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Computer Information

System

I T M
UNIVERSITY

ONLINE
Computer Information System

Table of Content eBook

1. Introduction to Information Systems 5

1.1 Introduction 6

1.2 Information Systems 7

1.3 M e a n i n g of Information Management 8

1.4 Components of Information Management 10

1. 5 Types of Information Systems 14

1.6 Application Architecture 18

1. 7 Impact of Information Technology 21

1.8 Chapter Summary 24

2. Software Systems: Models and Architecture 25

2.1 Introduction 26

2.2 Defining Software System 27

2.3 Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) 29

2.4 Life Cycle Models and Methodologies 32

2.5 Role of Architecture in Software Development 40

2.6 Types of Architectural Patterns 42

2.7 Chapter Summary 46

3. Software Systems: Design and Development 47

3.1 Introduction 48

3.2 Software Design 49

3.3 Design Principles 53

3.4 Software Design Concepts 55

3.5 Software Design Methodologies 57

3.6 Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) 60

3.7 Data Flow Diagram (DFD) 62

3.8 Chapter S u m m a r y 66

4. Database Management System 67

4.1 Introduction 68

4.2 File O r g a n i z a t i o n Terms and Concepts 69

4.3 Traditional File Processing 73

4.4 Problems with Traditional File Processing 75

4.5 Database Approach to Data Management 76

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Table of Content eBook

4.6 C a p a b i l i t i e s of D B M S 80

4.7 Types of Database 81

4.8 Chapter S u m m a r y 85

5. Creating a Database Environment 86

5.1 Introduction 87

5.2 Designing Databases 88

5.3 Normalization 90

5.4 Entity-Relationship (ER) Diagram 92

5.5 Distributing Databases 95

5.6 Database Trends 97

5.7 Business Intelligence Tools 99

5.8 Data Mining 100

5.9 Chapter S u m m a r y 104

6. Telecommunications and Networking in Today's Business World 105

6.1 Introduction 106

6.2 Data Communication and Networking 107

6.3 Components of Networking 108

6.4 Basic Types of Network 109

6.5 Network Architecture 111

6.6 Network Protocols 113

6.7 Types of Topology 116

6.8 Transmission Media 120

6.9 Chapter S u m m a r y 123

7. Internet 124

7.1 Introduction 125

7.2 Internet Addressing 126

7.3 Types of Address 128

7.4 Uniform Resource Locator (URL) 130

7.5 Domain Name System ( D N S ) 131

7.6 World Wide Web (WWW) 132

7.7 Web Browsers 134

7.8 Search Engines 136

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7. 9 Difference between Intranet and Extra net 138

7.10 Creating Web Page using HTML 139

7.11 Chapter S u m m a r y 143

8. eCommerce 144

8.1 Introduction 145

8.2 Definition of eCommerce 146

8.3 Features of eCommerce 150

8.4 Traditional Commerce Vs eCommerce 152

8.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of eCommerce 154

8.6 Business Models 156

8.7 Payment Systems 160

8.8 Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) 163

8.9 Chapter Summary 165

9. New IT Initiatives 166

9.1 Introduction 167

9.2 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 168

9.3 eBusiness 172

9.4 eGovernance 175

9.5 Cloud Computing 177

9.6 Knowledge Management Systems ( K M S ) 180

9. 7 Management Information Systems ( M I S ) 183

9.8 Decision S u p p o r t Systems (DSS) 184

9.9 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) 187

9.10 Chapter S u m m a r y 190

1 0 . Security Measures 192

10.1 Introduction 193

10.2 Types of Attacks 194

10.3 P r i n c i p l e s of Security 196

10.4 Cryptography: Definition and Types 199

10.5 D i g i t a l Signatures 201

10.6 Security Protocols 204

10. 7 Information Security Management 207

10.8 Chapter S u m m a r y 211

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I n t r o d u c t i o n to

Information

Systems
Computer Information System

01. I n t r o d u c t i o n to Information Systems eBook

1 . 1 Introduction

Information is a v a l u a b l e asset to any organization. Organizational information includes

customer data, operational data, human resource data, financial data, etc. It is stored

either in physical or digital form. There occurs a need to maintain and manage this

information together for easy retrieval. Thus information systems have become an

essential part of any organization today.

Information systems capture the data and make it presentable to end users.

Advancements in the field of Information Technology (IT) causes automation of various

processes in organizations where all physical data is converted into d i g ital and stored in

information systems. The information system component maintains integrity,

confidentiality and avoids redundancy of data. The purpose of information system is to

get the right information to the right people at the right time in the right place and the

rig ht format.

This chapter will discuss the concept of information systems and its influence on

organizational performance.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Describe information system

E x p l a i n advantages of information systems

Explain information management

List components of information management

Describe the types of information system

Define a p p l i c a t i o n architecture

State the impact of IT in various fields

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1 . 2 I n f o r m a t i o n Systems

An information system assists the process of storing, evaluating, collecting, retrieving,

and manipulating data. Each of these processes organizes the information in a

structured and relevant manner. These systems obtain raw data from the user and

transform it into formal information. The growing need for automation makes

information system an efficient alternate. Data is stored in the database and is

processed or retrieved on the user's request. Information systems i n c l u d e the processes

mentioned in Fig. 1.2a.

Collect Store Retrieve Evaluate Manipulate

Fig. 1.2a: Processes in Information Systems

Collect

It includes the process of collecting data from the user or other systems. Data

should be collected in a structured format in order to maintain its integrity.

Store

The second process includes retaining data in a storage unit. It captures data and

allows the user to retrieve it from the storage unit for data m a n i p u l a t i o n .

Retrieve

The retrieval process is used to obtain data from the storage unit. If the user

requests data or needs to manipulate it, it should be obtained or retrieve from a

data source such as a database.

Evaluate

The process of checking the data format is necessary. Data validation is done to

store it in a structured format in to the data source. It checks or converts data to a

prescribed format using certain constraints or syntax used to generate reports.

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Manipulate

After data validation, the structured data is stored in the data source. On the

user's request, the data is then retrieved and manipulated using Data Manipulation

Language ( D M L ) .

Thus, the information system captures data and provides quick response to the

customers in business. Information management assists in managing data integrity

t h r o u g h o u t the organization's processes.

Advantages:

Data and services are available 2 4 x 7 without interruption.

Information systems have reduced labor charges.

Communication is made accessible to every corner of the world.

It provides spontaneous organizational growth.

It creates a virtual organization of business partners, linked by the Internet or

extra net.

Disadvantages:

The process of implementing and maintaining information systems is expensive.

Growing impact of information technology in various fields causes the threat of

privacy breach t h r o u g h computer attacking, email hacking, p h i s h i n g , etc.

It creates job insecurity and requires constant updates on emerging tech no log ies.

1.3 M e a n i n g of Information M a n a g e m e n t

Information management assists in organizing and managing data used by information

systems. The data collected by information systems are organized in a structured and

formal m a n n e r so that it is used by other systems and sub-systems. The organizational

structure also plays a major role in information management. It controls the information

structure and its delivery.

Information includes both digital and physical data. The method through which

information is stored by the organization plays a major role. Thus, it is important to

select an effective method to handle data. Retrieval of information should not be tedious

and should be a v a i l a b l e to the user easily.

Information management is applied using different software available in the market.

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Computer Information System

01. I n t r o d u c t i o n to Information Systems eBook

Software Examples

System software Windows, Unix, Linux

A p p l i c a t i o n software MS-Office

Personal productivity software MS-Word, MS-Excel

M u l t i m e d i a software Dreamweaver, Adobe Photoshop

C o m m u n i c a t i o n software Microsoft Lyne

Database m a n a g e m e n t software Oracle, MS-Access, SQL

Programming language Java, .NET, C, C + +

Table 1.3a: Examples of Information M a n a g e m e n t Software

Advantages:

It leads to better organizational planning and controlling.

It assists in generating reports for mid-level authorities in a n organization to study

the business status.

It automates every business process which reduces manpower to a certain extent.

It helps to make effective decisions for better organizational m a n a g e m e n t .

It reduces occurrence of data redundancy in data source.

Disadvantages:

It requires constant monitoring of services on each department in an o r g a n i z a t i o n .

It needs to m a i n t a i n the quality of information management at regular intervals.

It requires users to update regularly the knowledge of emerging new technologies.

It requires risk assessment procedures to predict the occurrence of any illegal

activities.

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1 . 4 C o m p o n e n t s of Information Management

Information management requires several components to maintain the integrity and

accuracy of data. These components act either directly or indirectly to manage formal

data. Listed below are the components that are necessary for effective information

management.

Communication

Systems

Fig. 1.4a: Components of Information Management

Computer Hardware

It refers to a combination of peripheral devices combined to form a computational

system. It helps to collect and present data to the user and it also assists in data

storage.

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Fig. 1.4b: Computer Hardware

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Computer Information System

01. I n t r o d u c t i o n to Information Systems eBook

Computer hardware comprises input device, output device, processing unit, memory

storage, and transmission media. The input device obtains information from the user or

other systems, for instance, keyboard, mouse, scanner, etc. Output devices d i s p l a y the

results or information that is necessary for the user, for instance, monitor, speaker,

video camera, etc. The processing unit manipulates data and produces results according

to user requirements. Data in computers is stored using tables. A collection of tables is

called a database. Data can also be stored in external and portable storage devices such

as, pen drives, z i p drives, external hard disk, etc.

Computer Software

Software is a set of instructions that instruct computational systems about the task to be

performed. Software is developed using programming languages such as, C+ + , JAVA,

. NET, etc. Listed below are two categories of computer software.

System Software

It assists in efficient functioning of hardware components. It acts as a mediator

between hardware components and the user. The user instructs the hardware

components through system software like device drivers, utility programs,

operating system to complete a specific task. Operating systems act as a basic

platform upon which other software works. User instructions pass through the

operating system w h i c h in turn informs other components about the task at hand.

A device driver mediates the information between an operating system and

hardware.

Application Software

It assists the user to perform a specific task using various application packages,

such as word processing software, spreadsheet application, scientific software, and

database a p p l i c a t i o n . It is broadly classified into two types.

o Custom-built Software

Software built using programming languages or other software a p p l i c a t i o n is

called custom-built software. It is used to perform or automate a specific

task in an organization. For instance, educational software, computerized

billing system, etc.

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o Packaged Software

Software designed by an authority and available to use on purchase is called

packaged software. For instance, MS-Word, MS-PowerPoint, Matlab, Scilab,

etc.

Communication Systems

These are hardware components that assist in information flow among processes or

users to complete a specific task. Data in a database is stored in a d i g i t a l format ( l s and

Os) but communication devices recognize data in electrical signals. Some examples of

communication devices are repeater, hub, coaxial cable, etc.

Repeater Coaxial Cable Twisted Pair Cable Fiber Optic Cable

Fig. 1.4c: Communication Systems

The digital representation of data changes to electrical signals before transmission.

Based on the types of communication, communication hardware is selected. For

instance, a h u b is used to connect different systems for communication; repeater is used

to repeat the signal strength, and cables help in electrical data flow among systems. In

case of wireless transmission, the air, waves, transceiver, and receiver act as a m e d i u m

in c o m m u n i c a t i o n systems.

Database

Information systems collect data in a digital form ( l s and Os). T h e collected data is then

stored in a repository u n i t called database. A database is a collection of tables and each

table holds u n i q u e information about an identity. Data cannot be stored directly into the

database.

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Fig. 1.4d: Database Transaction

It is important to denote the database structure using Data Definition Language (DDL).

The data stored in a database undergoes manipulation on the user's request. It can be

done with the help of Data Manipulation Language (DML). Some of the software that

assists in working with database is SQL, PL/SQL, ORACLE, MS-Access, etc. Database is

broadly classified into two categories.

Analytical Database

The contents of t h i s database are static and restricted from modification. The user

can only view the information contents of this database. For instance, contents of

E-Shopping websites are available to the user to view, but they cannot modify its

contents. Complete availability of primary information is available to the user.

Operational Database

The contents of this database are dynamic. They are programmed to update

automatically at regular intervals. The user may or may not have rights in

modification. For instance, online live cricket scores on websites are stored in

operational database which updates automatically.

Organization Structure

Technical officials like database administrators, data analysts, information security

specialists, program me rs and developers play a crucial role in information system. The

effectiveness of information system depends on the format of accessing and retaining

data. A central authority is needed to supervise data usage methods in the information

system. Data integrity and confidentiality should also be considered.

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Computer Information System

01. I n t r o d u c t i o n to Information Systems eBook

1 . 5 Types of Information Systems

Information System assists in managing the data storage and data flow. They support in

effective organizational functioning, assist in decision making, provide a statistics on

profit and loss, and maintain employee details which aid the organization in day-to-day

activities.

Fig. 1.Sa: Types of Information Systems

Executive Information Systems (EIS}

It retains top position in the pyramid model of information systems. It provides

details to the top management of an organization without the help of mediators.

The senior executives obtain data using this system to meet strategic objectives.

EIS Software

Components

Executive Workstation Corporate Database

Fig. 1.Sb: Executive Information Systems

This information system provides an external view about the status of a business

and assists in decision making. Data is distributed throughout the organizational

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network. It allows the user to transform data into a structured format and

generate reports for quick review. It also provides accurate and timely details of

an o r g a n i z a t i o n . The system needs to adapt to the c h a n g i n g business environment

and government regulations.

Advantages

o It helps to achieve organizational objectives.

o It allows the user to use external data.

o It uses both hypertext and hypermedia details.

o Q u a l i t y of communication and management are attained easily.

Decision Support Systems (DSS)

Every organization at a particular stage requires decision making. DSS is used to

h a n d l e and perform this task effectively. It is used among business executives or

the same level of workers who use data like summary information, exceptions,

patterns and trends. Some DSS' that assist in decision making are Computer

Supported Co-operative Work, Financial Planning Systems, etc. This system

obtains a large pool of data from the lower level systems w h i c h acts as a decision

parameter.

DeciSion Support

Systems

Input Output

Fig. 1.Sc: Decision Support Systems

It converts raw data to formal information. Organization documents and employee

knowledge are transformed to a proper data format. In collaboration with expert

systems and artificial intelligence, decisions are made effectively. DSS are broadly

classified as model-driven and data-driven model. In m o d e l - d r i v e n , a prototype is

created for a limited set of data and in data-driven model decisions are made

through analyzing massive data from databases.

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Advantages

o It helps to improve interpersonal communication.

o It assists and supports the decision maker's j u d g m e n t .

o It assists in learning the effectiveness of currently implemented systems.

o The economy of an organization is carefully monitored.

Management Information Systems (MIS)

This system acts as an intermediate among other system levels and also assists in

smooth management of an organization. The output of this system is used by

middle m an a g e r s to compare current results with the previous term. It manages

data and obtains prospective organizational information. Several sub-systems are

integrated to form a unified MIS. The information flow among sub-systems should

be easier. The information is also used by DSS for effective decision m a k i n g . Some

examples of MIS are Sales Management Systems, Management Reporting

Systems, etc.

Advantages

o It is used to measure performance of organizational p l a n s and policies.

o It helps to m i n im iz e information overload.

o It assists in better management of organizational controlling and planning.

o Communication and information sharing among departments are

accomplished easily.

..

Fig. 1.Sd: Management Information Systems

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Knowledge M a n a g e m e n t Systems (KMS)

KMS, alternatively called Professional Support Systems (PSS), is exclusively

designed to assist a unique profession. With the help of this system, review of a

particular task is done efficiently. The system first creates data sets from the data

source. The data sets are then captured using data mining models and relevant

knowledge is obtained. This knowledge is then s u b se q u e n t l y organized to a

standard format and communicated among workers.

Create Organize

Fig. 1.Se: Knowledge Management Systems

For instance, Feedback System assists in gaining the past knowledge from the

user about a product or service. This is then used further to enhance or m a i n t a i n

the effectiveness of the system.

Advantages

o It trains employees within short durations with the help of past occurrences

of threats.

o It reduces training cost and provides high job q u a l i t y .

o It assists in avoiding redundant work.

Transaction Processing Systems (TPS)

It assists in effective management of transaction information among systems. It

supports the tasks of bottom level organizations in performing basic transactions.

The speed of TPS depends on how information is available on data source. For

instance, in Reservation Systems the user obtains data from database about train

details and reserves a ticket which is in turn stored in database.

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Database

Fig. 1.Sf: Transaction Processing Systems

TPS helps in quick processing of transactions. Failure of a single transaction

occurrence causes damage to another. Thus, disaster recovery is of great

importance in T P S .

Advantages

o Recovery of data from a database after a system or network crash is easier.

o Hiding sensitive data from users can be done easily.

o It supports concurrent operations.

1 . 6 A p p l i c a t i o n Architecture

A p p l i c a t i o n architecture provides a standard format for information flow among different

systems or a p p l i c a t i o n s . Any process or system communicates with the other to achieve

a specific task. A universal structure is to be followed to share information which is

implemented t h r o u g h application architecture.

The framework for information flow among application systems is described in the

following Fig. 1.6a.

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User Interface Components

User Interface Process Components

Data Access Service

Components Gateways

Data Source Services

Fig. 1.6a: Application Architecture

The user interacts with the application system with the help of interface components.

These components are hardware devices that assist the users or a p p l i c a t i o n programs to

instruct the system on data manipulation and retrieval. Based on the interface

components, processes are generated and each process enters into relevant service

components.

The service components interact with the information system in-depth with the help of

the service interface, which interacts with other components of the information system.

If the user requires data retrieval, the service interface allows the user to interact with

the data access components. The user is then redirected to other service components for

a d d i t i o n a l tasks t h r o u g h sub-systems.

Data access components allow data flow between the user and the data source. User

retrieves data for viewing and manipulating whereas, sub-systems request data to

perform data filtering. It is applied through database languages such as Data Definition

Language (DDL) which defines database structure, and Data Manipulation Language

( D M L ) which is used for processing or manipulating data.

Third party components involved in application architecture are communication,

operation management and security. Communication is necessary among information

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systems and users to assists data flow. Systems and sub-systems communicate to

perform a task successfully. Operation management is crucial manage or organize

a p p l i c a t i o n system functions.

Data that flows among systems and sub-systems are sensitive and should be protected

from unauthorized access. Thus, information security management plays a crucial role to

m a i n t a i n the confidentiality of data. It should also protect the o r i g i n a l i t y of d a t a .

Application Mo deling

The method in which a p p l i ca t i o n systems are made available to the user denotes

application modeling. It also provides a detailed description of each task. It is

categorized into three types.

Application Modeling

Conceptual Modeling Logical Modeling Physical Modeling

Fig. 1.6b: Application M o d e l i n g

Conceptual Modeling

It includes details about application capabilities for each application domain and

lists the objectives that are necessary to develop it. The principles that are

necessary for d e s i g n i n g the application are included under t h i s m o d e l i n g .

Logical Mo deling

This modeling defines the actual way of implementing application systems. It helps

to apply low level abstraction to a group of functions or services and describes

them in d e t a i l .

Physical Modeling

It i n c l u d e s the method of exact implementation or deployment of a p p l i c a t i o n and

also briefs its technological dependency.

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Application Patterns

Listed below are some of the application patterns available for efficient information

management.

Extended Enterprise: it includes a business process that assist in managing

a p p l i c a t i o n systems, programs, users, etc.

Bulk Processing: it assists in managing systems, users and programs that are

large, in a m o u n t .

Information Aggregation: it helps to integrate multiple records and assist

systems to present data to users.

Event Centric: it integrates several systems that change with respect to time.

The output is decided only at a particular event in time.

Pipe and Filter Architecture: it helps in incremental processing model where

s i m i l a r processes are grouped and developed together.

1 . 7 Impact of Information Technology

T h e advancement of Information Technology (IT) caused tremendous achievements in

various fields. Computer generated systems work efficiently when compared to

traditional process. It maintains integrity and confidentiality of data. Data redundancy

never occurs with these systems. Few IT advancements on various fields are listed

below:

Fig. 1.7a: Impact of Information Technology

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Organization

Day-to-day organizational activities, such as decision making, evaluating risks,

communication, etc. are easily maintained. Reports are generated efficiently for

reviewing the status of the organization. Advancement of IT eases organization

management. Handling data, monitoring departments, protecting unauthorized

access, and securing sensitive information of the organization have become

effortless.

