1. What are the special information requirements of an enterprise-sized corporation?
A large organization, or enterprise, requires special computing solutions because of its size and geographical extent. Enterprise computing involves the use of computers in networks, such as LANs and WANs, or a series of interconnected networks to satisfy the information needs of an enterprise. Executive management, which includes the highest management positions in a company, needs information to make strategic decisions. Middle management, which is responsible for implementing the strategic decisions of executive management, needs information to make tactical decisions. Operational management, which supervises the production, clerical, and other non-management employees, needs information to make an operational decision that involves day-to-day activities. Non-management employees also need information to perform their jobs and make decisions.Managers use business intelligence (BI), business process management (BPM), andbusiness process automation (BPA) tools to focus on information that is important to the decision-making process.
2. What Information Systems and Software Are Used in the Functional Units of an Enterprise?
An information system is a set of hardware, software, data, people, and procedures that work together to produce information. In an enterprise, the individual functional units have specialized requirements for their information systems. Accounting and financial systems manage transactions and help budget, forecast, and analyze. A human resources information system (HRIS) manages human resources functions. An employee relationship management (ERM) system automates and manages communications between employees and the business. Computer-aided design (CAD) assists engineers in product design, andcomputer-aided engineering (CAE) tests product designs. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) controls production equipment, and computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) integrates operations in the manufacturing process. Material Requirements Planning (MRP) uses software to help monitor and control processes related to production. A quality control system helps an organization maintain or improve the quality of its products or services and typically includes quality control software. A marketing information system serves as a central repository for marketing tasks. Sales force automation (SFA) software equips salespeople with the electronic tools they need.Distribution systems control inventory, manage and track shipping, and provide information and analysis on warehouse inventory. Customer interaction management (CIM) software manages day-to-day interactions with customers. Web site management programs collect data to help organizations make informed decisions regarding their Web presence. Security software enables the IT department to limit access to sensitive information.
3. What Information Systems Are Used throughout an Enterprise?
Some general purpose information systems, called enterprise-wide systems, are used throughout an enterprise. An office information system (OIS) enables employees to perform tasks using computers and other electronic devices. A transaction processing system (TPS) captures and processes data from day to day business activities. A management information system (MIS) generates accurate, timely, and organized information, so that users can make decisions, solve problems, supervise activities, and track progress. Adecision support system (DSS) helps users analyze data and make decisions. An expert system captures and stores the knowledge of human experts and then imitates human reasoning and decision making. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems manage information about customers. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) provides centralized, integrated software to help manage and coordinate the ongoing activities of an enterprise. A content management system (CMS) is a combination of databases, software, and procedures that organizes and allows access to various forms of documents and files
4. What Are Types of Technologies Used throughout an Enterprise?
Technologies used throughout an enterprise include the following items. A portal is a collection of links, content, and services presented on a Web page and designed to guide users to related to their jobs. A data warehouse is a huge database that stores and manages the data required to analyze historical and current transactions. An enterprise’s communications infrastructure consists of hardware (such as wired and wireless network connections and devices, routers, firewalls, and servers), software (such as e-mail, instant messaging, VoIP, and server management), and procedures for using and managing hardware and software. An extranet allows customers or suppliers to access part of an enterprise’s intranet. Web services allow businesses to create products and B2B interactions over the Internet. Many enterprises employ a service is oriented architecture (SOA) to allow better communications and services between diverse information systems. A document management system (DMS) allows for storage and management of a company’s documents. A workflow application assists in the management and tracking of the activities in a business process from start to finish. A virtual private network (VPN) provides users with a secure connection to a company’s network server.
5. What Are Virtualization, Cloud Computing, and Grid Computing?
Virtualization is the practice of sharing or pooling computing resources, such as servers and storage devices. Server virtualization provides the capability to divide a physical server logically into many virtual servers; storage virtualization provides the capability to create a single logical storage device from many physical storage devices. Cloud computing is an Internet service that provides computing needs to computer users. Grid computing, which often is used in research environments, combines many servers and /or personal computers on a network to act as one large computer. Cloud and grid computing usually charge a fee based on usage or processing time.
6. What Are the Computer Hardware Needs and Solutions for an Enterprise?
Enterprise hardware allows large organizations to manage and share information and data using devices geared for maximum availability and efficiency. Enterprises use a variety of hardware types to meet their large-scale needs. A RAID (redundant array of independent disks) is a group of integrated disks that duplicates data and information to improve data reliability. Network attached storage (NAS) is a server that provides storage for users and information systems attached to the network. A storage area network (SAN) is a high speed network that provides storage to other servers. An enterprise storage system uses a combination of techniques to consolidate storage so that operations run efficiently. A blade server, sometimes called an ultradense server, packs a complete computer server on a single card, or blade, rather than a system unit. A thin client is a small, terminal-like computer that mostly relies on a server for data storage and processing.
7. What Are High Availability, Scalability, and Interoperability?
The availability of hardware to users is a measure of how often it is online. A high-availability system continues running and performing at least 99 percent of the time. Scalability is the measure of how well computer hardware, software, or an information system can grow to meet an enterprise’s increasing performance demands. An information system often must share information, or have interoperability, with other information systems within the enterprise.
8. Why Is Computer Backup Important, and How Is It Accomplished?
A backup duplicates a fi le or program to protect an enterprise if the original is lost or damaged. A full, or archival, backup copies all of the programs and files in a computer. A differential backup copies only files that have changed since the last full backup. An incremental backup copies only fi les that have changed since the last full or incremental backup. A selective, or partial, backup allows users to back up specific files. Continuous data protection (CDP), or continuous backup, is a backup plan in which data is backed up whenever a change is made. Backup procedures specify a regular plan
9. What Are the Steps in a Disaster Recovery Plan?
A disaster recovery plan describes the steps a company would take to restore computer operations in the event of a disaster. A disaster recovery plan contains four components. Theemergency plan specifies the steps to be taken immediately after a disaster strikes. Thebackup plan stipulates how a company uses backup fi les and equipment to resume information processing. The recovery plan identifies the actions to be taken to restore full information processing operations. The test plan contains information for simulating disasters and recording an organization’s ability to recover.
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