The Technology Component

I n f o r m a t io n T e c h n o l o g y ( I T ) h a s c h a n g e d t h e w a y organisations function and carry out their activites.

Computers have fundamentally changed MIS from an abstract concept to concrete system that provide efficiency and transparency in the Oraganisation.

The Technology Component

Computer Hardware

CPU
Arithmetic Logic Unit

Primary Storage

Control Unit

Data Bus Address Bus Control Bus

Input Devices

Output Devices

Secondary Storage

The Technology Component

Software Categories
Application Software

System Software
Hardware

The Technology Component

Data Communication consists of
Data Processing & Transactions
Transaction is a fundamental organisational function Transmission : Media, networks and paths

Data Communication

Data Transmission

Processing :Getting/delivering the right message to the right receiver Control : Routing messages, structure maintenance.

Database Technology

At the heart of the Information Systems of an Organisation is the central repository of Organisation Data.

Databases
Data - raw facts/details DATABASE- A shared collection of logically related data. Models real-world enterprise.

Entities
students, courses, instructors Relationships Suman is currently taking MB101 Vijay is currently taking MB102 Abhishe k is currently taking MB103 but took MB101 last semester

Databases

Database Management System (DBMS)

large software package designed to store and manage databases

Your wallet is full of DB records

Driver's license Credit cards Gym membership Individual checks Rs. 500 notes (w/serial numbers) Maybe even photos (ids on back)

Databases are everywhere:

Why We Need DBMS?

There is an information explosion in today's society Need to keep accurate records
Advantages of using a DBMS fall into three main categories: Proper maintenance of the data Providing access to the data Maintaining security of the data

Traditional Approach
Applications developed in an ad -hoc and opportunistic manner Data requirements for applications derived independently Data files developed for individual applications Application programs are data dependent

Files Dedicated to Application Programs

reservation overdue loan data d a t a letters

reservation program

loan program

overdue loans program

reservation file

loan file

book person file file

Database Approach
Centralization of information management Data shared by different groups of users and application programs Integrity constraint handling Advanced facilities for backup and recovery

Data Sharing in a Database Environment

reservation overdue loan data data letters

reservation program

loan program

overdue loans program

DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

book reserv loan ation

person

Interacting with a Database

DBMS
Database

Application Programs

End Users

Advantages
Sharing of data Enforcement of security Enforcement of development and maintenance standards Reduction of redundancy Avoidance of inconsistency across files Maintenance of integrity Data independence

3-levels Architecture
EXTERNAL LEVEL (individual view) VIEW 1 VIEW 2

CONCEPTUAL LEVEL (community view)

Structural Properties & Constraints

INTERNAL LEVEL (storage view)

Logical Representation of Stored Records

Complete DBMS
Hardware Software

Utilities
Data Users Procedures

Hardware
The actual computer system used for keeping and accessing the database. Large organization usually has a networ with a central server and many client programs running on desktops. Smaller organizations may have the DBMS and its clients reside in a single computer.

Software
The actual DBMS.
Allows the users to communicate with the database. Controls access Includes utilities Report writers Application development tools Examples of DBMS software Microsoft SQL Server Oracle Corporation Personal OracleTM IBM DB2TM

Data
The database should contain all the data needed by the organization. Emphasis is on the relevant data pertaining to one or more objects or entities. Entity: a thing of significance about which information needs to be known.
The characteristics that describe or qualify an entity are called attributes of the entity.

Data continued...
For each attribute, the set of possible values that the attribute can take is called the domain of the attribute.
The domain of the date of birth would be all the dates that might be reasonable in the student body. No date in the 1700s would be expected.

Undergraduate class levels would probably be restricted to Part I Part II Part III No other values would be allowed.

Users
Each type of user needs different software capabilities:
The database administrator (DBA) is the person or group in charge of implementing the database system within the organization. The end users are the people who sit at workstations and interact directly with the system. The application programmers interact with the database by accessing the data from programs written in high-level languages such as Visual Basic etc.