Society

Facilities such as, automatic traffic control, Global Positioning System (GPS),

advancements in nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, cloud computing led to

drastic change in the IT sector. Its inclusion in other fields is an added advantage.

For instance, E-Voting supports citizens to vote at any time in any place with high

portability.

Government

Bulk stacking of physical data causes space consumption and cannot be

permanently d i s c a r d e d . Thus, with the help of database concepts like data mining

and data warehouse, data is managed and maintained effectively. The problem of

redundancy never occurs. Computerization or automation of every task facilitates

the government to hand le data efficiently.

Education

Video lectures, eBook and multimedia applications transform learning into a fun

activity. Virtual classroom and flipped classroom is a boom to the education

industry. Lessons designed with multimedia applications make an interactive

approach to learning and increases the learners' interest.

Medicine

Virtual software is used to test the effectiveness of a drug, rather than testing

physically on humans. The change in molecules and compositions are easily

performed and tested before actually implementing the d r u g .

Engineering

A prototype is created for a product using Computer Aided Design (CAD) to test

its feasibility, before actually manufacturing it. If the prototype is acceptable, the

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product is manufactured, else a new prototype is made . Since more effort is

required to create a model and reframe it, CAD reduces the effort and cost.

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1 . 8 Chapter S u m m a r y

Information system assists in the process of collecting, storing, evaluating,

managing, and processing data.

Information system leads to automation of every process of an organization.

Structured and formal data are collected through information systems.

Information i n c l u d e s both d i g i t a l and physical data.

The components of information systems are computer hardware, software,

communication systems, databases, and organization structure.

Hardware is a physical component that assists in creating a computational system.

Software is set of instructions that inform other information components about the

task.

Communication system assists in effective data flow among systems.

Database is a repository collection of tables and each table holds a unique data

about an entity.

O r g a n i z a t i o n a l structure plays a crucial role in information systems.

Information system is of five types: Executive Information Systems (EIS),

Decision Support Systems (DSS), Management Information Systems (MIS),

Knowledge Management Systems (KMS), and Transaction Processing Systems

(TPS).

Application architecture consists of components, such as User Interface

Components, User Interface Process Components, Service Interfaces, Data Access

Components, Service Gateways, Communications, and Operation Management and

Security.

Application modeling comprises of three types such as, conceptual modeling,

logical m o d e l i n g , a n d physical modeling.

Conceptual modeling describes application capabilities, objectives and principles.

Logical modeling defines the actual way in which information systems are to be

implemented.

Physical m o d e l i n g details technological dependency of an a p p l i c a t i o n .

Extended Enterprise, Bulk Processing, Information Aggregation, Event Centric,

Pipe and Filter Architecture are some of the application patterns.

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Software

Systems: Models

a n d Architecture
Computer Information System

02. Software Systems: M o d e l s a n d Architecture eBook

2 . 1 Introduction

Software is a set of information that instructs the users, computational systems or other

software components about the task to be performed. Software is developed using

various programming languages and its effectiveness is based on standards used for

designing. The development stages for software are proposed in the Software

Development Life Cycle (SDLC) model.

This chapter lists different types of models that are used for software development and

aids developers in selecting the most appropriate models based on their requirements.

Software architecture defines the overall structure of the software and states the

method of d e s i g n i n g software and arranging its components.

Software architects should possess appropriate design skills and hands-on experience in

distinguishing the models according to user requirements and software components.

They need to be aware of various models and architectures available for software

development.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Define software system

E x p l a i n Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Classify different life cycle models

Describe software architecture

O u t l i n e the role of software architect

D i s t i n g u i s h architectural patterns

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2 . 2 D e f i n i n g Software System

A system is defined as, A set of independent components combined together to

form a unified system. Each system has its own structure and boundary. Its

effectiveness depends on the behavior of the surrounding environment. Data flows in

and out of systems and each system communicates with the other systems to perform

the computational task in an effective manner. Fig. 2.2a depicts the structure of a

system.


Environment












System











B o u n d a ry

Fig. 2.2a: System

A software is defined as, A set of instructions that instructs the components of

the system about the task to be performed. It commands and controls the

functioning of systems. It helps in data management, security implementation, threat

analysis, communication, data presentation, data sharing, etc.

Software is broadly classified into two types. These are depicted in Fig. 2.2b.

Fig. 2 . 2 b : Types of Software

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Application Software

It is designed using high level programming languages. It assists users or any

computational device to perform a specific task. Some of the examples for

a p p l i c a t i o n software are MS-Office, Adobe Photoshop, Antivirus, etc.

System Software

It helps in efficient functioning of computational devices and supports in

communication and data sharing among these devices. System software acts as a

mediator between users and hardware components. Windows, UNIX, Linux,

Solaris, etc. are some examples of system software.

A software system is defined as, A collection of software that builds a system

with its own behavior and boundaries. Input is obtained from users or other

systems and is processed and manipulated using software. The processed result is

displayed through any hardware components. Fig. 2.2c is an illustration of a software

system.

+ -
-
Fig. 2.2c: Software System

Components of Software System

Software systems are implemented and maintained through the components mentioned

in Fig. 2.2d.

Operating System Utility Program

Device Driver

Fig. 2.2d: Software System Components

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Operating System

It is a basic platform upon which other programs or software is executed. It also acts as

a mediator between a user and hardware. Users invoke the instructions which are

transferred to the hardware components using operating systems. It communicates

through machine level language (ls and Os). Windows, UNIX, and LINUX are some

examples of operating system.

Utility Program

It helps users to m a i n t a i n the system and supports efficient functioning of the operating

system. Antivirus, Hex Editors, and Boot Loader are some examples of u t i l i t y programs.

Device Driver

It supports hardware components to perform their tasks. It acts as a mediator between

the operating system and hardware components. The operating system carries user

controls and interacts with the hardware through device drivers.

2 . 3 Software Development Life Cycle ( S D L C )

Basically, machines communicate in machine level language. To ease the process of

coding for developers, software systems are developed using high level languages such

as, Java, . NET, etc. This code is later converted to machine language. ISO/IEC 12207

standardizes the process of developing software. Software Development Life Cycle

(SDLC) denotes the steps to develop software. It helps to create, develop, test,

implement, and m a i n t a i n a software system.

There are six stages that should be followed for effective development of a software

system. Fig. 2.3a depicts the diagrammatic representation of software development

process.

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Fig. 2.3a: Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)

Stage 1: Analyze Requirements

The most important task in software development is analyzing requirements. Hence,

developers need to study and analyze the requirements of the users in detail. These

requirements need to be documented accurately.

Stage 2 : Define Requirements

User requirements are tested for economical and technical feasibility. Feasibility study

defines the most effective way to implement the software. Economic feasibility describes

the overall cost required for the development of software. Technical feasibility study

denotes the technical requirements such as flexibility of programming language, nd

a v a i l a b i l i t y of staff, and computer resources.

Stage 3 : Design

The selection of the software design models and architectures is based on the

requirements defined in the previous stage. Every model and architecture has its own

advantages. It also includes the development of data source, d e s i g n s database schema,

proposes user interface, and selects implementation methods. The conceptual schema is

designed and converted to a relational database model.

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Stage 4 : Code

The user interface and database schema are transformed to operational mode using

programming languages. The connection among interface and schema are coded using

high level programming languages such as Java, C, C+ + , etc. The selection of the

language is done in the design stage. The database schema is actually implied on the

data source.

Stage 5 : Test

The software is tested for its effective performance. It undergoes two processes. The

first is verification, which states whether the software is designed in the correct format,

and the second is validation, which states whether the right software is designed.

Software testing tools are used to test the software. Each took has its own unique

testing methods.

Stage 6 : Implement

After testing the software for its accuracy, it is deployed in the market. Various business

strategies should be followed before implementing the software.

Stage 7 : M a i n t ain

R e g u l a r maintenance and feedback is necessary to maintain the q u a l i t y of the software

in accordance with emerging technologies.

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2 . 4 Life Cycle M o d e l s a n d Methodologies

SDLC models define a standardized format for designing software. There are different

types of models and methodologies that can be selected based on the requirements and

feasibility study of the software. Each process model follows a series of steps u n i q u e to

its type. Fig. 2.4a depicts some of the SDLC models.

V Model

Iterative Model Spiral Model

Waterfall Model Agile Model

-
Fig. 2.4a: SDLC Models

Waterfall Model

It is the first model that was implemented for software development. It is primitive and

follows a linear and sequential flow of control. The entire process of software

development is broken into sub-categories such as requirement analysis, system d e s i g n ,

system code, system test, deployment, and maintenance.

Fig. 2.4b: Waterfall Model

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Requirement Analysis

The first step gathers requirements from the user. It is a crucial step since the

effectiveness of the system depends on user satisfaction. The requirements are

collected and documented carefully. A feasibility test is conducted to know how

effectively the software is developed. It includes both economical and technical

feasibility.

System Design

User interface is designed based on the requirements gathered from the first step.

Designing includes both front-end and back-end where, front-end denotes the

design of user interface screen and back-end denotes database schema. Thus,

using any h i g h e r level language the system is designed.

System Code

The schema developed in the above step should be converted to d y n a m i c format.

It should be coded with instructions that combines database schema and interface

screen to enable users to access the data in data source. It is ideal to code the

system using a high level structured and programming language to maintain

interoperability and robustness.

System Test

The fully operational system is tested for its efficiency. Testing verifies and

validates the systems' output. A system is segmented into smaller u n i t s , and each

unit is tested for its accuracy. There are different types of testing methods

available such as white box testing, black box testing, u n i t testing, stress testing,

etc. the testing method is selected based on the priority of efficiency needed.

Deployment

The fully developed and tested system is sold to the customer directly, or

implemented in the market for purchase. Deployment includes various background

business strategies such as obtaining patent or copyright, framing sub-partners'

agreement policies, tenure of usage, monitoring access rights of every customer,

training to customers on how to effectively use the system, etc.

Maintenance

The quality and standardization of a system is maintained through regular

feedback from the users. Faults may arise only after proper execution of the

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system. These should be recovered immediately. The system should be closely

monitored for its flexibility towards emerging trends.

The control in this model steadily flows downwards resembling a waterfall. There is no

provision to loopback to the previous steps.

Advantages

It is ideal for smaller projects.

The model is s i m p l e and easy to implement.

Every task in the model is well departmentalized.

Disadvantages

Risk and uncertainty may occur in system model.

No working model is generated till the end of the life cycle.

It is difficult to i m p l e m e n t changes frequently.

Iterative Model

In iterative model, the requirements are initially gathered from the user and later the

software is segmented to smaller units. The software units are generated based on the

requirements and it is iteratively built before creating a final system. Each iteration acts

as a new version of the software unit.

Fig. 2.4c: Iterative Model

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In Fig. 2.4c, the requirements are collected in the initial stage and the system is

generated in three iterations. The developer decides the number of iterations. As the

iteration increases, more requirements are met. A single iteration performs four tasks

namely, design, code, test, and deployment. The system unit undergoes a l l these tasks

and the output of first iteration is passed as an input to the next iteration.

The system unit undergoes the same tasks in the next iteration while verifying the user

requirements. The Iterative model can generate and update an entire system at each

iteration, or it can develop and design small system units iteratively.

Advantages

A working model is generated prior to the end of life cycle.

The analysis of risk is easier.

Parallel development of various closely related software units are possible.

Changing requirements of users are met easily.

Disadvantages

It requires more management and documentation for both old and proposed

versions.

Greater resources are required.

As project termination is not clearly predicted, it leads to risks.

V Model

The process of generating a software system in this model resembles a "V" shape. It is

also called as verification and validation model, since verification is done at one side

of "V" shape and v a l i d a t i o n to another. It is similar to the traditional waterfall model but

development and testing is done simultaneously.

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Fig. 2.4d: "V" Model

The system in this model is designed in three phases namely, verification, coding, and

validation.

Verification

The verification phase includes requirement analysis, system design, architectural

design, and module design. The requirements are gathered from the user and

evaluated using acceptance testing design. The system d e s i g n includes planning of

the entire system, and the architectural design includes the o u t l i n e of each system

unit. The internal design for every module is listed in the module design plan. It

also decides the communication model among system units.

Coding

The schema generated in the verification phase is converted to a workable model

through coding. It is implemented using any high level programming language

that suites the proposed architectural design. The codes are reviewed and

optimized before final implementation of developed system.

Validation

This phase includes unit testing, integration testing, system testing, and

acceptance testing. Unit testing is performed on every system u n i t to check for its

accuracy. It e l i m i n a t e s the occurrence of lower level bugs. After the system units

are tested, it is integrated to form a unified system. The effectiveness of an

integration process is checked through integration testing, since a c o m b i n a t i o n of

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system units may alter the behavior of the entire system. In the final stage, the

unified system is tested through system testing. The system output is checked for

accuracy t h r o u g h acceptance testing.

Advantages

It is a well structured and disciplined model.

It attains h i g h accuracy in small projects.

It is s i m p l e and easy to implement.

Every phase provides a reviewed and acceptable product.

Disadvantages

It is difficult to i m p l e m e n t in large projects.

After testing, changes to previous stages are difficult to attain.

No working model is generated till the end of the cycle.

Spiral Model

Spiral model is the combination of the traditional waterfall model and the iterative

model. Each task of the software development is sequentially layered and repeated until

it meets the user's requirements.


Cumulnt,w Con

2. Desion
3. """

System
Requirements ,

1. Requlr<ements '4. E&tlm;i,tlon

Fig. 2.4e: Spiral Model

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The four major tasks performed in this model are,

Requirements

The requirements for the development of a software module are generated in

incremental format. In the initial step, the system requirements are obtained and

subsequently it i n c l u d e s requirements of sub-system, software units, etc. T h u s , at

each increment the developer communicates with the user to obtain detailed

requirements.

Design

In the initial stage, it includes abstract schema of the system and subsequently it

i n c l u d e s architectural design, logical design, physical design, and interface design

of the system.

Code

The coding of software units are done spirally, and at each spiral the developer

obtains feedback from the user. Thus at the final spiral the user requirements are

achieved at a h i g h rate.

Estimation

It involves risk analysis procedures and estimates the performance of the software

through customer's feedback. The entry of software to the next iteration depends

on the feedback provided by the customer. If any changes are required in the

module, it is made at next iteration.

Advantages

It helps to attain h i g h user satisfaction.

Users can predict the outcome of the system.

Since the systems are segmented, it assists in early development of critical u n i t s .

Disadvantages

It requires more managerial tasks and is not recommended for s m a l l e r projects.

It needs extensive documentation for every intermediate task.

The end of the projects is not explicitly predicted, as the spiral may go on

indefinitely.

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Agile Model

The entire activity in a software system is divided into fragments and allotted a time

frame. It passes on iteratively and achieves each activity within a given period. The

working model is delivered at the end of an individual iteration in order to test its

accuracy. At the final iteration, all the user requirements are met. This model is flexible

and adapts to c h a n g i n g users' requirements.

Fig. 2.4f: Agile Model

Since a working model is released at every phase, it enables better c o m m u n i c a t i o n with

user. If a user requires any changes, it is achieved at the next phase. This model

requires maximum user interaction, since at every iteration end the working model is

transferred for user acceptance. This model responds to every change a user specifies

and q u i c k l y adapts it at any stage.

Advantages

It is suitable for c h a n g i n g user requirements.

It is flexible to the needs of the developer.

It is easy to implement.

Disadvantages

It requires h i g h management control.

Its effectiveness d e p e n d s on customer's interaction.

It requires more documentation and different teams handle different iterations.

Thus, it requires cross-training.

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2 . 5 Role of Architecture in Software Development

An organization models the outline for a system and decides the format of

communication and relationship among its components with the environment. It also

includes the protocols for its design and implementation.

According to the definition by IEEE STD 1471-2000, Architecture is defined by the

recommended practice as the fundamental organization of a system, embodied

in its components, their relationships to each other and the environment, and

the p r i n c i p l e s governing its design and evolution.

Software architecture includes the design framework of a software system along with

the properties and relationship among its units. It contains the communication model

among the software modules, and the output structure for every u n i t .

According to the definition by L. Bass, P. Clements, R. Kazman, The software

architecture of a program or computing system is the structure or structures of

the system, which comprise software elements, the externally visible

properties of those elements, and the relationships among t h e m .

S o f t w a r e architecture includes the algorithms and data structures that are implemented

for the effective development of software. It decides the protocols for communication,

synchronization, and data access.

Software architecture decides the following four components of software which are

depicted in Fig. 2.sa.

Software Components

Structure

Communication

Non-functional

Requirements

Abstraction

Fig. 2 . S a : Software Components

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The architecture decides the structure of the software. Software consists of a set of co

related components such as objects, modules, or units. The object oriented design is

implemented through responsibility-driven design which is used to specify the key

components in architecture. It uses certain informal tools to implement object oriented

design.

Since software is designed in a segmented format, the architecture specifies a standard

for communication among sub-systems. These systems are at different locations a n d

can be invoked with various techniques.

Architecture includes three non-functional requirements. These are technical

constraints, business constraints, and quality attributes. The technical constraints

include the limitations related to technical resources such as programming language,

database software, etc. The restrictions related to business strategies falls under

business constraints. The quality attributes includes principles like performance,

scalability, flexibility, robustness, etc.

The architecture helps to create abstraction hierarchy in the form of information hiding

and data a v a i l a b i l i t y for different users. It decides data access rights for users based on

which the data availability is also scaled.

Architectural Views

There are four ways to describe and view software architecture. These are depicted in

Fig. 2.Sb.

Architectural View

Logical View Process View Physical View Development View

Fig. 2.Sb: Architectural Views

Logical View

It defines the architectural elements and its relationships. The structure is

designed t h r o u g h class diagrams.

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Process View

It describes the concurrency operation among systems and the communication

types such as synchronous, or asynchronous.

Physical View

It decides the abstract view of the application programs or hardware components.

Development View

It denotes the internal structure of the development process. For instance, to

select the rig ht Java package to implement a specific task.

Role of Software Architects

Software architects should have strong design skills and should be able to perform

sound software engineering practices. They need to perform various roles. Some of

them are listed below.

Software architects act as a link between customers and technical team members.

They assist in d e s i g n plan, cost estimation, and decision m a k i n g .

They manage the communication with stakeholders.

They are responsible for selecting third party components and technologies.

Software architects perform risk identification and evaluation t h r o u g h the software

available in the market.

2 . 6 Types of Architectural Patterns

Architectural patterns suggest the framework for interconnection among systems. They

provide the design styles to connect sub-systems and enable communication among

them. Users can select the most suitable architectural plan based on their need. Fig.

2.6a lists some architectural patterns.

Fig. 2.6a: Types of Architectural Patterns

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Client-server Architecture Pattern

This architecture is also called two-tier architecture. It includes several hosts

called clients. These are connected to a central authority termed as server t h r o u g h

communication media. The client requests server for data access or data

manipulation. The server is responsible for every activity over the network. It

provides the clients with the necessary output. For instance, the web browser acts

as a client that requests the web server for data. The web server replies back to

the web browser with the data.


Database Database Database

Server Server Server

Database Database Database

Server Server Server

Fig. 2.6b: Client-server Architecture Pattern

Layered Architecture Pattern

The process of combining similar tasks and forming distinct layers in an a p p l i c a t i o n

are proposed in layered architecture. Coupling refers to interdependency of layers

while cohesion refers to its robust structure. A good layered software design

should have less coupling and more cohesion. It helps to achieve abstraction in the

form of data hiding from unauthorized users. Since there are no dependencies

among layers, it can be reused or replaced easily without extensive configuration

changes.

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User Interface

Application

Infrastructure

Fig. 2.6c: Layered Architecture Pattern

Object Oriented Architecture Pattern

The software components in this architecture are differentiated into reusable and

di s t i nct objects. Each object contains its own data and behaviors. The system is

viewed through a series of connected objects called class. Every activity in the

system is invoked by calling objects with the help of methods or members of a

class. This architecture creates well-structured, reusable, and easily explained

systems.

