Chapter 5: Database Processing

Ch.5

Summary

Databases are widely used. They make for easy access and traceability. A database model should be made before the construction of the database since it’s easier to make changes to the data before its construction. There are many factors that go into the database, so there’s been three new categories of database management systems created.

Q5-1 What Is the Purpose of a Database?

Databases are used to keep track of multiple things for easy access.

Q5-2 What is a database

Database is a collection of integrated records that can be broken down as followed: byte (character of data), columns/fields (grouped bytes), rows/records (grouped fields), table/file (grouped rows). A database shows the records and the relationships within those records.

Relationships Among Rows

Rows from one table can relate to rows in another table and every table must have key. A key/primary key can be group of columns that identify a unique row in a table. A foreign key are keys of a different table than the one in which they reside. A relational database carries its data in the form of tables that represent relationships of the data using foreign keys.

Metadata

Metadata/field properties can be defined as data that describes data and can have different formats. Metadata eliminates guessing and remembering.

Q5-3 What is a Database Management System (DBMS)?

Database Management System (DBMS) is typically a software program acquired from a vendor used to create, process, and administer a database. Many vendors include IBM (DB2), Microsoft (Access and SQL Server), Oracle (Oracle Database), and MySQL. DBMS has three functions: creating the database and its structures, processing the database, and administering the database.

Creating the Database and Its Structures

DBMS are used by database developers to create tables, relationships, and structures within the database using metadata. It is easy to make changes.

Processing the Database

A DBMS provides services for 4 processing operations to assist with processing complex databases: to read, insert, modify, or delete data. Many DBMS products utilize Structured Query Language (SQL) which is an international standard language for processing a database. SQL is also used to create databases and database structures.

Administering the Database

This involves many tasks such as: setting up security systems (user accounts, passwords, permission, etc), backing up database data, adding structures to improve performance of applications, and removing unwanted data.

Q5-4 How Do Database Applications Make Databases More Useful?

Database Applications make table data informative and easily updated using forms (view data, insert new, update existing, delete existing), reports (structured presentation of data), queries (search based on data values provided by the user), and application programs (provide security, data consistency, and special purpose processing).

Traditional Forms, Queries, Reports, and Application Programs

Traditional forms typically appear in window-like display to view/insert/modify/delete data. Traditional reports are statistic displays of data formatted in a meaningful way to the user. Traditional database application programs are thich applications installed on computers and are written in object oriented languages (C++/VisualBasic).

Browser Forms, Reports, Queries, and Applications

These are displayed and processed using html, html5, css3, and JavaScript. A graphical query is when query criteria are created when the user clicks on a graphic. Browser applications are very vulnerable and lack security.

Multi-user Processing

Multiple users process the same database in most traditional and browser-based applications; it’s common. Its main problem is lost-update problem; solution: some type of locking should be used to coordinate activities of the users

Q5-5 How Are Data Models Used for Database Development?

Database structures can be complex, so before constructing the database developers create a data model (logical rep. of database data i.e. blueprint)

What is the Entity-Relationship Data Model?

E-R is a tool for constructing data models by describing the content of a data through defining of entities and their relationships. Unified Modeling Language (UMI) is a less popular tool for data modeling. Entity is a thing that you want to track; each entity has attributes, which are characteristics that describe the entity. An attribute or group of attributes that is only associated with one entity instance is called an Identifier. Three types of relationships: 1-to-1 (1:1 ex. marriage), 1-to-many (1:N ex. one department, many advisors), Many-to-many (N:M ex. advisors, students)

Q5-6 How is Data Model Transformed into a Database Design?

Database design is converting a data model into tables, relationships, and data constraints. It also changes entities into tables and express relationships by defining foreign keys. It’s complicated like data modeling.

Normalization

Converting a poorly structured table into two or more well-structured tables is called Normalization; it’s easy for a table to become malformed.  Goal: Construct tables with single theme or entity. Purpose: Minimize data integrity problems. An example of a Data Integrity Problem is when some rows state that the name of Department 100 is “Accounting and Finance” while another row would state that Department 100’s name is “Accounting”.  These problems are serious because these tables will produce incorrect and inconsistent results, but they occur only if data is duplicated. Databases classify tables into normal forms depending on the type of problems they have.

Representing Relationships: Using foreign keys to create a relationship between two or more tables; linking data.

