Mis 309 Course Work

1. Explain what capacity planning is and how it can help a business prepare for growth.

A: Capacity planning determines future environmental infrastructure requirements to ensure high-quality system performance and can help prepare for growth because it determines how much production and resources are needed for potential sales.

2. Identify the benefits and challenges of cloud computing.

A: The benefits of cloud computing are:

On-Demand Self Service - Users can increase storage and processing power as needed

Broad Network Access - All devices can access data and applications

Multi-Tenancy - Customers share pooled computing resources

Rapid Elasticity - Storage, network bandwidth, and computing capacity can be increased or decreased immediately, allowing for optimal scalability

Measured Service - Clients can monitor and measure trasactions and use of resources

The challenges of cloud computing are related to security and privacy of the cloud environment and with the availability and downtime of the internet connection - when it is down, cloud services are also down.

3. Describe the components of an agile MIS infrastructure and, for each, describe how each component supports Pandora’s business.

Agile MIS infrastructure includes the hardware, software, and telecommunications equipment that, when combined, provides the underlying foundation to support the organization's goals. An agile MIS infrastructure includes all of the following:

Accessibility refers to the varying levels that allow system users to access view, or perform operational functions.

Availability refers to the time frames when the system is operational.

Maintainability refers to how quickly a system transforms to support environmental changes.

Portability refers to the ability of an application to operate on different devices or software platforms, such as different operating systems.

Reliability corrects the systems funtions and provides accurate information

Scalability describes how a system can “scale up” or adapt to the increased demands of growth.

Usability is the degree to which a system is easy to learn and efficient and satisfying to use.

4. Describe the reasons why Pandora would create both a disaster recovery plan and a business continuity plan.

A disaster recovery plan is a detailed process for recovering information or a system in the event of a catastrophic disaster. This plan includes such factors as which files and systems need to have backups and their corresponding frequency and methods along with the strategic location of the storage in a separate physical site that is geographically dispersed. A disaster recovery plan also foresees the possibility that not only the computer equipment but also the building where employees work may be destroyed. A business continuity planning details how a company recovers and restores critical business operations and systems after a disaster or extended disruption. BCP includes such factors as identifying critical systems, business processes, departments, and the maximum amount of time the business can continue to operate without functioning systems. BCP contains disaster recovery plans along with many additional plans, including prioritizing business impact analysis, emergency notification plans, and technology recovery strategies.

5. Describe how cloud computing can affect Pandora’s business model.

A: Cloud computing could change not only the way businesses operate, but also the way people interact with technology. Cloud computing offers new ways to store, access, process, and analyze information and connect people and resources from any location in the world an Internet connection is available. Users connect to the cloud from their personal computers or portable devices by using a client, such as a web browser. To these individual users, the cloud appears as their personal application, device, or document. It is like storing all of your software and documents in the cloud, and all you need is a device to access the cloud. No more hard drives, software, or processing power—that is all located in the cloud, transparent to the users.

6.        (5 points) Describe how a database turns data elements into information.

a:Database turn data elements by maintains information with the database management system. The data is stored in the database and is retrieved by managers as information when needed

7.        Relational databases:

a.        (5 points) What are the characteristics of a relational database (that distinguish it from hierarchical databases)?

A relational database contains information in a series of two-dimensional tables structured to recognize relations between stored items of information whether hierarchical databases is data organized into a tree-like structure.