Fig. 2.6d: Object Oriented Architecture Pattern

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Message Bus Architecture Pattern

It helps the applications to send and receive messages through one or more

communication media. Message Bus Architecture Pattern includes systems such as

message router, message queue, etc. It helps in processing complex operations by

segmenting it into smaller units and distributing it to other systems. It easily

combines applications that are designed using different types of software.

Flexibility and scalability are easily implemented through t h i s architectural pattern.

Users

Fig. 2.6e: Message Bus Architecture Pattern

Two or more patterns are implemented on different software units to make a complete

system. For instance, a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is laid with a c o m b i n a t i o n of

layered architecture and object oriented architecture.

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2 . 7 Chapter S u m m a r y

A system is defined as a set of independent components grouped together to form

a unified system.

Software is defined as a set of instructions that guides the user, computational

system or other software components to perform a specific task.

Application software is designed using high level programming languages that

assist in performing specific tasks.

System software promotes efficient functioning of a computational system.

Software system is a collection of software that forms a system with its own

behavior and boundaries.

Operation system, utility program, and device driver are the components of

software system.

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) proposes standardized steps for the

development of the software.

Analyze and define requirements, design, code, test, implement, and maintain are

the stages involved in SDLC.

Waterfall model, iterative model, V model, spiral model, and a g i l e model are some

of the SDLC models.

Waterfall model follows a linear and sequential flow of control.

Requirement analysis, system design, system code, system test, deployment, and

maintenance are the steps involved in waterfall model.

Software is segmented into units and each unit is built iteratively in iterative

model.

V model is s i m i l a r to traditional waterfall model. However, here the developing and

testing is done simultaneously.

S p i r a l model is a combination of traditional waterfall model and iterative model.

Software architecture defines the structure of system and other software

components along with its properties and relationships among them.

Logical, process, physical, and development are four types of architectural views.

Architectural patters are categorized as client-server architecture, layered

architecture, object oriented architecture, and message b u s architecture.

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3 . 1 Introduction

The process of d e s i g n i n g software using Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a

critical task. The efficiency of its output influences other stages in SDLC. It is mandatory

for a software engineer to discern the design skills and be adept at various software

d e s i g n methodologies.

A software engineer needs to follow design guidelines despite the fact that design is a

creative task. The effectiveness of software not only depends on the method selected for

design, but also i n c l u d e s the design principles.

Designing software needs to generate solutions for a problem domain. The designer

plans, creates, devises, and implements the design according to user requirements. The

design plan acts as a blue print for further processes in software development. It is also

stated as m o d e l - b u i l d i n g that generates a prototype for a specific problem.

This chapter elaborates various design principles and methodologies that are basic

constraints for designing software. The economic feasibility is decided using a model

called Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO).

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Define software d e s i g n plan

O u t l i n e the processes in generating design plan

E x p l a i n software d e s i g n levels

List software d e s i g n principles

Elaborate software design concepts

Categorize different methodologies of software design

E x p l a i n Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) model

Demonstrate Data Flow Diagram (DFD) for any system

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3 . 2 Software Design

S o f t w a r e design is a process of defining a schema for software, subject to constraints.

It influences further stages in Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and i n c l u d e s the

overall software structure with the interface through which a user communicates with

the software components. It helps to generate a solution for a software problem. A user

forwards the requirements that are to be achieved using different solution types. These

are considered as problem domain.

The design is predicted with a storyboard that depicts detailed information about

modeling or flowcharts to represent the flow of events. Unified Modeling Language

( U M L ) clearly proposes the method to define a software design plan.

A good software design is suggested by factors like occupying less memory size, and

reduced energy consumption. It should also achieve code compactness. The

effectiveness of d e s i g n depends on the application being developed. It should be simple

and easy to understand since poor design leads to wastage of money, time, and

resources.

A n u m b e r of d e s i g n p l a n s arise for a particular problem and the effectiveness of software

depends on the optimized design plan being selected and implemented. The selection

varies according to human cognitive skills. Different individuals may have their own

preferences in terms of the design. Hence, in order to attain a greater level of

satisfaction, it is important to have closer interaction with the users.

A design plan comprises solution in the form of modules with low coupling and high

cohesion. Coupling states the interdependency factor among two or more modules. The

m o d u l e s should be designed in such a way that there is m i n i m u m dependency with each

other. Cohesion refers to the strength or robustness of modules. The structure of the

m o d u l e should not collapse with the occurrence of any failure.

The design plan is generated by grouping similar tasks to form layers. This layered

model leads to better clarity as it can be independently reused and executed. Debugging

is easy. It also implements data abstraction.

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Design Plan Process

The design plan is generated efficiently by meeting user requirements and developing

the plan in effective format. For a good software design plan, the processes should take

place in sequential order. The processes in a design plan are depicted in Fig. 3 . 2 a .

Clarify Requirements


Generate Black Box Model

Plan

wh.te Box Model


Validate Solution

Implernent
Design Plan

Fig. 3 . 2 a : Processes in Design Plan

Clarify Requirements

The outcome of an effective designing depends on the degree of meeting users'

requirements. Thus a designer should interact with the user to obtain their

requirements and carefully document it.

Generate Black Box Model

The requirements act as a base to create the black box model. Black box denotes

only the exterior structure of the software. It does not consider the structure of

internal components.

Plan White Box Model

Using the external structure obtained through black box model, the structure of

the internal components is designed. All the components or m o d u l e s are designed

through implementation of modularity and layered structured. It should include

h i g h cohesion and low coupling.

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Validate Solution

The black box and white box model act as a solution for the software problem. It is

verified and validated to check the effectiveness of the plan. It is done either by

using any third party software tool, or by proposing the inactive d e s i g n p l a n to the

users for approval. In case the user needs any changes, a new d e s i g n plan needs

to be generated.

I m p l e m e n t Design Plan

After the approval of the design plan, it moves to the coding phase where the

static d e s i g n is transformed into a dynamic one.

Software design levels

The software d e s i g n p l a n s are developed in the three basic levels as shown in Fig. 3 . 2 b .

Software Design Levels

Architectural Level High Level Design Detailed Design

Fig. 3 . 2 b : Software Design Levels

Architectural Level

The design plan associated with this level defines the structure of the software

architecture. It proposes the outline format of software and does not depict the

internal structure of its components. It provides the highest conceptual version of

the system.

High Level Design

It briefs the components of the software architecture in detail and denotes the

relationship among them. The data flow among different components in the

software is discussed with mid-level abstraction.

Detailed Design

It includes both the architectural structure of the software and logical structure of

every m o d u l e within the software. It also denotes the communication path among

the modules.

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Approaches to Software Design

Software is developed using various models and methodologies. These are selected

either on the basis of the user requirements, or the convenience of the developer. Fig.

3.2c depicts two approaches to design software.

Fig. 3 . 2 c : Software Design Approaches

Top-down Design

The software is initially treated as a single entity and then decomposed to achieve

two or more sub-systems or components or modules. Each module is again

treated as a system and further decomposition takes place. It resembles a

hierarchical or tree-like structure. This approach is recommended if the software

has to be developed from scratch, or only limited details are known for

development. The top-down software design approach is depicted in the example

illustrated in Fig. 3 . 2 d .

' draw_scene

draw_mountain

draw_sun

draw_leaves draw_branches

Fig. 3 . 2 d : Top-down Design Approach

Bottom-up Design

This process d e s i g n s the lower level components initially and later composes these

components to higher level components. The same level components are grouped

together, which in turn form the next higher level component. This happens

iteratively u n t i l it creates the desired software d e s i g n . It is suitable if any u p d a t i o n

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is required in the existing system. The bottom-up software design approach is

clearly depicted with the help of an example in Fig. 3 . 2 e .

President and CEO

Voce Pre,.,dent Voce Prcodcnt

Slt!S f,nanc"

Con troll.,, Csh,.,,

Fig. 3 . 2 e : Bottom-up Design Approach

3.3 Design Principles

Software d e s i g n p l a n forms the basic platform for the development of the software. The

schema developed at the design phase acts as a proposal, based on which the further

stage of SDLC continues. Any flaw at the design stage can create inaccuracy in further

stages and leads to loss of resources, time, and money. Thus, for a good software

design, it is necessary to include design principles. These principles have been explained

below.

Principle 1: Alternative approaches

The design plan should not be a narrow vision. It is easy to accept any changes that

occur with emerging trends or increasing user requirements.

Principle 2: Loop is not created

The cost procured for labor, resources, etc. are very expensive. Thus, the design plan

should be checked thoroughly in the testing phase and comprise reusable components.

It should be possible to implement in other systems.

Principle 3 : Prior solution

The software d e s i g n generated should solve the problem domain up to a certain extent

before the final development stage. The distance between the final software and the

problem d o m a i n is m i n i m i z e d by achieving the solution prior to the end of the cycle.

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Principle 4 : Uniform design

The style of generating a schema should be uniform for all the software components.

Thus, it helps in better understanding and debugging. The uniformity in integration is

essential in order to avoid any collision among different components.

Principle 5 : Well structured

The structure of the d e s i g n plan should be stable. Any changes or modifications made to

the existing plan should not collapse its schema as robustness is one of the the main

p r i n c i p l e s in d e s i g n i n g .

Principle 6 : Layered design

Every module in the software should follow a layered model that clearly differentiates

the processes. Similar processes are grouped together to form a layer. It helps to

achieve data abstraction and reduces interdependency among layers. The layers should

be designed with h i g h cohesion and less coupling.

Principle 7 : Represent model

The d e s i g n plan should act as a replica for the solution of a problem d o m a i n . It would be

more effective if the solution is virtually presented to the users. Here, changes in the

solution are achieved by simply modifying the design plan.

Principle 8 : M i n i m i z e semantic errors

The minute details in the design plan should be reviewed in detail. At times, missing a

m i n o r detail may make the software design inaccurate.

Principle 9 : Retain standard

The plan can be designed in different ways. But it is important to follow a standardized

format that helps to make changes and is easy to understand.

Principle 10: Completeness

The d e s i g n plan should contain all the information requested by users. Missing data may

lead to an incomplete design schema and this in turn leads to poor satisfaction. The

quality of the design plan depends on external and internal factors, where the former

denotes the features observed by users and the latter denotes technical features.

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3 . 4 Software Design Concepts

Software design concepts act as a basic platform for designing software. Thus, a

software designer should know all the concepts mentioned in Fig. 3.4a before

effectively selecting the designing methods.

Abstraction

Refinement Modularity

Functional Software

Independence Architecture

Structural
Data Structure
Partition

Software
Control Hierarchy
Procedure

Information

Hidinq

Fig. 3 . 4 a : Software Design Concepts

Abstraction

It denotes the process of grouping similar tasks and relates closely to

encapsulation. It reduces the information content and retrieves o n l y the data that

is relevant to the user.

Modularity

The complete software system is divided into smaller components or u n i t s that are

called modules. The process of performing it is called as modularization. Similar

processes in a system are decomposed and grouped together to form a module. It

should possess h i g h cohesion and low coupling.

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Software Architecture

It denotes hierarchical arrangement of modules and the relationship among them.

It specifies the system interface, user interface, and database schema along with

performance, reliability, security, etc.

Data Structure

It refers to the representation of data with its semantics. Data stored in the

database should include the constraints of data structure. The structure differs

based on the types of data such as text, image, video, a u d i o , g r a p h i c s , etc.

Software Procedure

It denotes the method of accessing and manipulating the software. It is a set of

instructions that assists in directing the manipulation control of each software

component.

Information Hiding

T h e process of hiding confidential information from unauthorized users or systems

is called information hiding. Each module should be designed in such a way that it

disallows access to its data from other modules. The necessary details should be

available for data sharing.

Control Hierarchy

It denotes control rank and data flow among software components. It does not

specify decisions and repetitions. It makes structure of data components visible

and lists connectivity among them.

Structural Partition

Decomposition of hierarchical system based on its common features state the

structural partitioning. The segmentation process considers only the structure of

the software and not its semantics. It is done either horizontally or vertically.

Functional Independence

Development of modules with zero or less interaction among components falls

under this concept. Modules do not depend on each other for its execution. It

should be layered clearly and possess very low coupling for good software d e s i g n .

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Refinement

It is a process of elaborating functional statement that starts from abstract level of

the system d e s i g n and continues till it reaches programming l a n g u a g e statements.

It involves a l l the internal details of the components.

3 . 5 Software Design Methodologies

Software design refers to the method of generating a solution to a problem domain

considering user requirements as input. There are several ways to d e s i g n software and

each differs in the technique of presenting information. Fig. 3.Sa depicts the three

major categories of software design methodologies.

Software Design

Methodologies

Structured Design Object Oriented Design Function Oriented Design

Fig. 3 . S a : Software Design Methodology Types

Structured Design Methodology

It denotes departmentalization of a problem into well organized solution u n i t s . Due

to its structured format, it leads to better understanding and assists designers in

easy achievement of solution to a particular problem. It is similar to the "divide

and conquer" technique where the problem is decomposed and a solution is

achieved for each decomposed problem until it solves the entire problem domain.

Decomposed problems are also called modules. Each of it should possess two

major factors, low coupling and high cohesion. A good software design should

avoid dependency among software modules. Fig. 3.Sb portrays a sample

structured software d e s i g n .

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\ \ I

\ \ I

\ \ I

\ \ I

\ -''-,-'

PROt..:lJREMENT
SALES TEAM LEADER TECH SUPPORT MANAGER PROJECT OFFICE
TEAM LEADER

USERS USERS ANALYST EXTERNAL QA

CONSULTANT CONSULTANT ANALYST/PROGRAMMERS CHANGE MANAGER

ANALYST -- ANALYST --1 TECH SUPPORT TRAINING SPECIALIST


1
I I
DBMS SUPPORT ADMINJSTRATOR
I I

I I
OPS ANALYST CLERK
I I

I I SECURITY ANALYST SECRETARY/TYPIST

I I I

I I I

I I I

L _J_ J

Fig. 3 . S b : Structured Design Methodology

Object Oriented Design

Every component or entity in the problem is represented in the form of objects.

For example, customer, bank, organization, etc. Every object consists of attributes

and methods that uniquely define it. Collection of well defined and s i m i l a r objects

is called class. It denotes the attributes of objects as variables, and functionality

as methods. It b u n d l e s the attributes and methods of an object and hides it from

unauthorized access through encapsulation. It is possible to inherit similar

properties of an object from different classes. The design process includes tasks

such as creation of solution prototype based on user requirements, identification of

objects, generation of classes, and creation of application framework. Fig. 3.Sc

portrays a sa m p l e object oriented design.

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graphics

Fig. 3 . S c : Object Oriented Design Methodology

Function Oriented Design

In this design, the system is decomposed into smaller components or modules

which are called functions, where each function specifies a unique task. It is

similar to structured oriented design with "divide and conquer" technique. The

system provides only the top view for functions and hides sensitive data and

operations. The data or functions that are to be shared should be declared

globally. This d e s i g n is easily depicted through Data Flow Diagram (DFD) which

demonstrates the data flow among different functions. Fig. 3.Sd portrays a

sample DFD for a library management process.

SEARCH DETAILS

BORROWER

SEARCH REPORT

SORROWER ANO
LOAN REPORT
DUE INFORMATION

CHECKOUT DETAILS

LOAN DETAILS

BOOK/USER

REFERENCE
USER VERIFICATION REQUEST
REPORT

USER DETAILS

Fig. 3 . S d : Function Oriented Design Methodology

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3 . 6 Constructive Cost Model ( C O C O M O )

Barry W. Boehm, software engineer, proposed an algorithmic software cost estimation

model named as Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO).

Before discussing COCOMO model in detail, it is important to know the three kinds of

software development modes. They are,

Organic Mode

Software developed using a well-structured application program falls u n d e r organic

mode. Here, the size of the project is relatively small and the developing team

works for s i m i l a r types of different software.

Semi-detached Mode

The software is developed by a combination of experienced and inexperienced

team members in a semi-detached mode. They have limited experience in

developing the software and not familiar with few of its components.

Embedded Mode

Software developed with the combination of hardware and software comes under

embedded mode. It is difficult to implement as compared to the organic and semi

detached mode.

Levels of COCOMO Model

The estimation of effort and time in software development using COCOMO model is

layered into three levels.

Basic COCOMO Intermediate COCOMO

Complete COCOMO

Fig. 3 . 6 a : COCO MO Levels

Basic COCOMO

It provides the approximate estimation of project parameters. The estimation is

obtained t h r o u g h following expressions.

Effort= a x (KLOC)"

Time to d e v e l o p = 2 . 5 x (Effort)'

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where,

a, b, c = Constants depend on software development mode

KLOC= Kilo Lines Of Code

Effort = Effort in developing a software product. Unit is person months ( P M )

Time to develop = Time required to develop a software. Unit is months ( M )

According to Boehm, every line of source text is considered as line of code

(LOC). If the software has N lines, it is considered as N lines of code (NLOC).

The values of a, b, and c are given in Table 3.6a.

Modes c

Organic 2.4 1.05 0.38

Semi-detached 3.0 1.12 0.35

Embedded 3.6 1.20 0.32

Table 3.6a: Basic COCOMO Constant Values

Intermediate COCOMO

The basic C O C O M O model considers only LOC as a measurement metric. But there

are other components that affect the development time. For effective estimation of

software effort and project time, it is necessary to consider every possible

parameter and it can be implemented using intermediate COCOMO model. It

i n i t i a l l y uses basic COCOMO model and later includes cost drivers for its estimation

process. Listed below are three main categories upon which the cost drivers'

parameters are decided.

o Product: it includes project complexity, requirement specification, technical

requirements, etc.

o Personnel: it comprises staff experience, programming capability,

development capacity, designing speed, etc.

o Computer: it refers to storage space, retrieval speed, network capacity,

security i m p l i c a t i o n s , etc.

It uses the same formula of basic model but the value of parameter "a" differs.

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Modes

Organic 3.2 1.05 0.38

Semi-detached 3.0 1.12 0.35

Embedded 2.8 1.20 0.32

Table 3 . 6 b : Intermediate COCOMO Constant Values

Complete COCOMO

The estimation in complete COCOMO uses program size, parameters of cost

drivers along with complexity rating such as, very low, low, nominal, high, and

very high. It differs based on the software type being developed and is set by the

project managers.

Cost Driver Rating Requirement Design Code Test

Very Low :, 1.35 1.35 1.50

Low 0.85 0.85 0.85 1.20

Personnel

Nominal 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00

High 0.75 0.90 0.90 0.85

Very High 0.55 0.75 0.75 0.70

Table 3 . 6 c : Complete COCOMO Constant Values

3 . 7 Data Flow D i a g r a m ( D F D )

The pictorial representation of data flow among software components are clearly

depicted with the help of Data Flow Diagram (DFD). It visualizes the data processing

of the entire system and also portraits the data input and output of every components.

There exists wide variety of software that assists in developing DFD for a complete

system. Some of them are Microsoft Visio, SmartDraw, Lucidchart, etc.

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D F D Components

Table 3.7a lists the components that are used to design DFD of a software system.

Table 3.7a: DFD Components

Process

It denotes the manipulation that is performed using data and also specifies the

operation type. It also specifies business constraints and decision m a k i n g process.

It is specified using a rounded rectangle divided into two. The u p p e r part holds the

process name and the lower part denotes the member function name.

Data Flow

It shows the direction of data flow among entities and processes. It is specified

using a directional arrow and the details about the data are indicated above the

arrow.

Data Source

It denotes the storage space of data. Data is retrieved or uploaded into the

database depending on the transaction being performed. It is specified using a

three sided rectangle shape.

Terminator

It is also called entity and denotes either source or destination of the data flow. It

either provides the data to the destination, or retrieves data from source

depending on the process being performed.

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Fig. 3.7a depicts the context diagram for DVD rental system. The context d i a g r a m , also

called as Level O d i a g r a m portraits the external view of the system.