Procedures
An integral part of any system is the set of procedures that control the behavior of the system. The actual practices the users follow to obtain, enter, maintain, and retrieve the data. For example, in a payroll system, how are the hours worked received by the clerk and entered into the system? Exactly when are monthly reports generated and to whom are they sent?

Data Models
Models generally allow people to conceptualize an abstract idea more easily
Model airplanes Model homes

A data model is a way of explaining the logical layout of the data and the relationship of various parts to each other and the whole.
Different data models have been used throughout the years.

Classification of DBMS
1 .Classical DBMS 2. New Directions Extended Relational Object-Oriented Distributed Hierarchical Network Relational

Data Models continued...

The Relational Database Model:
Relational database management systems, where all data are kept in tables or relations. More flexible & easy to use. Almost any item of data can be accessed more quickly than the other models. Retrieval time is reduced so that interactive access becomes more feasible.

This is what is referred to as Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)

0bject 0riented Database 00DBMS

Handle big and complex data that relational databases could not. Joining of object-oriented programming with database technology, which provides an integrated application development system.

0bject 0riented Database 00DBMS

Object Relational - ORDBMS

RDBMS extended to include Object Oriented concepts and structures. Handle new types of data such as audio, video, and image files that relational databases were not equipped to handle.
Advantages of ORDBMS it allows organizations to continue using their existing systems, without having to make major changes. it allows users and programmers to start using object-oriented systems in parallel.

ACID properties
ACID properties are an important concept for databases. The acronym stands for Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, and Durability. A single logical operation on the data is called a transaction. E x a mp le : tra n sf er o f f u n d s f ro m o n e a c c o unt to another. The ACID properties guarantee that such transactions are processed reliably.

ACID properties
Atomicity guarantees that one account won't be debited if the other is not credited as well. Consistency a transaction can't break the rules, or integrity constraints, o f t h e d a t a b a s e . I f a n i n t e g r i t y constraint states that all accounts must have a positive balance, then any transaction violating this rule will be aborted. Isolation This means that no operation outside the transaction can ever see the data in an intermediate state; Durability refers to the guarantee that once the user has been notified of success, the transaction will persist, and not be undone.

MIS Design

The Concept of '

Systems' is of
MIS

pivotal importance in

What is a System?
Systems are created to solve problems. Systems approach is an organized way of dealing with a problem.

Defining a System
A collection of components that wor together to realize some objective forms a system
Three Major Components

Fox Example
Human body - a complete natural system. National systems - political system, economic system, educational system

System Life Cycle

Organisational process of developing and maintaining systems. Helps to establish a system project plan.

Phases of SDLC

System Study
problem identification and project initiation background analysis inference or findings

Feasibility Study
Workability, Meeting user's requirements, Effective use of resources Cost effectiveness.

System Analysis
Specification of the new system Functional hierarchy Identify Data items

System Design
preliminary or general design Structure or detailed design
Tools and techniques used for designing:

Flowchart Data flow diagram (DFDs) Data dictionary Structured English Decision table Decision tree

Coding
Coding the new system into computer programming language. Defined procedures transformed into control specifications Programming phase - computer instructions.

Testing
A test run of the system
Unit testing System testing Black box testing

Implementation
theory is turned into practice Parallel run Pilot run

User training

Maintenance
The review of the system is done for: knowing the required changes or the additional requirements studying the performance

If a major change to a system is needed, a new project is set up to carry out the change. The new project will then proceed through all the above life cycle phases.

Information System & Quality

ATMs Computerised Railway Bookings Telephone Network

We do not expect them to fail!

Quality

"Quality indicates the degree of excellence of a product or service"

MIS Quality?
Information is critical resource for organization. Low quality information adversely affect the performance of organization. Thus Quality assurance of information product is critical, and Evaluation of efficiency and effectiveness of MIS is necessary.

