Data and Information

Organisational Information Systems

This section focuses mainly on the software solutions, and associated hardware, that organisations use to control, sustain and grow their businesses. At different levels of an organisation, the systems used have differing purposes but all are vitally important to the efficient running of the business.

Emma's blog gets to the point of the levels of management in an organisation using these systems and clearly highlights the key points of one system in comparison to any other. A PDF of the presentation shown in class is provided here, but is much like Emma's blog post. Remember, if you have anything to add to the blog posts, comments are much more than welcome. When everyone contributes, everyone is a winner.

What questions on Organisational Information Systems have previously been asked in exams? Have a look here. And when you need a look at some worked solutions here you are.

OIS Management Strategies

There are 5 such strategies (or plans) to consider. Much of the detail within one strategy will have consequences in one or more of the other strategies.

A list of previous exam questions regarding strategies can be downloaded by clicking here. Where possible these questions have been broken into the 5 strategies listed. However, some questions involve a mixture of strategies and are not listed under any of the specific sub-topics. As the questions are from previous exams, there is duplication of questions. The more a question repeats, the more likely it is to be asked in future perhaps.

Again, here are some worked solutions but make sure you have attempted the questions to begin with.

Network Strategy

You have a business. It's growing. You make use of computers. You link them together. You have a network. Time to get serious - let's have a strategy to help to sustain future growth and safeguard the network.

Hardware - Client, Server, Hub, Switch, Router, Network Interface Card (NIC) and Repeater. What do these items of hardware do and how do they link together. The hardware available can be a factor in the architecture of the network - is it a peer to peer network or a client server network? How do each of these architectures operate and how do they compare with each other?

Software - Network Operating Systems exist on all client machines allow connection to a network. On a server, network management software is found allowing the network administrator to configure, fault find and monitor performance of the network. Other server software allows for monitoring of the network and its users and auditing, such as tracking how many computers are connected to the network and how many machines run a particular version of a piece of software. Server software allows administrators to configure network user accounts, setting disc quotas, access rights (read, write, create, delete, execute, modify).

Topology - The physical setup of nodes (such as computers and printers) on the network - ring, star, bus, mesh and tree. How do they work and compare against each other? Once the topology is established, a distributed database could be incorporated to prevent complete shutdown of the network when a server fails. How does this work?

Remember, your business and networking is growing. How to keep this progressing smoothly over a series of years? Structured cabling. This integrates all voice, video and data services together and leaves the network in a manageable manner, with room for future development and expansion.

Security Strategy

It sounds simple. Identify what the potential threats are to network security and find the methods to combat that threat.

Security risks come via hacking, malicious software and denial of service attacks (flooding a network device with traffic so that it cannot be used). Hackers in the first instance should be warned off by simple methods such as assigning passwords and setting access rights on the network. Not all users should have the same levels of access. When setting a network account consider users disc space allocation, whether they have the right to remote access, whether they require administrator access rights. Access rights can be read, write, execute, create, delete and modify. All legitimate network users should be aware of company procedures and policies regarding network use. The British Computer Society have their own policies which cover their members to help to provide ease of mind when any member is working within a company.

Malicious software involves viruses, trojans and worms. Viruses can be one of 6 types - boot sector, file, multipartite, macro, polymorphic and stealth. Trojans include keyloggers and spyware. Worms, like viruses are code that spreads and unleash their payload. Unlike viruses, worms do not need to attach themselves to an existing program. Worms will generally always cause harm to the network, whereas viruses corrupt files on a targeted computer.

Encryption (such as using public key cryptography incorporating Secure Socket Layer), employing firewalls (to block unauthorised access to network services) and installing anti-virus software are key tools in combating the threat of malicious software and hacking.

Backup Strategy

The business is going well. Steps have been taken to ensure data is not hacked, prone to malicious software attacks etc. What about potential failures of hardware or accidental deletion of files by users? Better get a backup strategy.

Questions - what to backup, when to do it, how often to do it, where to store it, what media to use and how to do it. Once that lot have been tackled, hopefully, the question that will never have to be implemented. How is lost data recovered?

See below the Grandfather Father Son methodology in operation to answer much of the questions listed above.

 

Upgrade Strategy

Over time an organisational will purchase new hardware and software. Different pieces of hardware os software will be bought at different times to others. All the time, any hardware and software the organisation owns, must work effiently together. An upgrade strategy should focus on future proofing, compatibility and integration testing and support for legacy systems.

Future proofing should ensure that all resources purchased should have a lifespan of approximately 3 to 5 years. Buy today for what you may need tomorrow. Future prrofing can be simple - ensure you have the most up-to-date operating system and the greatest amount of memory and hard disc space, or at least the possibility of future expansion.

Compatibility testing checks that new hardware or software works effectively withing the current system. Do all of the following work together - databases, hardware, applications, operating system, network software and network servers and services?

Legacy systems are old, yet important systems. New computer hardware may be bought by an organisation, and the hardware has to run older database software. If the software is no longer compatible with the new hardware, how does the company proceeed? In this case, emulation can be the answer. Emulation involves one system imitating another on a system. Emulation can be accomplished by a peice of software or hardware. Whilst allowing old software to still function, emulation often comes at a price in that system performance is notably slower and more problematic under emulation.

 

Software Strategy

"Let's get some new software". Simple, eh? Perhaps not, especially if you are a large organisation where the core business has to function at least as smoothly as before the new software was in place.

For a software strategy, consider 4 main areas - Upgrading the software, evaluating the software, training support for staff and general user support.

Upgrading - Consider cost, time, risk, adaptability and support.

Evaluating - Functionality, performance, usability, compatibility, data migration, reliability, resource requirements, portability and support.

Training - On the job, in house and external courses.

User Support - Manuals, on-line help/tutorials, helpdesk, newsgroups and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Lots and lots of reading to do here. And then read some more.