CUSTOMER RENTAL DETAIL

REQUIREMENT GENERATION

RENTAL NOTICE COMPLETION

REQUIREMENT

BILL

Fig. 3.7a: Context diagram for DVD Rental System

Fig. 3.7b depicts the level 1 DFD for the DVD rental system that e x p l a i n s system's i n n e r

view. It can be further decomposed into smaller modules and each decomposed process

is specified with a new level.

cusmMER GENERATION

REQU[REMENT RENTAL DETAIL

COMPLETED REQUIREMENT
rNVOICE

PAYMENT DETAIL

INVOICE

OETAtl

BILL

Fig. 3.7b: Level 1 DFD for DVD Rental System

Advantages

It is s i m p l e and easy to implement.

It provides easy readability and clarity to the customers without need for any

technical knowledge.

It is a cost effective method to portray the entire functioning of the system.

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Disadvantages

It becomes u n m a n a g e a b l e when the project size increases.

It is a time consuming process.

It does not specify physical constraints that are to be included in software

development.

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3 . 8 Chapter S u m m a r y

Software design is a process to generate a schema for software components

subject to constraints.

The steps involved in design plan are clarifying requirements, generating black

model, planning white box model, and validating solution a n d implementation.

Architectural level, high level design, and detailed design are the three levels in

software d e s i g n .

Architectural d e s i g n defines the schema for the entire software structure.

High level design includes the designing of software components and relationships

among t h e m .

Detailed d e s i g n states both architectural and logical structure of software m o d u l e .

Software is designed using top down design and bottom u p d e s i g n approach.

Alternative solution, avoid loop creation, prior solution, uniform design, well

defined structure, layered design, virtual model, minimization of semantic errors,

retaining standard, and completeness are good software d e s i g n principles.

Abstraction, modularity, software architecture, data structure, software procedure,

information hiding, c o n t r o l hierarchy, structural partition, functional independence,

and refinement are the software design concepts.

Structured design, object oriented design, and function oriented design a r e three

software d e s i g n methodologies.

COCOMO stands for Constructive Cost Model is used for estimating cost and time

for software development.

Organic mode, semi-detached, and embedded mode are three types of software

development modes.

Three types of COCO MO model are basic, intermediate, and complete C O C O M O .

Basic COCO MO model estimates the effort and developing time of a software u s i n g

Lines of Code ( L O C ) .

Intermediate C O C O M O model estimates the effort and developing time of software

using L O C and cost drivers.

Complete COCOMO model estimates with the help of program size, cost driver

parameters, and software complexity rating.

The pictorial representation of data flow among software components are easily

depicted using Data Flow Diagram ( D F D ) .

Process, data flow, data source, and terminator are the components of D F D .

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Management

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4 . 1 Introduction

Database Management System (DBMS) is a collection of interconnected data and a set

of instructions to access this data. It helps to organize the data in a structured format.

In collaboration with the application programs, data is handled and manipulated on the

request of users. It assists users to create, manipulate, retrieve, organize, and update

the contents of database.

It also helps to achieve critical principles such as confidentiality, security, integrity,

atomicity, and uniqueness. DBMS provides stable storage and recovers data whenever

needed. Integrating concurrent processing technique with DBMS saves time and the

data can be accessed from remote places through distributed database.

Database management techniques have evolved from a specialized computer a p p l i c a t i o n

to a central component used by almost all organizations and hence, knowledge about

database systems has become an essential part for effectively hand l i n g data.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

E x p l a i n file organization terms

Identify types of file

Describe traditional file processing and its shortcomings

E x p l a i n database approach to store data

Discuss components of database manager

List c a p a b i l i t i e s of D B M S

Classify database types

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4 . 2 F i l e O r g a n i z a t i o n Terms and Concepts

Data is a set of values, either in qualitative or quantitative variables. Initially obtained

from the user in an unstructured manner, it is processed using various data models.

These processed data are stored digitally ( l s and Os) in the database.

Terminologies

The basic terms used in a file processing system are listed in Fig. 4 . 2 a .

Database

File

Fig. 4. 2 a : File Organization Hierarchy

Bit: it is the smallest u n i t of data, either 1 or 0.

Byte: eight bits combine to form a byte. For example 01110101 may be counted as

e i g h t bits or one byte.

Field: it is s i n g l e u n i t of information about an entity, for example, John Mayer.

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Record: the collection of relevant fields makes a record. For instance,

101 John Mayer 88

Table 4.2a: Record

File: it comprises of collection of same type of records. For instance, Table 4.2b

illustrates the students mark details.

Roll No Name Marks

101 John Mayer 88

102 Alicia Orsen 87

103 Bree Aniston 94

Table 4 . 2 b : Student Marksheet File

Database: it is a repository collection of related files. For instance,

Database

Student
Teacher
Marksheet
S a l a ry File
File

Finance

Audit File

Fig. 4 . 2 b : Database

An organization can possess multiple databases as depicted in Fig. 4.2b. Data flow

occurs among tables and databases for effective completion of a transaction. Following

are the terminologies used to describe a data relationship and data flow.

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Entity: t h i s denotes an i n d i v i d u a l or organization that participates or invokes in a

data flow. For instance, customer. It is denoted using a rectangular box.

Attribute: t h i s defines the features of an entity in detail. For instance, customer

address. It is denoted using an oval shape.

Key Field: this is used to uniquely identify a field on a table. Any sing le attribute

is identified as key field. For instance, customer name. It is denoted by u n d e r l i n i n g

the text.

Process: t h i s denotes the relation among entities or the reason for occurrence of

a data flow. For instance, borrows. It is denoted using a d i a m o n d shape.

Fig. 4 . 2 c : Entity Relationship Diagram

File Organization Methods

It comprises three methods for easy retrieval of a file from the database or any storage

devices.

Sequential

The files in this method are stored and retrieved in a sequential manner. It is

stored on devices like magnetic tapes. However, in case the volume of data to be

stored sequentially is large then it is difficult to handle.

Direct

Direct access to a file is possible using this method. The data is stored at a known

range of address. The address is calculated using key field applied to a

mathematical formula. It is very expensive and difficult to i m p l e m e n t .

Indexed

In this method, the files are organized based on the ordered key that uniquely

identifies a record. It allows a user to view the data through different logical

arrangement of records.

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Types of Files

Files are categorized into eight types based on its usage and the content.

. - . .

Fig. 4 . 2 d : Types of Files

Master File

It is a very important file since it contains sensitive information about an

organization. It is categorized as static master file where the contents remain

same and dynamic master file where the contents changes frequently after every

transaction.

Transaction File

It is a temporary file that collects data about the invoked transaction and assists in

updating the contents of master file.

Table File

The data that is most frequently referred during transaction is loaded in the table

file. It is easy to maintain and conserves memory.

Report File

It is used as an instruction file that instructs the user or system when an

unexpected event occurs. It is created through a process called spooling. For

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instance, if a print command is invoked without printer connection, the control is

spooled in the report file and presented to the user for appropriate action.

Backup File

It is a replication of master, transaction and table file that is created for safety. It

can be reloaded in case of any damage to the original file.

Archival File

It is similar to backup file and resides for longer period. It is difficult to retrieve

from the storage u n i t .

Dump File

It is a replication of a file that is temporarily created for q u i c k transaction. It gets

deleted automatically once the transaction is completed.

Library File

It contains application programs, software packages, utility tools, device drivers,

etc.

4.3 Traditional F i l e Processing

Initially, an attempt was taken to automate all the activities of an organization through

traditional file processing. Every task of a department is managed using individual files.

It provides better data management and generates reports easily based on user

requirements.

Fig. 4.3a describes the traditional file processing method used by a college

management system. Each activity in the management system performs operation

individually and uses flat files without any hierarchical relation. Account Processing,

Teacher Processing, and Student Processing are application programs that run

independently through this management system. Each program interacts individually

with the data resources. There is no collaboration or exchange of data among application

programs. If needed, a user may have to create an isolated program to achieve the

process.

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Account
Teacher Student
Department

Fees Marks JD

Processing Evaluating Generation

Student
Fees Table Marks Table Personal_details

Table

Fig. 4 . 3 a : Traditional File Processing

Characteristics of traditional file processing:

Each activity in an organization has unique files.

Two different files do not collaborate with each other.

There is no hierarchical relation and each file is independent.

Files look disorganized when large data accommodates.

Increase in data quantity and exchange of data among departments causes problems in

traditional file processing. The former leads to a problem of data redundancy and the

latter leads to data inconsistency. Traditional file processing system is still in practice at

s m a l l organizations that cannot afford complex storage methods.

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4.4 P r o b l e m s with Traditional F i l e Processing

The process of maintaining individual files for every activity of an organization is a

complex task. As the organization size increases with inclusion of new departments and

different activities, it becomes difficult to manage. The problems that occur d u e to this

method are listed in Fig. 4.4a.

Fig. 4.4a: Problems in Traditional File Processing

Data Redundancy

Every activity over a network holds unique files. Similar data is required at

multiple files for completing a transaction. This leads to its multiple occurrences

causing poor space utilization. Since different names for an entity occurs at

different files, it causes poor data control. For instance, name of the student in

FEES table is S_NAME and in PERSONAL_DETAILS table is N A M E .

Poor Sharing

Since files are isolated, data flow does not occur among files which lead to poor

data sharing. It is difficult to access the data of one file from another. In case if

any necessity arises, a creation of new file has to be made to capture that specific

activity.

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Data Inconsistency

Multiple occurrences of data arise at different tables. Modification of a data

h a p p e n s at one file but they changes do not get updated in other files. This leads

to data inaccuracy. Traditional file processing does not support concurrency

process. For instance, if user A wants to deposit an amount to user B's account

and if the transaction fails in between, the amount is withdrawn from user A's

account but not deposited in user B's account.

Poor Standard

This system is less efficient and does not support complex data storage such as

g r a p h i c s , a u d i o , video, image, etc. As the data storage increases, the file structure

loses its organized format. Inclusion of any new activity in the management

system requires lengthy development process.

Data Inflexibility

Each file is developed and managed using different programming languages such

as C, C++, JAVA, etc. Incompatibility arises among file formats. If the system has

to be switched or installed in another location, it requires complex set u p .

Poor Maintenance

Files are distributed randomly without a central control. It leads to poor structure

and requires more maintenance to organize it. Occurrence of data redundancy and

inconsistency make it difficult to maintain the quality of systems.

4 . 5 Database Approach to Data M a n a g e m e n t

Database system helps to overcome the disadvantages of traditional file processing. It is

a repository collection of closely related logical resources. Database is a storage unit

that holds the data in a well organized manner. Instead of u s i n g isolated files for each

activity, a common database is created and shared throughout the entire process of an

organization. T h u s , data redundancy does not occur with database a p p r o a c h .

It is a collection of closely related records. It is also described as self explanatory data

since it holds description about the data stored in it. The users are not provided direct

access to the database. An interface is created through an application program that

helps the user to interact with the database contents.

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Database Management System (DBMS)

Fig. 4 . S a : Database Management System (DBMS)

U n l i k e traditional file processing, DBMS does not provide direct access to the data in the

database. The end users interact with an interface designed through application

programs such as C, C+ + , Java, etc. This helps in achieving data independence. The

data availability constraints are stated through application programs using which the

data is filtered and presented to the end user. Database Management System

(DBMS) allows the user to change the data format such as defining a new structure to

the data base.

Components of Database

The components that assist in building a database are given below.

Columns: it refers to fields which stores similar type of data. For instance, Roll No

Rows: it refers to the data of a particular entity.

Tables: it is a logical collection of columns.

Column

102 Ah1a orsen 87

103 Bree Amslon 94

Fig. 4 . S b : Sample Table

Primary Key: any column that uniquely identifies an individual is considered as a

primary key. For instance, two individuals will not have same roll n u m b e r s .

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Foreign Key: a foreign key is a column referential which is to be shared among

other tables.

Components of Database Manager

Database Manager assists in managing and organizing the data that are stored in the

data source. The structure of management differs based on the database used. The

components of database manager that assist in efficient data management are given in

Fig. 4.Sc.

Fig. 4 . S c : Components of Database Manager

Authorization Controller

A software m o d u l e acts as an authorization controller that checks the authorization

rights of every user who accesses the data from the data source.

Transaction Manager

This module monitors and assists the transactions or processes that take place

during data manipulation. It collaborates with authorization controller to check

user's access rights before performing a transaction.

Query Processor

Structured Query Language (SQL) manipulates data in a database using Data

Definition Language (DDL) which is similar to formal English language. Query

processor assists in converting this formal English language q u e r i e s to a database

u n d e r s t a n d a b l e format.

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Integrity Checker

It helps in checking the originality of data before performing a n y operations on a

database. It also checks the integrity constraints that are defined w h i l e creating a

database.

Command Processor

The query processor transforms logical controls to command processor. Based on

the controls, the command processor transfers the action to other components.

Recovery Manager

In case of hardware or software failure, the recovery manager assists in

recovering the data and ensures that the damage has not affected the database

contents.

Data Dictionary

It is also called metadata which holds data about data that is stored in database.

The content of the database is automatically updated or altered. Any process in

database is performed only after consulting data dictionary.

Database Languages

Data structure and data operations are defined with the help of database languages.

D D L and D M L are two types of database languages.

Data Definition Language ( D D L }

It is used to represent the structure of a database. The constraints that are to be

followed while uploading to a database are defined in DDL. Some of the

constraints that are used in database are:

o Field Constraints: it denotes the range of values that a field can

accommodate.

o Referential Constraints: the data in a field is sometimes referred to

another data sources' field using this constraint.

o Authorization: it denotes the types of access that are provided to every

user to access data.

o Affirmation: it refers to the constraints that should always be satisfied

whenever data is uploaded in a field.

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Data Manipulation Language ( D M L )

It assists users in performing several operations on data such as,

o Insertion of data into database

o Retrieval of data from data storage

o Deletion of data from data storage

o Modification of an existing data

4.6 C a p a b i l i t i e s of D B M S

Database M a n a g e m e n t System ( D B M S ) allows users to store and access the data in well

organized format. Replacing traditional file processing with DBMS has improved the

efficiency of data handling. Fig. 4.6a lists some of the factors that are achieved through

DBMS.

Less Confines Effective

Redundancy Access Rights Sharing

Stable Backup a n d
Integrity
Storage Recovery

Assist

Complex

Relation

Fig. 4 . 6 a : DBMS Capabilities

Less Redundancy

Unlike traditional file system where every activity possesses a file, the DBMS

stores data at an isolated location. User can access data through an integrated

interface designed using high level languages. Chances for m u l t i p l e occurrence of

a file are not possible.

Confines Access Rights

DBMS does not allow direct access to the data in database. Instead it uses an

application program which acts as a mediator between user and data. It is also

used to restrict users from accessing sensitive data without authorization. Data

abstraction is implemented easily using DBMS to protect confidentiality.

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Effective Sharing

Data are stored in centralized location using DBMS. It assists in successful sharing

of data among different systems. Program compatibility is achieved with high

standards through DBMS usage. Thus multiple systems can easily access the

database.

Stable Storage

Data storage using DBMS is secure and persistent. Data creation, deletion,

alteration are possible only with central authority's approval. It assists in

authorized data access.

Integrity

With high security standards, the data originality is not lost. Data integrity is

maintained by storing database in a centralized location which reduces

redundancy. It assists in concurrent processing.

Backup and Recovery

DBMS promotes isolated data storage. It stores the data with high security and

retrieves only on users' demand. Retrieval of data at damage recovery is easy to

perform.

Assist Complex Relation

Some transactions require data from multiple data source. It includes complex

data grouping that is possible with the combination of logical operators and

Structured Query Language (SQL).

4 . 7 Types of Database

Database is categorized into three types based on the presentation and structure of

data.

Database

Relational Hierarchical Object-oriented

Fig. 4 . 7 a : Types of Database

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Relational Database

In this database type, data are stored in the form of tables. Tables communicate and

share information that facilitates in data reporting, organizing and searching. The row

specifies the data of a particular entity and column or field specifies the data of s i m i l a r

type.

Roll No Name Marks

IDl John Mayer 88

ID2 Alicia Orsen 87

ID3 Bree Aniston 94

Table 4 . 7 a : Relational Structure

Comparison of data is easier, since similar data is stored in columns. Referential

constraint is used when a data of one source is referred by another. Complex relations

among tables can be formed using mathematical operators. Relational database uses

special languages such as Structured Query Language (SQL), for a l l o w i n g manipulation

over data on tables. Its collaboration with application programs helps users to manage

the data of an entire organization.

The advantages of relational database are data extendibility, high performance,

flexibility, security, and privacy.

Hierarchical Database

The data in this database is hierarchically arranged. It is similar to one-to-many

relationship and also resembles tree like structure, where it consists of one parent (root)

with one or more c h i l d r e n (nodes).

Department

Accounts Production Marketing

Fig. 4 . 7 b : Hierarchical Structure

It is used only in specific conditions within an organization where it requires reporting

from lower level to h i g h e r level department. It concentrates on information gathering in

a hierarchical m a n n e r .

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Publisher JD Publisher Name location Number

Author ID Author Name Location Number

Book ID Book Name Location Number

Fig. 4 . 7 c : Hierarchical Database Schema

Fig. 4.7c shows a sample hierarchical database schema. It is clear that this database

leads to redundancy. For instance, a same author belongs to different p u b l i s h e r s which

cause m u l t i p l e occurrences of data.

Object-oriented Database

It stores data as objects where each object represents numbers, texts, and images. It is

used in collaboration with object-oriented languages such as, Java, C+ + , etc. It is

compared to relational database to a certain extent. However, it is less p o p u l a r among

data analysts.

The collection of objects is called class. Each class comprises closely related data. This

database establishes hierarchical property without redundancy using inheritance

method. It i nhe ri t s certain properties from one class that are required to be a p p l i e d to

another class.

Data abstraction assists in hiding sensitive data from other classes or users to maintain

confidentiality.

Passenger Train

Passenger_ID Train_ID

Name * * Train_Name

Age Source

Gender Destination

DOB Seats_Available

Fig. 4 . 7 d : Object-oriented Database Schema

Fig. 4.7d shows a sample object-oriented schema for train ticket reservation. The class

is represented using rectangular object with its name in bold. The attribute and member

names are listed below the class name. Arrow indicates the direction of data flow or

relationship among classes. The type of relationship are denoted symbolically above the

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arrow (1 for one and * for many). In the above example, it is many-to-many

relationship.

For instance, the Passenger class holds passenger details and Train class holds train

details. The relationship among them is denoted as many-to-many, since many

passengers reserve tickets in many trains.

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4.8 Chapter S u m m a r y

Database Management System (DBMS) is a collection of interconnected data.

Data, database schema, and database processor are three m a i n aspects of D B M S .

File organization hierarchy includes bit, byte, field, record, file, and database.

S e q u e n t i a l , direct, and indexed are three types of file organization methods.

Files are categorized as master, transaction, table, report, backup, archival, d u m p ,

and library file.

File storage and retrieval occurs sequentially in sequential file o r g a n i z a t i o n .

Direct access to a file is possible in direct file organization.

Ordered key, which uniquely identifies a record, organizes the file in index file

organization.

Traditional file processing creates files for every activity in an o r g a n i z a t i o n .

It leads to problems such as, data redundancy, poor s h a r i n g , loss of integrity, low

q u a l i t y standard, absence of privacy, and security.

Database is a repository collection of data that assists user in effective data

h a n d l i n g and manipulation.

Columns, rows, tables, primary key, and foreign key are components of database.

Database M a n a g e r assists in managing and organizing data in data source.

The components of database manager are authorization controller, transaction

manager, query processor, integrity checker, command processor, recovery

manager, and data dictionary.

Data Definition Language (DDL) and Data Manipulation Language (DML) are two

types of database languages.

D D L assists users to define the structure of data and its respective constraints.

D M L assists users to manipulate database operations.

Data dictionary is called as metadata which holds information about data in

database.

Relational, hierarchical, and object-oriented are three types of database.

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Database

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5 . 1 Introduction

Data is stored in a database, a repository collection of files. This helps in efficient

management. Installing a Database Management System (DBMS) alone does not make

any difference. The primary role of a Database Administrator (DBA) is to define the

design p r i n c i p l e s for a good database design.

