comment on this if you can relate...:)

Assignment no. 5

2008-07-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

The meaning of HRM:
"Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organization's most valued assets - the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_resource_management

For me, HRM is included in the BSIT/BSCS curriculum because it is kind of "the core" in a company. If there is no HRM, then will be chaos in a company. There will be no organization in the company employees, no organization in their salaries, benefits, insurances and other matters that the HRM is responsible of. As said in the definition above, it focuses on the people, who are the key to the achievement of the objectives of the business. And because after we graduate, we will part of those "people", it is our basic right to know what is in store for us in a company if we work there.

Assignment no. 4

2008-07-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

We can't deny the fact that technology is getting better and better, I think almost everyday. And this technology that is constantly evolving is used by us to make our lives better. Like, for example, cellphones. We almost always see new models of different brands of cellphones in displays of cellphone shops and also in TV commercials. These newer cellphones have newer and more useful functions that make the user contented.

This also happens in corporations. With the aid of new technology, their work is getting more efficient and more fast. And with the Internet, 21st century corporations are developing new ways to market their products. Companies that sell products could sell their products more by advertising or promoting it in the Net, or simply they could sell it there.

But I hope that people will not get a negative effect on the issue of human resource. Just because there are computers doesn't mean that there are less jobs. There are so many jobs available. Its just that there are tasks that only computers can do. I think there will always be human intervention in corporations and the like.

There is also an issue here that may concern 21st century corporations that may be really good or really bad:
"Technology developments show no sign of ending. Communications and control technology continues to augment the intelligence of individual humans, collections of humans, and machines. Cultures are forced into the position of sharply defining humanity and determining boundaries on desire, thought, communication, behavior, and manufacturing. Some, notably Ray Kurzweil have predicted that by the middle of the century there will be a Technological Singularity if artificial intelligence that outsmart humans is created. If these AIs then create even smarter AI's technological change will accelerate in ways that are impossible for us to foresee. (However, gradual and simultaneous use of AI technology to increase our own intelligence might prevent this from ever occurring.)"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/21st_century#

I think it's up to 21st century corporations if they use this(if it ever comes to this), for the better or for the worse of the people.

Assignment no.3

2008-07-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

First,the definition of downsizing:
DOWNSIZING
In a business enterprise, downsizing is reducing the number of employees on the operating payroll. Some users distinguish downsizing from a layoff , with downsizing intended to be a permanent downscaling and a layoff intended to be a temporary downscaling in which employees may later be rehired. Businesses use several techniques in downsizing, including providing incentives to take early retirement and transfer to subsidiary companies, but the most common technique is to simply terminate the employment of a certain number of people.

Why do Firms Downsize?
Downsizings began as the strategy of sickly corporations shedding workers in the face of weak demand, but soon, strong firms looking to boost shareholder value even further adopted the policy. Downsizing will be examined as a strategic option that management can exercise in order to boost equity value. Downsizing will be presented as a macro-economic phenomenon, having an impact on inflation, and therefore the rate at which stock prices are discounted and valued.

Here is an article that contains a company that has undergone downsizing:

"In recent news, Ameriquest Mortgage had closed 229 branch offices, and laid 3,800 employees off in Arizona and in other states (Business Journal, May 3rd, 2006). The California based company has operated in the mortgage lending business since 1980. It offers home loans and home equity loans to customers with less-than-perfect credit. The main reason for downsizing was the company's decision to shift toward a business model that emphasizes Internet and phone service over sales associates. The managers believe that this will help them to cope better with the rising interest rates and decreases in mortgage lending. Aseem Mital, the chief executive of the Ameriquest, announced that the company was moving strategically and decisively to remain a leader in an industry that was undergoing fundamental changes."

http://www.geocities.com/WallStreet/Exchange/4280/ch2.htm

http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci759501,00.html

http://searchwarp.com/swa68772.htm