Users’ Role in the Development of Databases

A database is a model of how users view their business world, which means they have the final say in what data should be contained in the database and how the records relate to one another. The data modeling stage is the easiest time to change the database structure.

Q5-7 How Can Falcon Security Benefit from a Database System?

They benefit by having an easier way to locate specific data in a shorter time-period and be able to leave comments after analyzing the data. For example, finding videos by querying their characteristics. Falcon could use MongoDB, which is an open source document-oriented DBMS that stores video footage in the same database as the metadata or they can just build an Access database to store the metadata.

Q5-8 2026?

Volume of database continues to grow. Cheap, unlimited storage, greater processing speeds do in relational databases. Security becomes more important. ACID: Atomic, Consistent, Isolated, Durable transactions, Critical to traditional commercial applications and new Internet applications (Twitter) don’t need ACID. Many NoSQL, NewSQL, and in-memory databases exist in commerce. NoSQL DBMS (NotRelational DBMS) new DBMS products, support high transaction rates processing simple data structures, replicated on many servers in the cloud, no ACID transaction support. Ex: MongoDB, Cassandra, Bigtable, Dynamo. NewSQL DBMS: process high transaction level. Provides ACID support, may or may not support relational model. Hotbed of development with new vendors. In-Memory DBMS: process databases in main memory, they usually support or extend the relational model. High volume ACID transaction support with complex relational query processing. Ex: SAP HANA, Tableau Software.

Three Things I learned

1) The purpose of a database is to organize and keep track of things such as keeping track of multiple themes. The general rule is that when you have a single theme, you store it in a spreadsheet and when you have multiple themes, then you use a database. Examples of themes are student grades, student emails, and student office visits.

2) Using normalization, each entity will be represented with a table, where the entity identifier becomes the table key and the entity’s attributes become table columns. One will normalize the tables as needed. The database will use foreign keys to represent relationships. However, one will need to add additional tables for many-to-many relationships.

3) I didn’t realize how important the users are to developing the database. Users are the “final judges”; they decide what kind of data the database will consist of. Thorough the review of a data model, entities must contain all the data users need to do their jobs and must accurately reflect their view of the business. If the wrong data model is used, then the applications will be hard to use.