The environment provided for the database user is significant in data management. It is

the role of DBA to explicitly design database and indicate the relationship among data

items. Information is obtained in unstructured format from the user. It has to be

processed and checked for its accuracy before storing it in database. There are several

normalization stages that have to be followed for efficient storage of data in a structured

format.

This chapter elaborates the role of DBA along with techniques like, normalization, Entity

relationship (ER) diagram, Business Intelligence (BI) tools, etc. through which an

efficient data storage is designed. With the emerging technologies, the trend of data

storage changes with respect to user requirements.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

List stages involved in designing a database

S u m m a r i z e the features for good database design

E x p l a i n different normalization stages

Draw Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram

E x p l a i n the concept of distributed database

List some of the database trends

Describe Business Intelligence (BI) tools and data mining

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5.2 Designing Databases

Database design includes the process of designing a database schema which is used to

store and h a n d l e data effectively. It also designs complete database a p p l i c a t i o n system

that assists the enterprise in handling and organizing data. Organizational information

possesses interdependence among data which is necessary to effectively accomplish a

task. It is achieved with a standard database schema.

Design Stages

Database d e s i g n i n g process undergoes five stages depicted in Fig. 5 . 2 a .

Requirement Analysis

Conceptual Design

Functional Requirements

Logical Design Phase

Physical Design Phase

Fig. S . 2 a : Database Design Stages

Requirement Analysis

The database designer obtains the requirements from the database user and

interacts with various domain experts for effective d e s i g n i n g and implementing of

its architecture. This acts as a critical stage which decides the effectiveness of

meeting user satisfaction. The requirements are carefully documented and

implemented.

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Conceptual Design

The database designer then develops a conceptual schema based on the

requirements gathered in the first stage. The schema is verified t h o r o u g h l y for its

effectiveness and conflicts among data are identified. The occurrence of data

redundancy is rectified and relationships among data and entities are defined.

Functional Requirements

Functional requirements of an organization are half met d u r i n g the development of

conceptual schema. The database designer interacts with the organization and

obtains information related to operations that are to be performed on data. For

instance, updating or deleting a range of data, searching or retrieving specific

data, etc.

Logical Design Phase

The designer relates the conceptual schema with data model of the database. It

includes the process of implementing conceptual design models and assists in

converting conceptual schema to relational schema using entity-relationship

model.

Physical Design Phase

Using the above phase, physical features of the database are specified which

includes file organization techniques, storage structure, etc.

Design Alternatives

For a good database d e s i g n , the following features should be avoided.

Data Redundancy

A good database design should avoid the occurrence of similar data at multiple

places. Data redundancy leads to poor data structure with less accuracy. For

instance, using customer name at both CUSTOMER table and ACCOUNT table leads

to r e d u n d a n c y .

Partial Data

At times certain fields in a table are left blank, this later leads to confusion. Such

fields should be denoted as primary key to avoid the above situation. For instance,

if the database user intentionally had not entered the account number, and there

are customers who have the same name, the problem arises in identifying them.

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Thus the account number field should be made as primary key so that it is used to

u n i q u e l y identify the customers and not left blank.

5.3 Normalization

Normalization is the process of decomposing master table in order to avoid the

a n o m a l i e s listed below.

Insert A n o m a l y : it occurs when a data is being inserted in absence of its related

record.

Update Anomaly: due to occurrence of same data at different location, the

updation of data at one location does not have impact on the other locations.

Thus, it leads to data discrepancy.

Delete Anomaly: after deletion of data, part of its remains undeleted due to

unawareness of its multiple locations.

Normalization methods help to remove these anomalies from a database.

First Normal Form ( 1 NF)

It includes the process of deleting duplicate g r o u p s in any column of a table and

creating separate tables for each co-related data. It identifies each row uniquely

by setting a primary key to a column.

Items Companv

..
INF
Pen Parker

Pen Reynolds

Pencil Apsara

Fig. S . 3 a : First Normal Form (1NF)

Second Normal Form (2NF)

It comprises first normal form and also separates multiple occurrences of same

data to another table. It also creates relationship among these tables u s i n g foreign

key.

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S.No Name Department

I Sarah Parker Accounts

2 Alicia Orson IT

3 Adam Smith IT

4 William Hayes Marketing

.2NF
S.No Name Depart. No Depart. No Department Name

I Sarah Parker I I Accounts

2 Alicia Orson 2 2 IT

3 Adam Smith 2 3 Marketing

4 William Hayes 3

Fig. 5.3b: Second Normal Form (2NF)

Third Normal Form (3NF)

It comprises second normal form and also removes columns that are not

dependent on primary key.

SID SName City Zip

I Sarah Parker Round Hill 43231

2 Alicia Orson Perryridge 43423


- -
3 Adam Smith Round Hill 43231

4 William Hayes Downtown 45322

.3NF
SID SName Zip Zip City

Sarah Parker 43231 43231 Round Hill

2 Alicia Orson 43423 43423 Perryridge


>-

3 Adam Smith 43231 45322 Downtown

-
4 William Hayes 45322

Fig. 5.3c: Third Normal Form (3NF)

Fourth Normal Form ( 4NF)

It i n c l u d e s third normal form and removes multi-valued dependencies.

Fifth Normal Form (SNF)

It is also called as Projection Normal Form (PJNF) and eliminates cyclic

dependencies.

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Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF)

Here, every determinant of a table is a candidate key.

Domain Key Normal Form (DKNF)

It i n c l u d e s the measurement of conceptual state of a database.

5.4 Entity-Relationship ( E R ) Diagram

The conceptual schema in database design is graphically represented using Entity

Relationship (ER) diagram. It represents relationship among different entities and

attributes. Data flow and the process that invokes it are also displayed effectively u s i n g

ER d i a g r a m . The components of ER diagram and its symbol representation are listed in

Table 5.4a.

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Symbols Usage

Entity sets

I I

Attributes

0 Relationship sets

Links

((_
Multivalued attributes




. Derived attributes


Total p a rt i c i p a t i o n

f- -

Weak entity sets


II II

Table 5 . 4 a : Components of Entity-Relationship Diagram

For instance, the relationship model for customer and book entity is g i v e n as,

customer

customer_id customer_name customer_street customer _city

(primary key)

book

customer_id book_number amount

(foreign key) (primary key)

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The corresponding ER diagram is depicted in the figure Fig. 5.4a g i v e n below.

Fig. 5 . 4 a : Entity-Relationship Diagram

The customer borrows books from a publication house. The above ER diagram shows

relationship among customer and book entity. The entities are denoted using a rectangle

with each of its attributes listed using an ellipse. The underlined attributes denotes

primary key, which uniquely identifies the entities. The relation is represented using

diamond shape. The line shows the relationship among entity and relation or entity and

attributes.

one-to-one

onetomany 1 .. *

many-to-one *.. 1

l many-to-many

Table 5.4b: Types of Relationship

The relationship among entities in the above entity-relationship diagram can be given

as,

Fig. 5 . 4 b : Entity-Relationship Diagram (with relationship)

Since a customer borrows many books, the relationship among customer to book entity

is one-to-many ( 1 . . *) relationship.

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Advantages

It assists the database designer to accurately focus on the organization modeling.

It helps in easy understanding even though the client does not have any prior

designing knowledge.

It provides h i g h - l e v e l database design.

The relational model of a database is easily designed.

V i s u a l representation of relationship provides better u n d e r s t a n d a b i l i t y .

5.5 Distributing Databases

Database files that are scattered at different locations on network is called distributed

database. Distributed Database Management Systems (DDBMS) is software that

manages database files and allows users to remotely access it on a network. The main

objective of DBMS is to synchronize these files to maintain data consistency. The

advantages of using distributed database are improved reliability, high scalability, and

better performance.

Some of the difficulties that arise due to distributed databases are complexity in

database design, expensive, requirement of high security standards, and difficulty in

maintaining integrity.

Types of Distributed Database

The accessibility technique for distributed database is broadly classified into two

categories. They are,

Fig. 5 . S a : Types of Distributed Database

Homogeneous Distributed Database

The a p p l i c a t i o n program of each site on a network uses the same DBMS software

and it provides knowledge to the user about other user's transaction. It h o l d s the

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same schema for similar transactions. Each site surrenders segment of their

database to check for its atomicity.

IQ
r> \
-
.

(
ccrnmumcenon

Network


_>-_/J

10 .. _
.-

Fig. 5 . S b : Homogeneous Distributed Database

Heterogeneous Distributed Database

Different D B M S are attached to every site on network where its schema and DBMS

software are unique. Data access to several databases is possible. Unlike the

above method, heterogeneous distributed database does not provide users any

knowledge on other user's transaction. It is also called as multi-database system

or federated database system. It maintains data accessibility standards using

gateway protocols.

Distributed Database Architecture

The architecture of distributed database is classified as,

Distributed

Database

Client-server Collaborative Middleware

Architecture Architecture Architecture

Fig. 5 . S c : Architecture Types

Client-server Architecture

The database is controlled by a server which is the central authority of a network.

The user or client requests data from the server to complete a transaction. The

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server checks client's data access rights and responds accordingly with the data.

This technique provides high data confidentiality.

Collaborative Architecture

This architecture assists in retrieving data for a long complex query from the

database. It generates sub-queries and assigns it to multiple remote servers. The

final result is the collaboration of sub-query data results.

Middleware Architecture

It is designed to allow single query to span over multiple servers. It acts as a

mediator among different transaction processors and database servers. It is also

responsible for routing the query control to local servers.

Distributed Database Design

The process of d e s i g n i n g a distributed database is a difficult task and has to u n d e r g o the

following objectives for effective implementation.

Data relations should be partitioned and allocated to different servers in a

relational database model.

Data shou Id be available to the user with more accuracy.

Performance of the system is increased through data replication.

It should provide location transparency which enables the user to access data

without the knowledge of its existence.

Scalability should be provided without any special requirement on hardware

configuration.

Integration of different database at different location should be maintained easily

with accuracy.

5 . 6 Database Trends

Information Technology (IT) is developing tremendously. Database Management

Systems (DBMS), one of the core parts of IT that is used to maintain data has

undergone drastic changes in recent years. Many changes and new features are

developed to improve the efficiency of database. Fig. 5.6a lists some of the current

database trends that have significantly changed the art of storing data in database.

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Spatial Cloud

Database Database

Bridging

SQL/NoSQL

Database

Fig. 5 . 6 a : Database Trends

Spatial Database

It helps to store and query spatial imagery data such as maps, and sensory

geographical images. It also helps in storing geometric shapes such as circle,

square, polygon, lines, curves, three dimensional objects, topological

arrangement, etc.

M u l t i d i m e n s i o n a l expressions ( M D X )

It is a programming language for generating analytical queries for Online

Application Processing ( O LA P ) databases. An imaginary l i n k appears between MDX

and Structured Query Language (SQL). Its language syntax is similar to

spreadsheet formulae.

B r i d g i n g S Q L / N o S Q L Database

Every network uses different database structure. It is used for connecting several

SQL databases or traditional databases. It also assists users to access data in

t r a d i t i o n a l database model with relational database structure.

Automated Data Management

Automated techniques are being developed for recovery from damage, predicting

unauthorized data access, and effective filtering of data. Yet, it is recommended to

have a central authority to monitor every process of database access.

Cloud Database

Computer connected virtually for communication is called as cloud network. The

database associated with this network is called cloud database. It can be either

t r a d i t i o n a l database or distributed database. Increased accessibility, fast recovery,

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automated scaling, less expensive, and better performance are some of its

advantages.

5 . 7 B u s i n e s s I n t e l l i g e n c e Tools

Business Intelligence (BI) tools assist in effective decision making and strategic p l a n n i n g

in an organization. It helps to capture, organize, manage, filter, and analyze data.

Market research, market segmentation, customer profiling and support, statistical and

profit a n a l y s i s are some of the core areas where BI tools are used efficiently.

Decision making becomes difficult for an organization due to bulk amount of data.

Analyzing data generated by different software is a complex task. Thus, BI tools assist in

providing data at timely manner and increase the performance of m a n a g i n g a business.

It helps in extraction of data from on-going business transactions and provides its status

review. It obtains data from multiple sources of an enterprise and provides an interface

to users to access those data for report generation and analysis.

It supports improved decision making, increased efficiency on transactions, gaining

competitive advantages over rivals, and optimizing internal business. Initially, it was

used by software professionals for analyzing reports and queries. With the developed

user-friendly features, they are used by business executives and workers themselves.

BI tools use both past and present business data for effective decision making. The data

visualization software uses BI techniques to design charts and d a s h b o a r d s for easy data

review. It is used in various applications such as mobile BI, real-time BI, organizational

reporting, location intelligence, Online Analytical Processing ( O LA P ) , etc.

It also plays a significant role in data mining, image m i n i n g , text mining, and statistical

and predictive a n a l y s i s . BI data are stored using hadoop systems. The unstructured data

should be collected, integrated, and formatted before storing it in data source.

Apart from business executives, BI tools are used by business workers for testing the

status of the business and to measure the achievement of objectives.

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Table 5.7a lists some of the business intelligence tools that help to achieve better

industrial performance.

Icon Tool N a m e

pentaho Penta ho

Birst

*birst
-
-
bo,nJ BOARD

T A R G I T u2, TARGIT Decision Suite

business lntell19ence

Table 5 . 7 a : Business Intelligence Tools

Advantages

It a i d s business workers in report generation.

It analyzes the business output results and tests its performance.

It performs competitive study among rivals.

It helps to achieve organizational objectives and setting budgets.

The method to promote a product is decided beforehand using BI tools.

Disadvantages

Implementation of BI in an organization would be expensive.

I n i t i a l l y , the employees require training and maintenance for h a n d l i n g BI tools.

There is a chance of exposing company's sensitive information.

5 . 8 Data Mining

The process of extracting information from bulk data is called as data mining. It is also

defined as the process of obtaining knowledge from data. It transforms the huge

quantity of data of an organization to structured information which is later used to

predict business behavior and its future trends.

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It helps to improve the business performance by meeting its objectives and strategies

and analyzes the data to find hidden patterns and proactive knowledge. It helps in

predicting the following two major aspects of an organization.

Automated Prediction of Trends and Behaviors

It helps to retrieve or extract past trends and behaviors of an organization and

tests its performance on business outcomes. It helps in prior estimation of

bankruptcy situations and depicting product favorable population u n i t s .

Automated Extraction of Hidden Patterns

Every unit or segment of a database is carefully analyzed to identify the hidden

patterns. For instance, purchase of unrelated products, detecting credit card

frauds, etc.

Data mining predicts unexpected occurrence of events through a process called

modeling. It is similar to prototype building where a model is built from the previous

occurrence of events.

Fig. 5.Sa shows the detail architecture of data mining and working of its components.

The data mining e n g i n e obtains the data from the knowledge base and passes on to the

pattern evaluation for discovering hidden patterns in data. These patterns are presented

to users through Graphical User Interface (GUI) or passed on to data warehouse for

storing these patterns. The data warehouse is responsible for data cleaning, data

integration, and data selection.

Data cleaning is the process of extraction or removing unwanted data such as noise, or

any discrepancies that affects the data originality. Data Integration is the process of

integrating heterogeneous data and logical data. The process of retrieving relevant

information from the data based on users request is called data selection.

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Fig. 5 . S a : Data Mining Architecture

Issues in Data Mining

The algorithms used by data mining are very complex. It is difficult to implement since

data are located at remote places. Fig. 5.Sb highlights the issues related to data m i n i n g

strategies.

Data Mining

Issues

Interaction a n d Varied Data


Performance
Methodology Types

Fig. S . S b : Data Mining Issues

Interaction and Methodology Issues

Users require different types of output at the same time. However, each user may

possess different access rights. Thus, developing a user interface is a c h a l l e n g i n g

task. Pattern generation and heterogeneous data requires different types of

methodologies to handle. It is selected based on the user's need.

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Varied Data Types

A database system holds different types of data such as text, image, graphics,

audio, video, etc. It is a challenge for the database system to handle these data

types and generate patterns from it. Information that is obtained initially from

different networks is in an unstructured format and needs to be formatted prior to

storing in the data warehouse.

Performance Issues

To extract knowledge from bulk quantity of data, the mining algorithm shou Id be

more stable and efficient. It should be more flexible to hand le data s c a l a b i l i t y . The

complexity increases if the database is in distributed or incremental format.

Advantages

It helps to decide production quantity based on organization's past sales data.

It helps to detect occurrence of credit card fraudulent and profiling customers in

banking industry.

It supports government to detect money laundering and other financial criminal

activities.

Disadvantages

Generation of patterns and knowledge of an organization leaks sensitive

information.

Rivals make use of this information for reframing their product promotion.

Implementation of data security is still a major issue.

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5 . 9 Chapter S u m m a r y

Database design frames structure of a database that instructs the method of

storing and organizing data.

Requirement analysis, conceptual design, functional requirements, logical design

phase, and physical design are the five stages of database d e s i g n .

Data redundancy a n d partial data are the factors to be avoided for good database

design.

Normalization is the process of decomposing master table to avoid update, delete

and insert anomalies.

First Normal Form (lNF) includes the process of deleting duplicate columns in a

table.

Second Normal Form (2NF) includes lNF along with the process of removing

m u l t i p l e occurrences of data.

Third Normal Form (3NF) includes 2NF and also removes columns that are not

dependent on primary key.

Fourth Normal Form (4NF) includes 3NF and also removes multi-valued

dependencies.

E l i m i n a t i o n of cyclic dependencies happens in Fifth Normal Form (SNF).

Every determinant of a table is a candidate key in Boyce-Codd Normal Form

(BCNF).

Measurement of a conceptual database takes place in Domain Key Normal Form

(DKNF).

Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram helps in graphical representation of conceptual

schema in database d e s i g n .

Databases residing at remote locations on a network is called distributed database.

It is managed using Distributed Database Management System (DDBMS).

Homogeneous and heterogeneous are the two types of distributed database.

Spatial database, Multidimensional expression (MDX), bridging S Q LJ N o S Q L

database, automated data management, and cloud management are the recent

trends in database.

Business Intelligence (BI) tools assist in effective decision making and strategic

planning in an organization.

Data mining is the process of extracting hidden patterns from the b u l k a m o u n t of

data.

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Telecommunications

a n d Networking i n

Today's B u s i n e s s

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6 . 1 Introduction

Instant communication is not difficult in today's world. A person can share information

q u i c k l y and effectively t h r o u g h d i g i t a l communication. In d i g i t a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n , the use

of personal computers in fields like business, education, and banking has increased.

D i g i t a l c o m m u n i c a t i o n a i d s to share information in a fraction of a second.

Data sharing is performed by connecting computers that are remotely located with the

help of a network. They play an important role in the field of business to h a n d l e day-to

day decision making. Thus, communication is necessary in d a i l y life and should be done

rapidly and securely. Improvement in data security technologies prevents data misuse

over networks. With technological advancements, services have expanded tremendously

and data like a u d i o , video, graphics, etc. can be flawlessly shared.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Define data c o m m u n i ca t i o n and networking

Describe the components of a network

Illustrate the basic types of network

State network architecture

Identify network protocols

List different types of topology

E x p l a i n t r a n s m i s s i o n media

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6 . 2 Data C o m m u n i c a t i o n a n d Networking

Communication is necessary to exchange information from source to destination. Data

communication refers to the exchange of data among devices. In general, d i g i t a l data

is represented in binary format ( ls and Os) or electrical signals, depending on its

transmission m e d i a . Similarly, data in communication is delivered in the form of packets.

Different sub-systems are unified to form an information system. These sub-systems

communicate with each other or among processes, operating systems, programs, etc. to

request data to complete a specified task.

Transmission media is used to connect computational systems to enable c o m m u n i c a t i o n

among them. To support these computational systems several other hardware

components are a v a i l a b l e that act as data carriers from source to d e s t i n a t i o n .

The process of connecting computational systems for communication is called

networking. It acts as a boundary which decides the scope of data communication. If

any two systems are not connected, or are not in a network, communication is not

possible.

Fig. 6 . 2 a : Communication and Networking

The effectiveness of data communication in a network depends on the following

characteristics.

Delivery: it refers to the process of sending packets to the correct destination

Accuracy: it refers to maintaining the integrity of data d u r i n g t r a n s m i s s i o n

Timeliness: it refers to timely delivery of data packets or without delay

Jitter: it refers to the variation in packet arrival time.