Quality Factors
Reliability C o r r ec t n es s Maintainability Security Reusability Portability Userfriendliness

Quality of MIS application is relative to its users Primary and secondary users, operations personnel, control personnel, maintenance personnel etc. It has following quality characteristics Complete data : All items are captured Accurate data : The correct data are recorded Understandable output : Timely output Relevant output

Meaning full output : Formatted properly

User friendly operations : Error resistant operation : Procedures for detection and correction

Authorized use :
Protected system and operations : Security and recovery during failure

Duties of Top management for Quality control and assurance

Establish overall organization structure for Information system. Select information system executive Approve plan , budget, major hardware, software etc Review results against plans and evaluate performance of information system

Duties of Information system executive

Establish and supervise quality assurance procedures for MIS Establish and supervise various information system control functions Establish and monitor procedures to measure and report evidence of quality as errors, downtime, reruns, application repair maintenance. The major functions of quality control and assurance are 1. Librarian : to maintain all programs, files, documents 2. Processing control : inputs by and distributing outputs to authorized recipients, maintaining error log 3. Access control : follow up of violation in access rules 4. Database administration 5. Back up and recovery 6. Application development quality assurance : review of adequacy of testing during development

Duties of User quality control and assurance

1.Knowledge of context of data : e.g Record showing a person born in 1961 and graduated in 1975. The procedure should exist to facilitate reporting and correcting of such instance. 2.User participation in both input and output : checking the o/p data with other data as listing of accounts receivable with the accounting ledger 3.Organizational control principle of separation of functions : One person can detect the error done by another person , reduces fraud cases

Quality assurance for application

25 50 % of activities and programs codes are for quality assurance Organizational commitment to quality : extra effort and expenses for both maintenance and operations Information processing discipline : Following established procedures

QA in application development can be operated in cooperative mode , adversary mode or combined QA in application design state tend to have low error rates. E.g design of input screen, document, visual verification, sufficient information on output

Maintenance of Application quality :

If enhancement are not made, users may switch to alternative source of information.

Maintenance of data quality depends on

1. Length of error-effect cycle : billing file vs employee information file 2. User provider link: Organisation cannot impose its own quality control standards on data obtained from an external source s 3. Provider data discipline : data accuracy, completeness from Accounting function vs sales function

Case study A university is faced with the problem of maintaining the accuracy and completeness of data in student transcripts. The providers of the data are removed from users. In fact, many uses may occur after the student has graduated. The duration from the time an error is made to the errors having effect can therefore be very long. There is no natural, easy verification of the transcript data. All these factors contribute to quality problems . Offsetting these are good data discipline in the transcript office and well established, regular procedures. One university sends each student a copy of his or her transcripts with a request that student identify the error and return the transcript for correction. Question : 1. Is this procedure a good example of quality assurance over data? Justify 2. What other quality assurance procedures might be necessary or feasible?

MUM Al

Information Security & Control

I.T and Computers have bought `Information Age'

The spread of Internet & relative ease of access made easier `Information Breach'

Information Breach

Unauthorised reading of data Unauthorised modification of data Unauthorised destruction of data

Why break I.T. System Security?

Revenge Money Notoriety The challenge of doing "IT"

Information Security
Your future is not secure if your information is not secure

Information

Resources need to be

guarded, protected and controlled

Security Threats

The External Threats The Internal Threats

Security Threats

The External Threats

Organisation's
to Internet

connection

Corporate Network

Firewall

Internet

Public Access Private Access

Security Threats

The Internal Threats

Passwords

User Termination Special Privilege IDs

Access Reviews

The

Greatest
Security Threats Come

Authorisation levels
User information

Routine maintenance Software updates Virus checking / checks Physical considerations Audit Trails

from
within

We may never be able to eliminate all the security risks

But we can make it very very hard for them to do so.

Implement short term. Plan long-term.