Chapter 4: Hardware, Software, and Mobile Systems

Summary: For someone to understand MIS it’s important to understand the basics of hardware and software concepts. Two major software concepts to understand are open source and closed source. Knowing the difference between native and web applications is also an essential to understand why mobile devices and systems are so vital to today’s market and business practices. Many companies are beginning to switch from providing devices to their employees to do work on to requiring employees to bring their own devices to work.
Q4-1 What Do Business Professionals Need to Know About Computer Hardware? Computing Hardware: a device that consists of electronic components that can input, process, output, and store data.
Hardware Components: Central Processing Unit (CPU): Brain of computer. Dual-processor: computer with 2 CPU’s. Main Memory/RAM (random access memory): CPU reads data and instructions and then stores results of computations in main memory. Storage Hardware: used to save data and programs.
Types of Hardware: In today’s age, there are many types of hardware such as: desktop computers, personal computers (PC’s), tablets, smart phones, servers, and server farms.
Computer Data: Computer data is inputted as binary digits (bits) which are 1’s and 0’s. These binary digits take up memory space known as computer data sizes such as: kilobyte/KB (collection of 1,024 bytes), megabyte/MB, Gigabyte/GB, Terabyte/TB, petabyte/PB, exabyte/EB, and zettabyte/ZB. CPU speed is expressed in cycles called hertz. Cache and main memory are volatile, magnetic and optical disks are nonvolatile.
Q4-2 How Can New Hardware Affect Competitive Strategies?
Internet of Things (IoT): The internet of things in the connection of devices to the internet to interact with one another. Smartphones and smart devices have revolutionized IoT.
Self-Driving Cars: Self-driving cars make things easier because the driver no longer has to be concerned with the actual driving. This means less time prepping for long trips. They would also eliminate the need to own multiple cars because no one “needs” the car to get to and from places, you can have it pick you up/drop you off and then the next person can use it. Self-driving cars can disrupts businesses in transportation, finance, insurance, manufacturing, real estate.
3D Printing
Q4-3 What Do Business Professionals Need to Know About Software?
Operating system(OS): program that controls the computer’s resources such as: read/write data, allocate main memory, perform memory swapping, start/stop programs, respond to error conditions, facilitate backup/recovery. Two types of applications, narrative (thick client) and web (thin client).
What Are the Major Operating Systems?
Desktop/PC: Windows, Mac OS, Unix, Linux. Mobile: Symbian, Blackberry OS, iOS, Android, Windows 10. Servers: Window Server, Unix, Linux.
Virtualization: There are 3 types of virtualization. PC: hosts several different operating systems. Server: server computer costs one or more other server computers (key role in cloud vendors). Desktop: servers hosts many versions of desktop operating systems.
What Types of Applications Exist, and How Do Organizations Obtain Them?
Horizontal-market applications provides capabilities common across all organizations and industries such as word processors and spreadsheets. Vertical Market Applications serve the needs of a specific industry such as scheduling appointments or tracking inventory. One-of-a-kind software is developed for a specific and unique need such as for the U.S. department of defense.
Q4-4 Is Open Source Software a Viable Alternative?
Internet became great asset to open source projects such as: LibreOffice, Firefox, Apache, Android, and Hadoop.
Why Do Programmers Volunteer Their Service?
This allows for programmers to collaborate on open source codes helping fix problems, create a better code, or just do small alterations to improve existing codes. One of the reasons why technology continuously evolves.
Q4-5 What Are the Differences between Native and Web Applications?
Developing Native Applications: Specific computer applications use a programming language that allows the application to perform fast and use memory efficiency; downside is native applications only run operating system they are programmed for. Example Mac OS/iOS applications constructed using Java. Cost of Native Applications is high.
Developing Web Applications: Web applications run on any operating system and device with possible slight differences depending on the web browser and/or device. Web applications are a lot cheaper than native applications.
Q4-6 Why Are Mobile Systems Increasingly Important?
Mobile systems are important because of the size of their market. Mobile devices have revolutionized the market thus increasing the need for mobile systems. People use their mobile devices to pretty much do everything.
Hardware: Many companies are learning that PC’s are becoming less relevant and mobile devices are an essential to stay in the market and keep the business alive.
Software: Because software is constantly changing there are new opportunities to revolutionize the tech industry.
Q4-7 What Are the Challenges of Personal Mobile Devices at Work?
Organizations are happy employees buy their own devices instead of having to produce them but hate that they have no control over employees when it comes to using their mobile devices at work.
Advantage and Disadvantages of Employee Use of Mobile Systems at Work: Advantages include: cost savings, greater employee satisfaction, reduced need for training, higher productivity, and reduced support costs. Disadvantages include: data loss or damage, loss of control, compatibility problems, risk of infection, and greater support costs.
Survey of Organizational BYOD Policy: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy: they don’t exist, we’ll be a coffee shop, we’ll offer limited systems you can access from any device, you’re responsible for damage, we’ll check it out reload software then manage remotely, if you connect it we own it. Companies install mobile device management (MDM) software to maintain some form of control over the company’s data and information on the employees personal device.
3 Things I Took Away From This Chapter
1.       The difference between Native and Web applications. Developing Native Applications are specific computer applications use a programming language that allows it to perform fast and use memory efficiency. While Developing Web Applications run on any operating system and device with possible slight differences depending on the web browser and/or device. Web applications are also a lot cheaper than native applications. 

      2.    The importance mobile systems and mobile devices play in our market and business practices. For example, cell phone are no longer just used to make calls or send text messages, but are now used for everyday uses such as banking, shopping, and as a personal computer.
3.    Employers are switching from providing to employees at the office to employees having to bring their own devices and the software businesses use to maintain some type of control over the business data employees have access to on their devices.

Chapter 3: Strategy and Information Systems

Chapter 3

Summary

Organizational strategy determines Information System structure with the help of Porter’s Five Forces model. Following, organizations use Porter’s Four Competitive Strategies to then determine the Value Chain structure. Business processes are throughout the value chain; it’s key to competitive advantage to streamline business processes to increase margin. In response to competitive forces, organizations use competitive techniques created via product and services and via business process development, which are categorized into 8 principles.

Topics and Details

Q3-1 How Does Organizational Strategy Determine Information Systems Structure?

Competitive strategy determines an org.’s goals and objectives and an IS structure, features, and functions. Michael Porter developed 3 models that show how org. strategy determines IS.

Q3-2 What Five Forces Determine Industry Structure?