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Advantages

Communication is made easy with high speed and accuracy.

Files, data, and information are easily shared to any computer on a network.

Hardware and software are shared remotely, reducing multiple installations.

Disadvantages

Network breakdowns cause resource failure.

An efficient central authority is necessary to handle and m a n a g e the network.

Security threat is a major issue.

6 . 3 C o m p o n e n t s of Networking

Effective functioning of data communication and networking requires the following set of

components.

Sender: the device or computer that invokes communication to send data, it is

also referred to as source.

Receiver: the device or computer that receives the data sent by the sender, it is

also referred to as destination.

Message: it is the data sent by the sender during communication. It is

fragmented and sent in the form of packets.

Protocols Message Protocols

Medium

Sender Receiver

Fig. 6 . 3 a : Components of Networking

Medium

It is referred to as a carrier of data from source to destination. For instance,

cables, air, etc.

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Protocol

It is a set of rules and standards that are to be followed during data

communication. Based on the type of network and message, protocols are

selected.

6 . 4 B a s i c Types of Network

Networks are classified based on their geographical coverage. It ranges from a small

distance between cell phones to a large distance or covering the globe. There are four

basic types of network:

Personal Area Network (PAN)

Local Area Network ( LA N )

Metropolitan Area Network ( M A N )

Wide Area Network (WAN)

Personal Area Network (PAN}

The systems in PAN are connected up to a range of up to 10 meters. Most of them are

wireless. Any mobile devices can be connected to each other with the help of PAN. For

instance, Bluetooth technology connects mobile devices up to a short distance. Laptops

are connected to printers or any devices that are available relatively close to the device.

The devices h a n d s h a k e with each other and create connection among them. After this

process, data is transferred. Once the entire data packet is sent, the connection is

terminated. Fig. 6.4a denotes a PAN sample.

O PDA

{;; Cell phone

laptop

Printer

Fig. 6 . 4 a : Personal Area Network (PAN}

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Local Area Network (LAN}

Systems or workstations within an administrative office or a b u i l d i n g are connected on a

network to form a LAN connection. Its range varies from 1 to 2 kilometers. It also

assists in sharing resources within the network. LAN can be both; wired and wireless.

For instance, LAN connects computers in a single room and each computer shares

hardware resources available on the network.

Workstation 1 Workstation 2 Workstation 3

j
j

j

LAN Cable

Printer

Fig. 6 . 4 b : Local Area Network ( L A N }

In Fig. 6.4b, Workstation 1, 2, and 3 are connected to the printer t h r o u g h a LAN cable.

These workstations share the printer on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Metropolitan Area Network (MAN}

Different LAN networks within a city connect to form a MAN. It is used to expand the

services beyond LA N . For instance, in a Cable television network, every TV in a

particular city is connected to the cable network vendor. MAN also acts as a mediator

between LAN and WAN. Its range varies from 2 to SO kilometers. Fig. 6.4c is a sample

of a MAN network.

MAN

cnvare
Corporate Office

Fig. 6.4c: Metropolitan Area Network ( M A N }

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Wide Area Network ( W A N }

WAN refers to the interconnection of different MAN or networks in the entire world.

Computers located in any corner of the world are connected using WAN for

communication beyond their national boundaries. Internet is one among these types of

networks. It is very expensive to implement and maintain. Fig. 6.4d denotes the

sample of a WAN.

Residence

ll;l- +-

Workstation Government
' Office

Private
Corporate Office

Fig. 6.4d: Wide Area Network (WAN}

6 . 5 Network Architecture

Network architecture defines the layout of a network. It states the format of connecting

different network components and devices. The message being sent shou Id follow the

prescribed format stated in the architecture. It is used to d e s i g n framework of a network

and instructs how each component should interact. It is broadly classified into two

categories:

Peer-to-peer Architecture (P2P)

The systems in P2P are connected individually to each other. It is recommended

for small networks. Each system or workstation acts as both; client and server. In

contrast to client-server architecture, each workstation in P2P is given equal

priority on the network. The increase in network size creates an overload. P2P is

noted for its scalability. When the demand is more, workstations are easily added

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to the network. Information is shared easily among peers. The P2P architecture is

depicted using Fig. 6.Sa.

Fig. 6.Sa: Peer-to-Peer Architecture (P2P)

Failure of a workstation does not affect the functioning of others. A major

disadvantage is that it does not have an administrator abstraction. The

administrative sections are easily visible to workstations due to equal

responsibilities given to them. Thus, confidentiality and security are d i ff i c u l t to

implement. Malicious software like Trojan horse, Virus, and Spyware easily

replicate to different systems.

Client-server Architecture

Each computer in a network is either a client or a server. The server is the

centralized authority in the architecture. Data and resources reside at the server

side. Thus the client completely depends on the server to perform any task. The

client requests either data or manipulation from the server. The server o b t a i n s the

request and replies with the necessary data. It is also called two-tier architecture.

Unlike P2P, server handles resource allocation and data storage. Fig. 6.Sb

portrays client-server architecture.

Fig. 6.Sb: Client-server Architecture

It implements high security and prevents data loss or misuse. It does not allow

unauthorized access to data and workstations. A major disadvantage is that if the

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server crashes, the whole network collapses and data retrieval becomes almost

impossible. In centralized architecture, a central server manages every client in

the network. Several servers are distributed throughout the network to handle

clients in the distributed architecture.

6.6 Network Protocols

Protocols are a set of rules and procedures that lay certain constraints on computer

networking. It defines the syntax and semantics on how communication has to be

established. There are different types of protocols that perform unique tasks on the

network. The activities on a network are classified in the form of layers for better

management.

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is one of the models that

standardize every activity that are performed on a network. It composes similar

activities in the form of layers. Each layer has wide variety of protocols. Layers included

in this model are Network Interface Layer, Internet Layer, Transport Layer and

Application Layer.
TCP/IP Protocols

---
Trarsport Layer
---
Internet Layer
---- IP PSec

Networl< totertace
Ethernet Tolcen R,ng Fr.ome Rel;iy ATM
Layer

Fig. 6.6a: TCP /IP Protocols

Network Interface Layer

It performs physical tasks such as connection of devices through cables, obtains

electrical signals and converts them into binary formatted data, etc. It breaks the data

to s m a l l fragments called units. Each unit accommodates into packets and is sent to the

upper layer. The protocols that work under network interface layer are Ethernet, token

r i n g , frame relay, and ATM.

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Ethernet protocol works with Carrier Sense Multiple Access/Collision Detection

(CSMA/CD). It first senses the medium for its availability. If it is free, it transmits

data or it stops the access for a time period to avoid collision. It operates at a

speed of 10 mega bits per second to 1000 mega bits per second.

Token ring protocol passes tokens to every computer connected in the form of

ring topology. If the computer does not need to transmit data, it s i m p l y passes the

token or else it obtains the token and feeds data into it. The speed of t r a n s m i s s i o n

is only 230 kilo bits per second.

Frame relay protocol is widely used on WAN. It is also called as packet-switched

protocol that provides h i g h speed transmission of up to 2 mega bits per second.

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) protocol transmits data up to a speed of

1 5 5 mega bits per second. It is cost effective and widely used in LAN connections.

Internet layer

It is responsible for effective packet delivery. It attaches the address of the receiver

node to the packet which is to be sent. It is also responsible for selecting the route to

reach the destination on the network. Each packet takes a different route to reach the

d e s t i n a t i o n . The protocols associated with this layer are IP and IPSec.

Internet Protocol ( I P ) defines the syntax of data packets or datagrams, or data

units. It is similar to a postal system where the packets are addressed and

dropped into the network without a direct link between the source and d e s t i n a t i o n .

Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) assists in encryption and decryption of data

packets that help to maintain data integrity.

Transport layer

It unites same type of processes and passes it to the upper layer. It also performs error

correction and error detection on each packet. At the sender's side, it segments the

processes and at the receiver's side it re-assembles the segmented packets. Protocols

included u n d e r this layer are TCP, UDP, IGMP, and ICMP.

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) defines the procedure for network

communication and format of data packets.

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User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is similar to TCP, except that the transmission

takes place on an unreliable network.

Internet Group Message Protocol (IGMP) assists message transmission to a

g r o u p of recipients.

Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) supports message t r a n s m i s s i o n to

a particular host on a network.

Application layer

In t h i s layer, the binary data is transformed to a presentable format before s u b m i t t i n g to

the user. At the sender's end, it transforms original data to coded words called

encryption and at the receiver's end it obtains original data from the coded words called

decryption. It also assists users in interacting with the network t h r o u g h an interface. It

allows the user to perform services such as sending mails, managing files, setting

authorization, etc. The protocols that work under this layer are D N S , Telnet, FTP, SMTP,

RIP, and SNMP.

Domain Name System (DNS) helps to translate the website name to an IP

address, either in a binary format or a decimal dotted format.

Terminal Network (Telnet) works on a client computer that assists in

connecting to the server on request.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP} defines the standard of file transmission on the

network.

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP} runs on server machines that assist in

communication among servers.

Routing Information Protocol (RIP) defines the standard of communication

among routers d u r i n g packet transmission.

Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) d e sc r i b e s simple activities

that are performed on network such as checking for malicious activities, threats,

logging user credentials, etc.

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6 . 7 Types of Topology

The arrangements of computers in a network or the way in which the systems are

interconnected are called topology. Based on their functionality, they are classified into

five types.

Topology

Bus Ring Star Mesh Hybrid

Topology Topology Topology Topology Topology

Fig. 6 . 7 a : Types of Topology

Bus Topology

Computers in a bus topology are connected serially. Each system or node is connected

sequentially through a common cable called a bus or a backbone. The message from a

source travels t h r o u g h the bus and serially checks for its recipient. Once the addressed

recipient is found, the message is delivered. A major disadvantage is that if the bus

crashes, the entire network collapses. Fig. 6.7b depicts the architecture of a bus

topology.

Nodesll;J 11;1 li;J


- - -
I I I


Terminal Backbone Terminal
I

lc:J
Fig. 6 . 7 b : Bus Topology
-
Ring Topology

Systems are interconnected in the form of closed loops in ring topology. Each node is

connected to two other nodes on either side. Thus, communication is possible through

two routes. If one route fails, the transmission takes place through another route t h u s ,

it reduces c o l l i s i o n . Fig. 6.7c depicts the architecture of ring topology.

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?- i;J I ,

I i;JI

'- 1 ..)
Fig. 6.7c: Ring Topology

Star Topology

Each node is connected to a central terminal in star topology. It resembles client-server

architecture. The nodes do not communicate directly. It requests for connection from the

central authority which controls the entire network. After a connection is established,

communication is performed only through authority. It provides high security and easy

scalability. Crash of the entire network takes place if the central authority collapses

which leads to a major disaster. Fig. 6.7d depicts the architecture of star topology.

Fig. 6 . 7 d : Star Topology

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Mesh Topology

It does not have a standard format of connection. The nodes are connected to each

other in a random manner. If a node needs to connect to another node, a direct point

to-point link is made. This leads to effective and fast communication but is difficult to

manage. This topology can be used to connect computers in a s m a l l geographical area.

Listed below, Fig. 6.7e depicts the architecture of mesh topology.

; l l;J \

ll;l l;ll

\ 1 l;J /
Fig. 6 . 7 e : Mesh Topology

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Hybrid Topology

Every topology has its own advantages and disadvantages. Thus, hybrid topology allows

arrangement of computers with a combination of different topological types. Based on

the requirement, the organization connects different topological networks together.

However, it is difficult to implement and manage. The connection type used on the

internet comes under this category. Fig. 6.7f depicts the architecture of hybrid

topology.

Star Topology

10
-

Bus Topology

Fig. 6 . 7 f : Hybrid Topology

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6.8 Transmission Media

Data communication is possible over a network with the help of transmission media. It

acts as a m e d i u m or carrier of data in the form of electrical or l i g h t s i g n a l s . As shown in

Fig. 6.Sa, transmission media is broadly classified as wired and wireless. The twisted

pair cable, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable fall under the wired category and in

wireless, open space acts as a m e d i u m .

Transmission

Media

Wired Wireless

I I

Twisted Coaxial Fiber Optic


Space
Pair Cable Cable Cable

Fig. 6 . S a : Types of Transmission Media

Wired Transmission Media

The connection among nodes is made physically using cables in a wired transmission.

The transmission range depends on physical limits of a connection. It is implemented

with the help of following cables.

Twisted Pair Cable

Two copper wires are coiled to each other in a twisted pair cable. The cable

contains either a single pair or multiple pair of cables. These copper wires are

individually covered by a plastic shield, which are again collectively covered by

another shield. An outer plastic jacket protects these cables. Initially, telephone

line networks used twisted pair cable to avoid cross talk and electromagnetic

induction. A major disadvantage is the cable generates more heat. It is cost

effective for a small LA N . Fig. 6.Sb clearly depicts the internal components of

twisted p a i r cable.

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o,w P,lr
lcket Shields Twisted P,1,r

t
1

Fig. 6 . S b : Twisted Pair Cable

Coaxial Cable

It consists of a strand of copper wire which is wound by dielectric material to keep

the cable from heating. A braided and foil shield covers the dielectric material. The

outer plastic cover protects the cable from damage. It is used in analog telephone

networks and carries up to a 10000 voice signals. Loss of signal strength due to

long distance transmission is a major disadvantage of this type of cable. Fig. 6.Sc

clearly depicts the internal components of a coaxial pair cable.

Braided Shield

Foil Shield

+--- Center Conductor

Outer Jacket Dielectric

Fig. 6.Sc: Coaxial Cable

Fiber Optic Cable

A fiber optic cable consists of two glass materials; core and cladding. In t h i s cable,

data is transferred in the form of light waves. The distance between core and

cladding is very less so that the light waves reflect within the cable and do not

refract. It provides high-speed data transmission, up to the speed of light. The

main disadvantage is that it is very expensive and needs special components to

maintain. Fig. 6.Sd portrays the internal structure of an optic fiber cable.

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Jacket 900m
Total Internal Reflection
L19ht Rays
Buffer 250m

Cladding
Core Sm

Fig. 6.Sd: Fiber Optic Cable

Wireless Transmission Media

The process of sending data signals without physical connection between the source and

the destination is possible through wireless transmission media. Open a i r or space acts

as a carrier for s i g n a l s . It requires a specific device to send and receive data s i g n a l s . The

signals are transferred either through radio waves, microwaves, or infrared waves. It

requires an antenna to receive signals. Present day cable TV network is laid using this

t e c h n i q u e . The wireless transmission method is easily portrayed using Fig. 6.Se.

r
Transmitter

Antenna

r
Receiver

Antenna

Fig. 6 . S e : Wireless Transmission

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6 . 9 Chapter S u m m a r y

Data communication is a process of exchanging data or information among

computers.

The process of connecting computers using physical components to enable

communication is called networking.

The effectiveness of data communication depends on delivery, accuracy,

timeliness, and jitter.

Sender, receiver, message, medium, and protocol are network components.

Based on the geographical span, the basic types of network are Personal Area

Network (PAN), Local Area Network ( LA N ) , Metropolitan Area Network ( M A N ) , and

Wide Area Network ( W A N ) .

Peer-to-peer (P2P) architecture refers to individual connection of a computer in a

network.

All the hosts (nodes) in a network are connected to the central authority (server)

in client-server architecture.

Protocols are set of rules and procedures that instruct how to perform every

activity on a network.

Protocols at Network Interface Layer are Ethernet, Token ring, Frame Relay, and

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM).

Protocols at Internet Layer are Internet Protocol (IP) and Internet Protocol

Security (IPSec).

Protocols at Transport Layer are Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), User

Datagram Protocol (UDP), Internet Group Message Protocol (IGMP), and Internet

Control Message Protocol ( I C M P ) .

Protocols at A p p l i c a t i o n Layer are Domain Name System ( D N S ), Terminal Network

(Telnet), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP),

Routing Information Protocol (RIP), and Simple Network Management Protocol

(SNMP).

The arrangement of systems in a network is called topology.

Bus topology, ring topology, star topology, mesh topology, and hybrid topology

are the different types of topology.

Transmission media acts as a carrier or medium for data t r a n s m i s s i o n .

Twisted Pair Cable, Coaxial Cable, and Fiber Optic Cable are wired transmission

media.

Open space are used as medium in wireless transmission m e d i a .

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Computer Information System

0 7 . Internet eBook

7 . 1 Introduction

Users connect to the internet to share information that is available extensively over a

network. It provides effective communication which leads to its growing need. It is also

called as a "publicly accessible network" where anyone can connect online to provide

and retrieve information. Internet services are obtained through Internet Service

Providers ( I S P s . )

Internet revolutionized the method of business processes through its various

components that assist information sharing among employees, enable distributed

computing, browse products catalogue, and facilitate banking, and much more. Thus, it

shrinks the world by bringing any kind of information straight to the computer and

allows communication access beyond national boundaries. Initially, it was used for

defense purposes through ARPANET, now it contains massive amounts of information

and services to assist various sectors.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Define Internet addressing

List types of address

Describe U R L structure

E x p l a i n various web browser components

Understand the working of search engines

Differentiate intranet and extranet

Design a web page

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7 . 2 Internet Addressing

An address is used to identify a node or system on a network. Data communication and

resource sharing are possible with the help of addresses that identify the node. Each

node has a unique address over a network. An address range is allocated to a network

and addresses are shared among that node but the same address is not allocated to two

different systems. For instance, the source identifies the destination uniquely with the

help of the address and then transfers the data or message.

32
The universal standard for an address consists of 32 bits that includes 2 combinations

of addresses. Internet addressing universally uses IPv4 called Internet Protocol version

4. There also exists IPv6 or Internet Protocol version 6, which is not functional currently.

IP address is a v a i l a b l e in two formats.

Decimal Dotted Notation

This notation is easy to understand and memorize. It includes four octets, each of

8 bits. Each octet is separated by a decimal dot ( . ) and ranges between O and 255.

Fig. 7.2a depicts a sample address in a decimal dotted notation.

Octet

6
127.89.34.45

Fig. 7 . 2 a : Decimal Dotted Notation

Binary Notation

The system or any component on a network understands o n l y the b i n a r y notation.

Each octet is converted to a binary equivalent. It is not separated by d e c i m a l dots.

Fig. 7.2b depicts a sample address in a binary notation.

011111111 01011001 00100010 00101101

\ I I I

127.89.34.45
Fig. 7 . 2 b : Binary Notation

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IPv4 addressing protocol uses two types of addressing modes for successfully providing

address to each node.

Classful Addressing

In t h i s addressing technique, the address space is divided into five classes namely,

Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E. Based on the organization size; the

classes are assigned to them.

Classes First Byte Second Byte Third Bvte Fourth Byte Application

0 (BN)
Class A ... ... ... Large orcamaaucn
0-127 (DON)

10 (BN)
... ... ...
Class B Midsize Organization
1 2 8 - 1 9 1 (DON)

110 (BN)
... ... ...
Class C Small Organization
192-223 (DON)

1 1 1 0 (BN)
... ... ...
Class D Multicast
224-239 {DON)

1 1 1 1 (BN)
... ... ...
Class E Reserved for future use
240-255 (DON)

BN - Binary Notation DON - Decimal Dotted Notation

Table 7 . 2 a : Types of Classes

In Class A addressing, the first byte (first octet), starts with bit O in binary

notation or any number from O to 127 in decimal dotted notation. In Class B

a d d r e s s i n g , the first two bits consists of 1 O in binary notation or any n u m b e r from

128 to 191 in decimal dotted notation. In Class C addressing, the first three bits

consist of 1 1 O in binary notation or any number from 192 to 223 in decimal

dotted notation. In Class D addressing, the first four bits consist of 1 1 1 0 in

binary notation or any number from 224 to 239 in decimal dotted notation. In

Class E addressing, the first four bits consist of 1 1 1 1 in binary notation or a n y

number from 240 to 255 in decimal dotted notation. A visual representation is

portrayed in Table 7 . 2 a .

