ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS

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IMT CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING
GHAZIABAD
Distance Learning Programme
COMPUTER AIDED MANAGEMENT
Notes:
a. Write answers in your own words as far as possible and refrain from
copying from text books/handouts.
b. All answers should be of 200 words.
c. Write on one side of the paper.
d. Answers of Assignments I, II, III and IV (Case Studies) must be sent
together.
e. Mail the answer sheet along with the copy of the assignment for evaluation
and return.
FIRST SET OF ASSIGNMENTS Assignment-I = 5 Marks
ASSIGNMENT-I
1. What do you understand by the term ‘Internet Protocol’? Describe the
commonly used protocols that help in
high-performance network communication.
2. Describe the various networking components and discuss the benefits and
drawbacks of the different types of
network topology.
3. What are the advantages of adopting Database Management Systems
(DBMS) in the domain of computer
aided management? Define the term ‘schema’ in the context of DBMS.
4. What is the significance of the ‘master slide’ while creating a presentation
in PowerPoint?
5. Explain the process of performing the following actions in an Excel
spreadsheet: entering formulas, formatting
cells, text wrapping, data filtering and creating scenarios.
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SECOND SET OF ASSIGNMENTS Assignment-II = 5 Marks
ASSIGNMENT-II
1. What are the benefits of the following facilities in MS Word: Mail Merge,
Header and Footer, AutoCorrect,
AutoFormat, AutoText?
2. Describe the evolution of MS Windows right from the beginning to its
present stage. In what ways do you think
the Windows operating system has improved over the years?
3. What do you understand by the term ‘operating system’? List the key
features of the LINUX operating system.
4. What are the different classifications for computer languages? Write a few
lines on the following high-level
computer languages: FORTRAN, COBOL, BASIC, PASCAL, ADA, LISP, C and C+
+.
5. What are the different elements of ‘Multimedia’? In what ways does it
improve interactivity? Discuss.
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THIRD SET OF ASSIGNMENTS Assignment-III = 5 Marks
ASSIGNMENT-III
1. Define ‘Dumb’, ‘Smart’, ‘Intelligent’ and ‘X’ terminals and describe the
differences between an LCD display
and a CRT display.
2. Explain the functions of the following devices: OMR, MICR, OBR, Digitizer,
Electronic Card Readers, Smart
Cards.
3. Elucidate on the following: Static and Dynamic RAM, ROM, and Cache
Memory.
4. Is it true that by increasing the processor speed, (or clock speed) one can
improve the performance of a
computer? Give reasons to support your answer.
5. What are the different characteristics of a computer that make it a ‘must
have’ in today’s environment?
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FOURTH SET OF ASSIGNMENTS Case Studies = 5 Marks
Case 1: High-Speed Multiservice-Enabled Network
The New technology Network Architecture at the institute consists of laying
down the foundations for a high-speed
multiservices network capable of providing the basic connectivity services
and also facilitating the New World technology
drivers so as to empower the faculty and the students with the newest of
learning tools and infrastructure.
Also the multiservices network has innovative and state-of-the-art
applications, supported on the network. Few examples
are:
LAN IP telephony
Videoconferencing
Video on demand learning
Content management
Media server
Secured and fast Internet access
Converged voice, video, and data network
High speed Gigabit backbone
This enables the users of the network to learn the latest technology which is
very much required by them in their future
assignments and jobs. The network enables the flow of modern teaching
methods, and also allows the students to learn
more from the network itself, as it deploys the latest and the proven Internet
technologies, that a management and
computer technology learning Institute can benefit from.
With the new technology, it is possible to create a centre of excellence in
association with CISCO for learning networkrelated
technology at the institute. This will not only facilitate value addition to the
MBA and MCA students but also train
the other institutes in the region on this technology.
The Distance Learning Programme (DLP), which is the fastest growing
education area, is going to derive the maximum
benefit out of the multiple and diverse service offerings such as video on
demand, videoconferencing and multicasting.
Questions:
1. Discuss the features of a high-speed multiservice network. What network
topology is most suitable for the
above network? Give reasons to support your answer.
2. How can you protect the above network from unauthorized access from
outsiders and prevent own users from
accessing undesired websites?
3. What great opportunities are offered by Internet-based technologies for
the society in general and specifically
for teachers and the student community?
4. What are the various methods of connecting to the Internet? What
connectivity do you recommend for the
above network that has integrated 700 nodes?
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Case 2
If his department’s access to the online services technical and vendor forums
were cut off tomorrow, it would ‘severely
hamper our network upgrades across the board said Fred Hegner, Director of
Application Development at Bergan
Mercy Health System, Inc., in Dallas. At Bergan, as at many other companies,
information systems staffers are increasingly
tapping into online networks like CompuServe and the Internet as a place to
fetch software patches from vendors or to
monitor discussion forums on the latest technical developments on myriad
computing and networking subjects.
Using the ‘Net’ to search for employees is also a growing trend. For example,
one IS manager hit upon a way to resolve
some of his technical issues and scout new talent at the same time. He posts
especially thorny technical problems in the
relevant Usenet discussion groups and watches for the best replies, then
sends them an e-mail message. One of the key
uses of Internet e-mail at Jacob’s Engineering Group in Pasadena California,
says Jim LoSasso, Vice President of IS, is
contact with suppliers and potential customers. ‘We request pricing
information to get back replies very quickly’, he
said. The company also collects weekly work bids from the government,
‘which we pass along-salespeople.’
Next to exchanging e-mail and monitoring technical chats, by far the most
popular application of online networks in IS
groups involves downloading software patches from vendors. At Ore-Ida
Foods Inc., all our upgrades for Apple software
products come via the Internet file transfer protocol’, said an information
technologist at Ore-Ida.
Questions:
1. How do IS groups use the Internet and other online networks?
2. How do you envision people in other business areas (marketing, finance
etc.) using these networks?
3. What sort of Usenet discussion groups is being referred to in the above
case?
4. What do you mean by ‘downloading software patches?’