Porter’s Five Forces model: used to asses industry structure, profitability, and sustainability. Competitive forces: bargaining power of customers, threat of substitutions, bargaining power of suppliers, and rivalry.

Q3-3 How Does Analysis of industry Structure Determine Competitive Strategy?

Porter’s Four Competitive Strategies: an org. can focus on being a cost leader or focus on differentiating its products/services from competitors. After choosing one of these strategies, the org. can choose to employ it across an industry or a specific industry segment.

Q3-4 How Does Competitive Strategy Determine Value Chain Structure?

Cost strategy: the org. activities would provide essential functions at the lowest cost possible. A Differentiation strategy: an org. may use costly processes but only if the benefits outweigh the costs. Value: “amount of money a customer is willing to pay for a resource, product, or service” Margin: “the difference between the value…activity generates and the cost of the activity” Value Chain: “a network of value-creating activities” – generic chain: 5 primary activities and 4 support activities (indirectly involved in the production, sale, and service of a product). Linkages: “interactions across value activities”

Q3-5 How Do Business Processes Generate Value?

Business Process: “a network of activities that generate value by transforming inputs into outputs” Cost: “cost of the inputs plus the cost of the activities” Activity: “a business function that receives inputs and produces outputs” Repository: “a collection of something”- ex. database is a collection of data. Business processes span throughout the value chain activities, but vary in cost and effectiveness. Key to competitive advantage is streamlining business processes to increase margin. Change in business processes is difficult; one reason is that employees will need to work in new ways and follow new procedures.

Q3-6 How Does Competitive Strategy Determine Business Processes and the Structure of Information Systems?

The cost strategy implanted business processes that minimize costs for itself and customers while the differentiation strategy focuses on providing a high-end service. The IS needed for each strategy is different; for example, the cost strategy uses a shoebox for its data facility and the differentiation strategy uses extensive IS like sales tracking and inventory databases. Customer interaction can also be different.

Q3-7 How Do Information Systems Provide Competitive Advantages?

Org. respond to the competitive forces and distill them into 8 principles. Competitive techniques are created via product and services or via business process development. The first 3 principles concern products or services. Orgs. gain competitive advantage by: “creating new products or services, by enhancing existing products or services, and by differentiating their products and services from those of their competitors”. The other 5 principles concern the process. Orgs. gain competitive advantages by locking in customers and buyers, locking in suppliers, raising barriers to market entry, establish alliances, and reduce costs.

Q3-8 2026?

It’s unlikely that business strategy and competitive advantages models, and their relationship to processes and IS will change in 10 years. It’s more likely that new models will arise but they will probably be extensions of the old ones. The pace of business will accelerate due to technological advantages. Self-driving cars will be a factor in competitive advantage since transportation is a major cost for many products.

Three things I learned

Competitive advantage plays a big role ensuring a business’ effectiveness and efficiency in the market. For businesses, it starts with the organizational strategy. The organization strategy determines the industry structure, where there are five forces of influence. Next, an industry structure analysis will determine the best competitive strategy for a business to use. There are two strategies, cost and differentiation, which can be used across an industry or in a specific industry segment. Then, the competitive strategy determines the value chain structure. It affects the 5 primary activities and the 4 support activities. Business processes span throughout the value chain so it is also determined by the competitive strategy and can be done by either a person or a computer. Competitive advantage also determines the best information systems a business should use to fulfill its business procedures.

There are five primary activities in the value chain. Inbound Logistics refers to receiving, storing, and disseminating inputs to the products. Operations/Manufacturing refers to transforming inputs into the final products. Outbound Logistics refers to collecting, storing, and physically distributing the product to buyers Sales and Marketing refers to inducing buyers to purchase the products and providing a means for them to do so. Customer Service refers to assisting customer’ use of the products and maintaining and enhancing the products’ value. They are the standard stages of manufacturing a product.

I know self-driving cars are becoming a big thing. They will reduce transportation costs dramatically for businesses but it also comes with major consequences. Many transport people like truckers will be out of jobs. Also, how will the businesses compensate for the lack of human presence? For example, truckers need to stop at weigh stations throughout their travels. Also, if the road is under construction or there’s a bridge that is too low to pass under, how will the A.I. deal with the need to change routes. I think a good option would be to have a person as an “operator” to keep an eye on the system and the road conditions and could take control of the situation if it runs into a problem.