Classless Addressing

It is a good alternative for classful addressing that causes address depletion and

wastage. It assigns a range of address blocks to an organization. Thus, it is

allocated to the host that is presently active on the network. The same address is

reused if it is inactive. For instance, if an organization requires 10 addresses, it is

provided with addresses that range from 1 9 2 . 1 6 . 2 . 3 to 192.16.2.11.

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7 . 3 Types of Address

Fig. 7 .3a portrays four levels of addressing used by the Internet that works on TCP/IP

protocol.

Addressing

Physical Address Log ica I Address Port Address Specific Address

Fig. 7 . 3 a : Internet Addressing Levels

Physical Address

This address identifies a host at the network interface layer in the TCP/IP model. As the

packet reaches t h i s layer, the physical address is attached to it. It is m a i n l y used in LAN

and WAN. The address size depends on the types of network protocols. For instance,

Ethernet consumes 6-byte physical address. It changes at every hop. To obtain the

physical address of a particular node, click on Win Key on the keyboard, type cmd on

the search text box, and click on Enter. The Command Processor window appears on

the screen. Type ipconfig I all in the command prompt and click on Enter. The physical

address of the particular host is displayed which is clearly shown in Fig. 7 . 3 b .

Fig. 7 . 3 b : Physical Address

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Logical Address

It uniquely identifies the host throughout the global network. No two hosts or systems

can have the same logical address. Physical address uniquely refers to a node. When it

is combined with the logical address, it uniquely identifies the host over WAN. It has a

universal standard for addressing that consumes 32 bits. Fig. 7.3c portrays a sa m p l e of

a logical address.

Octet

6
127.89.34.45

Fig. 7 . 3 c : Logical Address

Logical address consists of four octets differentiated with a dot (.) symbol. Each octet is

of 8 bits and ranges from O t o 255.

Port Address

Physical address h e l p s to identify the host, either a source or destination. With this, the

message is transmitted to the right destination node. In case of multi-processing,

confusion arises in finding a specific host. Since it consists of many processors, there is

a necessity to uniquely identify a particular process port. This is done with the help of a

port address w h i c h is of 1 6 bits. It is represented using a decimal format. For instance,

37 is port address for TIME protocol.

Specific Address

It is used to identify either the user or the system. It is either an email address, for

instance, smsan@itm.edu or Uniform Resource Locator (URL), for instance,

www.itm.edu.

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7 . 4 Uniform Resource Locator ( U R L )

A URL identifies the web page over the internet. Any webpage is viewed with the help of

its homepage URL. Its universal structure is given in Fig. 7 .4a.

Port Query

_J_

http://www.domain.com: 1234/path/to/resource?a=b&x=y

T
Protocol Host Resource Path

Fig. 7.4a: Uniform Resource Locator ( U R L )

Listed below are the components that define the structure of a URL for any webpage.

Protocol

It denotes the type of the protocol used by webpage. HTIP ( H y p e r Text Transfer

Protocol) is a commonly used protocol which transfers the hypertext contents to

the web browsers through which the contents of a web page is viewed. For

instance, HTIP, HTIPS, and FTP are some protocols available on a network. It

shou Id be noted that these protocols are typed in lowercase.

Host

It denotes the name of the domain where the resources are located. It can also be

a host or a server name. For instance, yahoo.com, g m a i l . c o m

Port

It denotes the port address which uniquely identifies the port over a network. It is

an optional component. Some URLs do not contain a port address. It is denoted in

decimal format.

Resource Path

It denotes the path of the resource. It is a directory, sub-directory, file, or a

combination of them which resides on the host. For instance, in the path

home/courses/MBASyllabus.docx "home" is a directory w i t h i n which sub-directory

"courses" exist. "MBASyllabus.docx" is a file that appears w i t h i n the sub-directory.

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Query

To view limited results on a webpage, data filtering or data retrieving should be

done. It obtains the results from the data source. Thus, these operations are

performed with the help of query language. For instance,

age= lO&location= Mumbai retrieves the data whose age and location matches with

the above query.

A complete example for URL is given as,

http ://www.itm.edu/home/courses/MBASyllabus?specialization= IT

Following are the t i p s to create a user-friendly URL:

Appropriate folder and file names

Logical configuration of URL should be well-structured

S i m p l e names will improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Avoid hyphens between words

Avoid lengthy d o m a i n names

7.5 Domain N a m e System (DNS)

DNS is used to translate web names into its IP address. Users prefer web names, since it

is easy to remember and understand, but a computer can only understand its IP

address. Thus, the D N S converts web names into decimal dotted IP addresses w h i c h are

again converted into binary notations. The DNS acts in a simple network. If one DNS

does not recognize the IP address of a particular web name, it passes on the request to

another.

The user requests a webpage by providing its URL. The control passes to DNS Client. If

the DNS Client knows the IP address, it replies or else it passes on the request to the

D N S Server. If the D N S Server knows the IP address, it replies to the D N S Client, or else

passes on the request to other DNS Servers on the network. Every Internet Service

Providers (ISP) owns their respective DNS servers. The working of DNS is pictorially

explained in F i g . 7 .Sa.

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External ONS Servers

I I
I
Fig. 7 . S a : Domain Name System (DNS)

Two parties do not have similar web names in the same domain. For instance,

example.com and example.gov are different. Table 7.Sa lists some of the domain

names available on the Internet.

Domain Domain Names

.com Commercial Entities

.gov Governmental Entities

.edu Educational Institutions

.org Organizations

.net Closed Network

.rn E n t i t i e s connected with I n d i a

.uk E n t i t i e s connected with United Kingdom

Table 7 . S a : Domain Names List

7 . 6 World W i d e Web (WWW)

World Wide Web (WWW) is a collection of contents described in a well-structured format

using hypertext standards. These contents reside at the application server. The user

requests for content through the web browser using its IP address. The control transfers

to the a p p l i c a t i o n server. It consists of Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) server and

content database. It replies to the client with content and displays it through the web

browser.

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Application Server
Client

Request(URL}

Web
Reply(Content)
Browser

Fig. 7.6a: World Wide Web ( W W W ) Architecture

The content is arranged in a standard format using any hypertext languages. Each page

of it is called a web page, and a collection of web pages is called a website. Web pages

contain different types of content that includes text, audio, video files, g r a p h i c s , images,

etc. A web page is either static or dynamic. The content of a static web page does not

change. It has to be changed manually by the administrator. Similarly, the content of a

d y n a m i c page c h a n g e s over time.

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7 . 7 Web Browsers

A web browser provides information and resources to users on request. It also allows

the user to interact with the web pages and dynamic content such as data filtering, form

filling, etc. It assists in navigation through the entire content of the web page.

The source code for a web page is viewed with the help of web browsers in H y p e r Text

Markup Language (HTML) format. Thus, it provides a user-friendly interface for the user

to interact with the web page contents. It grants first level security to both web content

and user.

Different types of web browsers are available in the market. Some of them are listed in

Table 7 . 7 a .

Browsers Icon

Internet Explorer

Mozilla

Konqueror

Netscape

Opera

Safari

Firefox

Table 7 . 7 a : Web Browsers List

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The browsing tasks t h r o u g h w e b browsers can be achieved with the help of the following

components.

Windows and Tabs

The contents of a web page are displayed with the help of windows in web

browsers. Tabs help to view alternative content on the same window but in

another partition. Thus the user switches among different content by simply

clicking on a tab.
W revcntes Q u, )UggesteO )fi es @.I wee )IKf: uattesy ..

&g [) MSN lndi1 BJ Google X ( ITM j PGOM Colleges I Eng.-

Fig. 7.7a: Tabs

Address Bar

It denotes the complete domain name of the current window. If the user wants to

reach a particular web site, the URL is simply typed on the address bar.

fiJ http< google.co.in ?gft_rd:::cr&ei=qb1QVMqEG0_"1lg

Fig. 7 . 7 b : Address Bar

Controls

It i n c l u d e s set of controls such as, navigation to first page or last page, refreshing

or reloading web page content or reaching home page.

Fig. 7 .7c: Controls

History

It stores the previous browsing history so that it assists the user in reloading the

prior sessions. The history can be deleted on user's request for confidentially .

--

r
-

::: "-9 IN .....,. -fi,,no

."'9,MUS-O..WN-. ....... -.... ... .._


f
q

--
......,
..u..-...- .
MIPS:/.....,.,_
- ........ U,..ApS....,i.tFirwfoo.,eMo;iBo.... ........-...,.,l)JOM'....... -.....
L ../ U f. ....,.,-Jto,otlfA:OfN<Mlao!XI

JOE l)UW! , tio, -101o!l ''f"'" .,_,."'11110.--

llWffll\'Mtrna lltlplhJfltdl! !900Slt.<aml<<C")'o....._

tt """"""""''""'r-.-.. -M

S!-MO:&.. ... .
',.,.
oi---""' !lom<- t.<i 1 de7>

arb

--
ll T........

. Ill b,:-t..g,
lt,t( e,. "'1HI

Fig. 7 . 7 d : History

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Favorites or Bookmarks

The web browser allows the user to mark any web page as favorite or bookmark.

The web page icon appears on a floating panel so that the user accesses it with

just a s i n g l e click.

I llll GEO c;) CT llo'I LH lili] I) n M lii!f Rcd Loltcr e a d! d1i I:, Rc,c.,rch

Fig. 7 . 7 e : Bookmarks

Cache

Cache is a small storage unit allocated in the hard drive. The browser stores

certain history on cache for faster reloading. When the user demands content of

previous searches, the browser reloads the data from cache swiftly. This reduces

response delay.

Index of active cache

Qpen lR (ind em t'oil

Number ol cadiil In-. 355

URL Oete le.st oo:essed

1-,J/eo:kdl::J\J.JJ.,c:e1tcom/t:ive1/ _.dfNetnb!ComNleb 06/21 /2000 00 36:)1

h'l'fK./t-all!MltO.com{C$t{ClVCSt 05/30/2000 09 09:01

h://a2000.compuse,vede/ 06/06/2000 12 29:<13

h/.,.....btlOlcom/orng/l_rildgii 06/30/20001129:SG _j

htl'J,-qvc.com/1moges/b_Jewelryg,I 04/30/2000 01 Z0.01

hl'fj/tw-qvc.oom/q,.c/g,Vcheck.g 04/30/2000 01 20:00

hJ,.._t.aa/lw\1 Qll1 05/30/2000 0911.18

M'fr/t-wet>Stal.CX>m/1mg/Mdo.gt 02/21/2000 21 <17:)0

hJ/w',wrwebstat.i:om/1mg/boic....1ap.g 02/13/21)001232.17

h /tw-wvbsW.eom/1moges/b1 gil 06/30/2000 11 '.i9 43

hJ/Pi 1111Q!rnet.;om/OQ$noao1ozh,ro_ 468lt60 grl 02/09/2".Mi Il .W 38

h'/lusyimg CtJttljm&g&/nt!vll. g,I .Jjf"{$,J,31'54, ..l

Fig. 7.7f: Cache

7 . 8 Search Engines

Search Engines consist of a set of programs or instructions that assists in searching

content on the user's request. The user provides a keyword which is obtained by the

search engines to search. It uses automated programs like bot, or spider that crawls

every website and refines the content based on the keyword.

It uses Boolean operators like AND, OR, NOT to explicitly refine the search process. It

also uses complex mathematical formulae which optimizes search content relatively

compared to the keyword.

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Search engines are noted for both; effective speed and better refinement of searches.

Its ranking is based on comparatively close search results to that of keywords in short

time. It differs based on the algorithms used for searching. The algorithms are unique

and modifications as well as revision are performed at regular intervals to meet

standards.

Table 7 .Sa portrays some search engines available in the market.

Search E n g i n e s Icon

Google
Go0gle

Yahoo
YAEoOr.

Bing
bing

AOL Search AOL). Search

msn msn. .

Ask ,.
Table 7 . S a : Search Engines List

Search engines explore only the source code of the web page and not the animated

content. Thus, it refines the results of web pages that are developed using H y p e r Text

Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). It does not look into

animated scripts used in the web page.

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Spider

Log
Keyword

----+ w ----+

--
Refined

Search

JI;
--
Retrieve

Crawl
\

Conteni\

Collection of Websites

Fig. 7 . S a : Working of Search Engines

There are three m a i n activities that every search engines performs.

Crawl

An automated program, spider crawls every web page and obtains the content

that is relatively closer to the keyword.

Index

The search results in the first step are logged, based on its relevance priority.

Compare and return

The automated program compares the logged results with the provided keyword

and d i s plays the refined search to the user.

7 . 9 Difference between Intranet and Extranet

Intranet

It is also called internal network. Intranet is accessible only within an organization. It

resembles a website which is accessible only to authorized users who are employed with

the company. Any unauthorized access is denied through a virtual device called firewall.

It d i s a l l o w s unofficial activities on the network.

Intranet is mainly used to share resources, data, software, applications, programs, and

it also assists in communication among different hosts within the organization.

Scalability of the organization has caused a growing need to use intranet. An

organization uses this facility for announcements, sharing organization policies and

procedures, obtain reports from lower-level deportments, etc.

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U n l i k e the Internet, which is controlled by the government, intra net is entirely hand led

and controlled by a particular company's interest. Hence, it reduces paper work and

increases the work efficiency. Staff outside the organization access intranet through

Virtual Private Network (VPN). Communication over intranet takes place in an encrypted

form.

Extra net

It acts like an extension of the intranet where it is accessible outside the network.

Stakeholders have limited access to company data through the extra net. Data

availability is measured depending on the administrator's view and customers' priority.

For instance, E-shopping websites allow customers to view product's details but cannot

add or change the product's description. Instead, rights are given to the user to post

reviews and comments.

High security and privacy is required to withhold confidentiality of the database. Thus,

extranet provides limited information associated to intranet activities. It does not

provide complete access to intranet.

I_
'
Intranet
-'--.....
Internet \ Server

I_
- <,.. .s; J-_,,J
--
Applocation

...,.,

I_
Customer's 1010
Net,,,'OJt
- Intranet -
Fig. 7 . 9 a : Intranet and Extranet

7 . 1 0 Creating Web Page using HTML

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML} is a programming language used to create

web pages. It is simple and easy to understand. This language consists of keywords

enclosed between angle brackets < and > called markups or tags. The general

structure of an H T M L program is given in Fig. 7 . 1 0 a .

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<html>

<head> }
<title> </title> Head S e c t i o n

</head>

<body>

} Body Section

</body>

</html>

Fig. 7 . 1 0 a : Structure of H T M L

H T M L programs always start with < h t m l > tag and end with < / h t m l > tag. The close

(end) tag is s i m i l a r to the start tag but a s l a s h ( / ) precedes the keyword.

The text enclosed between < h e a d > and < / h e a d > tag is displayed as heading on the

web page. The text to be displayed on the topmost bar of browser called the title bar is

given between < t i t l e > and < / t i t l e > . Any text or content to be displayed on the web

page is included between <body> and </body> tag.

The H T M L programs are written on Notepad and saved as < fil e n a m e > . h t m l .

7J Samp!eP.age Notep

File Edit Format Vitw Help

<head>
<t1tle>Sample HTML Page </title>
</head>

<body>
Hypertext systems are particularly useful for organizing and browsing
through large databases that consist of disparate types of information.
There are several Hypertext systems available for Apple Macintosh computers
and PCs that enable you to develop your own databases. such systems are often
called authoring systems. Hypercard software from Apple computeris the most famous.
</body>
</html>i

< I I

'"

Fig. 7 . 1 0 b : Sample HTML Program

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n,s.,.As -
C)r--
, C-om-,--ff-
,N---.-.-
,-
, -
( ---
, N---o
l-
d-
l s----.r.,
-
,,.S,,,
, -t,_N_":'.
__ l_old------p'f

o,ganiu New folder

[] Documents Name Oete modified Type

j. Musi(

No IIems m.ttch )'our SQrch


.;] Pictures

fl! Subversion

H Videos

Computer

SI.ii locel Orsk (C:) E

r_. Nrw Volume (D:)

New Volume (E.;)

Nork

Filenam Samplage.html

Sa-tt as typ IT a1 Docum r .b:t)

Hid!' Foldtts Encoding: !ANSI

I I-""'-' I c,ml

Fig. 7.10c: Saving HTML Document

The file bears the icon of the web browser that is currently used. Go to that location and

d o u b l e - c l i c k on the file icon, the web page is displayed through the web browser.

HTML P
[ Samplt
+

C Rl Gq w
P D

or or;wzill1 and browsin, throuib lar1c datab Wt coruist of dispanuc t:t't>t.t of ittforma1io11. There arc
Hypcne ssicms arc particularly uteful f

several Hypertext 1ysteins available f


ot Apple i\1acu11osh compuien and PCs that mab\c )"OU ID de\"elop your 0\\11 databases. Such systc111s are often

called authoring systems. HrpeiCard software from Apple Computeris the mos1 famoui

Fig. 7 . 1 0 d : HTML Web Page

To edit or modify the HTML code, right click on the web page and select View Page

Source.

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Back

fQrward

Be:load

Bookmark This Page

Save fage As...

View Background lmi!lge

Seled All

ew Page Source

View Pagl!! Info

Inspect Element (Q)

Fig. 7 . 1 0 e : Viewing Page Source

Thus, the H T M L program is a source code for a respective web page. Any c h a n g e to its

content and structure is done through it. Some of the other tags that are used to

enhance the presentation of the document are listed below:

Tags Purpose

<b > ... </b> Bold

<l > ... </i> Italics

< u > ... </u> U n d e rl i n e

<sub> ... </sub> Subscript

< s u p > ... </sup> Superscript

< h l > ... < / h l > Heading level 1

<strike> ... </strike> Strikethrough

Table 7 . 1 0 a : Basic HTML Tags

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7 . 1 1 Chapter Summary

Data c o m m u n i c a t i o n and networking uses source and destination address.

32
Address consists of 32 bits and includes 2 combinations of addresses.

Addresses are denoted in two notations; binary and decimal dotted notation.

Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) uses either classfu I addressing or classless

addressing.

Classful addressing using five types of classes. They are Class A, Class B, Class C,

Class D, and Class E.

Classless addressing allocates range of addresses depending on organization size.

Physical, logical, port, and specific address are the four types of address.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL) uniquely recognizes the web page over internet.

The components of URL are protocol, host, port, resource path, and query.

Domain Name System (DNS) translates web site names to its respective IP

address.

World Wide Web (WWW) is a collection of information presented in a well

structu red format.

Web browser assists the user in interacting with the web pages.

Components of web browser are windows and tabs, address bar, controls, history,

favorites, or bookmarks, and cache.

Search e n g i n e s are a set of programs that assist the user to search content.

Core activities performed by every search engine are crawl, index, compare, and

return.

Intranet is a network that is accessible to a closed group in an o r g a n i z a t i o n .

Extranet provides limited access to stakeholders to interact with the intranet.

Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) is used to create static web pages.

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eCommerce

I T M
UNIVERSITY

ONLINE
Computer Information System

08. eCommerce eBook

8 . 1 Introduction

Enterprises across the world require noteworthy technology for effective business

f u n c t i o n i n g . They require a cost effective medium to promote their business g l o b a l l y and

to share information in a timely manner. The immense development and usage of the

Internet and electronic devices in business has changed traditional commerce.

To cater to this need a new technique called eCommerce has come into existence. It

helps business progression and assists business operations to reach globally.

eCommerce assists easy exchange of goods or services to consumers and vendors u s i n g

electronic tools and techniques.

Shopping trends have changed and consumers can buy any and every product through

the Internet. Books, magazines, and journals are now available in d i g ital formats for

easy access. This has reduced paperwork and manual labor to the maximum extent. It

leads the organization to a new competitive world by satisfying consumers through

effective service.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Define eCommerce

Elaborate eCommerce framework

E x p l a i n the features provided through eCommerce

D i s t i n g u i s h traditional commerce and eCommerce

Paraphrase its advantages and disadvantages

List various business models and payment methods

Describe the processes involved in Electronic Data Interchange ( E D I )

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8 . 2 Definition of eCommerce

eCommerce, alternatively called as electronic commerce, refers to the process of

handling business activities using Information and Communication Technology ( I CT ) .

Traditional transaction states that, it is necessary for both the parties to be present

physically to perform any kind of transaction. Through eCommerce, data a v a i l a b i l i t y and

transaction processing is possible round the clock. It is not necessary for the seller and

buyer to be physically presented to handle business operations.

The evolution of eCommerce started in 1995 where netscape.com published its first

advertisement, paving a new trend for the business process. It caused tremendous

growth in eCommerce retail sales and reduced paperwork by using techniques like World

Wide Web (WWW), electronic mail, electronic money transfer, etc. It transformed

traditional commerce to an electronic environment and introduced business operations

on a g l o b a l scale.

Generally, business operations include transaction data gathering, manipulating, and

sharing. eCommerce includes all these tasks along with high speed processing and huge

data storage at remote locations. Through computer networking, connections among

customers are laid easily. Thus, it provides easy communication among customers and

executives without geographical restrictions.

eCommerce is easily implemented through three types of integrations, such as vertical

integration, cross-business integration, and technology integration. Vertical integration

denotes the process of converting transaction processing systems to web applications.

Cross-business integration specifies the method in which the transactions are performed

by customers, officials, and suppliers using websites. Introducing electronic e q u i p m e n t s

in activities, such as order handling, marketing, and customer service refers to

technological integration.

Whinston, Choi, and Stahl proposed a framework that describes the three d i m e n s i o n s of

commerce. Fig. 8.2a depicts the functionality of traditional and electronic commerce

which is decided based on three factors, such as product, process, and delivery agent. In

traditional processing, all three factors are physical. For instance, purchasing a book

from a shop is pure traditional commerce where the factors, product, process, and

delivery happen physically. Partial eCommerce takes place if a n y one of the factors

turns digital. For instance, purchasing a book through flipkart.com is a partial

eCommerce where processing takes place digitally. If all the factors appear in a digital

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mode, then it is called pure eCommerce. For instance, purchasing an eBook from

flipkart.com where a ll the factors are digital.

Product

Virtual

Process

Drqttal

Physical

Physical Digital Virtual Delivery Agent

Fig. 8 . 2 a : eCommerce Dimensions

According to a definition by Wigand, E-commerce is the seamless application of

information and communication technology from its point of origin to its

endpoint along the entire value chain of business processes conducted

electronically and designed to enable the accomplishment of a business goal.

These processes may be partial or complete and may encompass business to

business as well as business to customer and customer to business

transactions.

eCommerce Framework

eCommerce had changed the perspective of business handling. Every activity is now

performed digitally in eCommerce. Organizations switch to digital mode to introduce

their business into the g l o b a l world which has led to tough competition. To b u i l d a strong

eCommerce framework, it is necessary to follow certain constraints.

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F l e x i b i l t y with

Forward Integration

Innovative Revenue

Collection

Collective

Products' Information

Fig. 8 . 2 b : eCommerce Framework Constraints

Interoperability

Business operations are handled digitally using the Internet. Since customers are

remotely located, the network architecture, connectivity pattern, and technologies

may differ. The platform on which business operations are implemented digitally

should be operable u n d e r such circumstances.

Technological Implication

The platform on which the d i g i t a l operations are performed should accept various

technologies used in a network. Any advance or emerging technologies should be

adaptable easily without major changes to the existing operations. For instance,

there arise different types of digital payment systems. Thus, a framework should

be flexible and accept these technologies to provide best service to the customers.

Flexibility with Forward Integration

Emergence of new services and business applications constantly arises. Thus, the

framework of eCommerce should accommodate future developments and

improvements. The framework should be flexible enough to accept dynamic

changes.

Innovative Revenue Collection Methods

eCommerce provides different payment collection modes, such as eCash,

ePayment, etc. An emerging method called meterware b i l l s the customer based on

product usage.

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Legacy Systems

Emergence of eCommerce has computerized maximum business processes. Still,

certain legal policies and procedures are maintained manually through paperwork.

Complete transformation of entire business application to digital mode is not

applicable in a single shot. Thus, eCommerce should effectively develop and

implement d i g i t a l legal procedures.

Collective Products' Information

eCommerce provides a wide variety of information such as, text, images, g r a p h i c s ,

audio, video, etc. to customers digitally where as in traditional commerce only

selective details are provided. eCommerce provides different modes of information

about a particular product. For instance, if a customer is purchasing a mobile

t h r o u g h any on line s h o p p in g website, the details of the m o b i l e are provided in text

along with its images, video demonstration, etc. Thus, the customer will have a

real experience and complete knowledge while buying the product.

eCommerce Issues

It provides unlimited enhanced services to facilitate customers and business executives

through electronic mode of business. Though, data accuracy and speedy response is

achieved t h r o u g h d i g ital maintenance of information, certain issues arise that are major

concerns and they need to be solved for effective functioning of eCommerce.

Market Related Soc,o-cultural legal and Regulatory Network and Technological


F1nanc1al Issues
Issues [ssues Issues Issues

Reliability Purchase potential Customs Pnvacy Compatibility

Competition Lifestyle Taxation Security Hardware standards

Market development Navigation patterns Electronic payments Content liability Interoperability

Customer orientation Attitude Fund transfers Uniform commerclal code Acceptability standards

Table 8 . 2 a : Issues in eCommerce

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8.3 Features of eCommerce

The rebellion of eCommerce is still unfolding. Industries such as education, news,

entertainment, finance, reservations, etc. adapt eCommerce to attain business

progression. Listed in Fig. 8.3a are some of the key features of eCommerce.

Global Reach Richness

Information
Interactivity
Density

Universal
C u s t o rn l z a t l o n
Standard

Social
U b i q u i ty
Technology

Fig. 8 . 3 a : eCommerce Features

Ubiquity

U n l i k e t r a d i t i o n a l commerce where goods and market is a v a i l a b l e only at a specific

place, eCommerce is referred as ubiquitous due to its a v a i l a b i l i t y everywhere and

at all times. Buying and selling of goods is possible at any place such as home,

work, and also while travelling. Thus, the marketspace is extended and

geographical restrictions are dissolved.

Universal Standard

It refers to the technical standards of the Internet used in eCommerce. These

standards are shared by every computer connected through the Internet, located

remotely t h r o u g h o u t the world. The structure and function of these standards are

s i m i l a r t h r o u g h o u t the network. Thus, it aids to reduce market entry costs that are

invested in searching for a customized product.

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Information Density

With the advent of the Internet and Web, the amount of data available to

consumers, sellers, and market participants is unlimited. eCommerce technologies

reduce costs of information processing, storage, and communication a n d increases

concurrency, accuracy, and timeliness of data.

Global Reach

Compared to traditional commerce, eCommerce provides business services across

cultural and national boundaries at substantially reduced costs. It is stated that

the potential market size of eCommerce merchants is roughly e q u a l to the world's

o n l i n e p o p u l a t i o n and is still growing.

Richness

It was assumed that the richness of information is achieved only through

traditional eCommerce with face-to-face interaction. It was imagined that the

knowledge of a consumer is easily depicted only through physical contact. This

trend changed with the introduction of eCommerce. It holds data in the form of

audio, video, image, and text and provides abundant information to the consumers

s i m i l a r to traditional commerce.

Interactivity

Product details are delivered to consumers through conventional resources such

as, televisions, radio, etc. It leads to one-way communication between seller and

consumers. eCommerce provides a two-way communication where consumers can

interact with sellers. For instance, through television, a consumer cannot interact

much with the seller but through Web and internet services, consumers can

communicate directly to request detailed information about the product and can

also post queries.

Customization

With the person's name, age, interests, and purchase history, sellers target

consumers with relevant messages or products. In case, a consumer prefers to

change the product or requires an alternative service, it can be easily done with

the help of eCommerce technologies. Thus, the online sellers study a consumer's

behavior with the help of information density.

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Social Technology

In contrast to traditional commerce, the consumers share their views and

experiences about a specific product with their friends and relatives through the

Internet. This indirectly acts as an oral publicity or advertisement of the product.

Positive reviews about the product increase its advancement through which

m a x i m u m consumer base is attained.

8 . 4 T r a d i t i o n a l Commerce Vs eCommerce

eCommerce provides m u lt ip l e services that assist consumers, society, and organization

to h a n d l e business activities effectively. It promotes business operations g l o b a l l y without

any restrictions on geographical area and connectivity. Many organizations switch from

traditional commerce to eCommerce to attain tremendous business progression. Fig.

8.4a pictorially explains the difference between traditional commerce and eCommerce.

In traditional commerce, every transaction takes place physically but in eCommerce,

every bus i ne s s transaction is handled in a digital format.

purchase l .c l

L:d"_j -
Buyer Traditional Commerce sales-purchase transaction Seller

.. 001100111100 ..


Send Send

Order

Buyer Ele<tronlc Commerce sales-purchase transaction Seller

Fig. 8 . 4 a : Traditional Commerce Vs eCommerce

Table 8.4a g i v e s a comparative study on traditional commerce and eCommerce.

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S. No. Concepts Traditional Commerce eCommerce

1 Data Transmission Transmitting data is a challenging Communication channels assist in easy

task and requires more effort. data exchange which leads to m i n i m u m

Data transmission depends on dependency on person-to-person

person-to-person communication. communication.

2 Communication Effectiveness of communication There is no necessity for human

depends on respective person's intervention. Every transaction is

skills. handled digitally.

3 Data Availability Data is made available only on Data is available round the clock and

request for a limited period. the user can access i


t at any time.

4 Data Sharing It requires multiple copies of data With the central database technique,

for every department which leads data is stored in remote locations

to inaccuracy and redundancy. and can be accessed at any time

with less redundancy.

5 Standards Traditional commerce does not eCommerce provides universal

have a uniform framework and standard for communication and

completely depends on personal transaction throughout the network.

communication.

6 Transactions Transactions are performed syn- Transactions are performed using

chronously and require human electronic systems and broadcasted

intervention. automatically to consumers.

7 Reachable Scale It takes maximum effort to cover a Reaching maximum population scale

reasonable quantity of population. is an easy task with the help of

emerging internet technologies.

Table 8 . 4 a : Traditional Commerce Vs eCommerce

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8 . 5 Advantages a n d Disadvantages of eCommerce

Advantages

The promotion of g l o b a l business activities, providing cost effective services, reaching

maximum population scale, flexible and improved infrastructure, and resourcefulness

t h r o u g h eCommerce has benefitted many sectors such as organization, consumers, and

society.

Organization

o eCommerce lays communication among merchants and consumers in a

much reduced cost.

o It assists in implementing business process reengineering effectively.

o It promotes h i g h profiled businesses.

o The cost of creating, processing, distributing, and retrieving paper based

transactions is provided through eCommerce at less cost.

o It introduces local business to the global market.

Consumers

o The competitive spirit among different business providers grants attractive

discounts to impress consumers.

o It assists in selection of products based on reviews provided by other

consumers.

o Through eCommerce consumers participate in virtual auctions, irrespective

of t h e i r locations.

o Filtering of relevant data among the bulk quantity of information is easily

implemented through eCommerce.

o Consumers quickly receive delivery of their products or services when

compared to traditional commerce.

o Unlimited ranges of products are provided to consumers.

o The most important advantage is that it allows consumers to invoke

transaction from anywhere, at any time.

Society

o Through online business activities, individuals work at home where the cost

spent for travelling is much reduced.

o It delivers the product beyond the reachable area such as, rural regions.

o Products through eCommerce are sold in much reduced cost, thus it allows

the customers to consume more and increase their standard of l i v i n g .

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o Delivery of public and non-profitable services such as, education, social

services, medical help, etc. are provided at much reduced cost.

Disadvantages

eCommerce provides unlimited services and aids consumers with enhanced technologies

available in the market. But, there exists certain limitations that affect the functioning of

eCommerce w h i c h can be overcome with effective recovery measures. These limitations

are broadly classified u n d e r two categories.

Technical Limitations

o There is lack of uniform and high bandwidth which leads to improper

communication.

o Software development tools are dynamic and still evolving.

o Integration of existing application with the advanced techniques is a

challenging task.

o Achieving complete system security and reliability is in its early stages.

o Special installation and configuration is required to implement eCommerce

software.

o Requirement of special web servers and network servers are necessary to

i m p l e m e n t eCommerce features.

Non-technical Limitations

o Consumers and sellers should be aware of advanced technologies. Complete

knowledge of eCommere is necessary to attain potential benefits.

o Certain countries are still unable to meet the infrastructure requirements to

lay an eCommerce background.

o Gaining confidence among consumers to buy products on a virtual world is

still a difficult task.

o Lack of trust in providing sensitive details such as, credit card number is

challenging.

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8.6 Business Models

Business models refer to the methods of connectivity among business entities. It also

provides description about core features, such as trading methods, operational

processes, organizational structures, consumers, and infrastructure.

According to the definition by AI-Debei and Avison, Business model is an abstract

representation of an organization, be it conceptual, textual, and/or graphical,

of all core interrelated architectural, co-operational, and financial

arrangements designed and developed by an organization presently and in the

future, as well as all core products and/or services the organization offers, or

will offer, based on the arrangements that are needed to achieve its strategic

goals and objectives.

eCommerce comprises seven types of business models based on the role of business

entities who invokes the operations.

Fig. 8 . 6 a : eCommerce Business Models

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Business to Business ( B 2 B )

In 626 model, the mediator places orders using the company's website. Business

operations happen among two organizations.

Supplies
I

I Order Processing

Orders
Website

Fig. 8.6b: B2B Model

For instance, a wholesaler orders the product using the company's website. The

company processes the order and delivers it to the wholesaler. They in turn sell the

product to customers.

Business to Consumer ( B 2 C )

This model allows the consumer to directly interact with the organization through its

website. A consumer places the order using the organization's website. The order is

then processed and is directly delivered to the consumer.

Supplies
I

I Order Processing

Orders

Website

Fig. 8.6c: B2C Model

Some websites which provide B2C services are drugstore.com, noble.com, and

beyond.com. A customer places the order using any online shopping website. The

order is processed by the respective organization and delivered to the customers

directly without the need of a mediator.

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Consumer to Consumer (C2C)

A transaction takes place between consumers through services provided by third a

party vendor. Consumers interact with the website to buy or sell products. The

website which controlled by a third party organization, charges the consumer based

on t h e i r usage.

Places advertisement

Want to buy products

Receives products
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Receives money

-----------

Fig. 8 . 6 d : C2C Model

For instance, Customer A wants to sell a cell phone using websites like quikr.com,

olx. i n , etc. the first step is to upload the mobile details on to the website. The

prospective buyer can view its details through the website. The service of interaction

is provided by the third party through the website but it does not directly participate

in the transaction.

Consumer to Business (C2B)

In the C2B model, the consumer contacts a website for a particular service that

contains information about different organizations.

Website

Places money for


Processes Order
particular service

Receives products

---------- 'r
Business Organization I Customer
Receives money
-- - - - - - - - - - -

Fig. 8 . 6 e : C2B Model

For instance, customer uses policybazaar.com which displays the comparative rates

of loan de t a i l s . The customer can then select the organization based on his budget

and a p p l y for a loan.

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Business to Government ( B 2 G )

Government interacts with websites developed by the organization to trade and

exchange information. The government recognizes such websites and allows

s u b m i s s i o n of a p p l i c a t i o n forms through it.

Government

Fig. 8 . 6 f : B2G Model

Government to Business ( G 2 B )

In G2B model, the government uses its website to publish tender notices, contract

an n o unce m e nO t s , agreement policies, etc.

Business Organization

Fig. 8 . 6 9 : G2B Model

Government to Citizen (G2C)

The government uses websites to interact with customers to provide online services

such as, passport application, availability of birth certificate, PAN card, vehicle

registration, etc. The main aim of G2C model is to provide accurate and fast response

to its citizens.

Fig. 8.6h: G2C Model

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8 . 7 Payment Systems

eCommerce introduces the traditional commerce to the digital world. Every transaction

in a business, such as displaying product details, promoting a product, placing and

processing the order, product delivery, and payment are performed using digital

techniques. This helps to reduce paperwork and manual labor.

Absence of physical contact among consumers, sellers, organizations, and agents in

eCommerce leads to the requirement of digital payment systems. Technological

advancement has led to multiple forms of payment systems in eCommerce. Listed below

are some of the most commonly used payment systems.

S m a rt Card

Debit Card eMoney

Credit Card efund

- -
Fig. 8 . 7 a : eCommerce Payment Systems

Credit Card

Credit card is one of the common modes of payment used by consumers. It is a s m a l l

hand held plastic card with a u n i q u e card number and has a black magnetic strip. It is

swiped to share information which is necessary to complete a transaction. Initially,

the bank pays for the product on behalf of the card holder and the amount has to be

returned back in a limited time period. Fig. 8.7a depicts the overall view of credit

card payment.

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3 Upon approval by card Issuing

bank, MGI credits merchant account


2 Merch11nt aiptures the
and submits transaction f
OI'
crl'dit aird information
settlement

4 Back end processor pays the


7 Customer receives statement
acqulrer and eeens the
and pays the Issuing bank
card-issuer account; transaction

Is sent to issuer

l
- _)
' '
6 Issuer postS the transaction

to the customer's account v S


I '

Acqulrer funds the

merchant's account

Fig. 8 . 7 b : Credit Card Payment Process

Debit Card

A d e b i t card is s i m i l a r to the credit card, physically. It is also a s m a l l plastic card with

a u n i q u e account number along with cardholder's name and signature. It is issued by

the bank only to the customers who own an account. The major difference between a

d e b i t and credit card is the way the customer reimburses the payment. With a debit

card, the money is deducted directly from the cardholder's account during payment

without mediation from the bank.

Fig. 8 . 7 c : Sample Debit Card

Smart Card

Smart card is physically similar to debit and credit card. A small microprocessor c h i p

is embedded in it that stores bulk quantities of information about a customer. It is

also used to store d i g i t a l money in the form of a binary format ( l s and Os). It is less

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expensive and can be accessed only with the help of a Personal Identification Number

(PIN).

Fig. 8 . 7 d : Sample Smart Card

eMoney

eMoney or electronic money denotes currencies in digital format. The currency is

stored, retrieved, and transmitted digitally. Payment processor, digital currency, etc.

are some of the trends where eMoney trend is u se d . It is simple, convenient, and

easy to i m p l e m e n t .

efund

efund or electronic fund is a popular method for exchange of electronic money from

one bank to another. This introduces the concept of internet banking that assists in

exchanging money d i g i t a l l y , either within the same bank or different banks.

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8 . 8 E l e c t r o n i c Data Interchange ( E D I )

The process of sending information digitally or electronically without human intervention

is called as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Data is transferred among various

entities connected with different types of communication links.

Both the sender and receiver should use standard format for data exchange. It may

include bus i ne s s documents such as, invoices, notices, policies, order details, etc.

Companies or departments located remotely share sensitive information using EDI to

accomplish effective business functioning.

In contrast, with traditional format where maximum time is consumed in delivering

information EDI reduces manual labor by automatically exchanging the information

using electronic devices.

Data m Internal l} Prepare the document!. to be sent


Format

,.
EDI Network

Swvic. Pro,,id..-

PolnttoPolnt Communications

3) Connect and tr.insmit your

documents to your busll'less

patner

Fig. 8 . S a : EDI Processes

The step-by-step process to exchange digital data through EDI system is listed below.

I n i t i a l l y , the data is filtered and passed on to EDI translator.

EDI translator helps to transform a document into electronic data format.

D i g i t a l data is sent to the receiving company through a c o m m u n i c a t i o n c h a n n e l .

Dig ital data is transferred again to a normal format using EDI translator at the

receiving e n d .

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Advantages

Listed below are some advantages of EDI systems.

Since computational electronic devices are used in EDI, occurrences of data entry

errors reduce.

Information is exchanged automatically with the help of electronic devices. T h u s , it

consumes less time as compared to traditional process.

Transformation of physical data to a digital format reduces paperwork.

It is s i m p l e , easy to implement, and cost effective.

A standardized communication process improves the quality of the communication

channel.

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8 . 9 Chapter S u m m a r y

Electronic commerce (eCommerce) refers to the process of using electronic

devices and the Internet in business activities.

Every business activity is handled digitally and data is a v a i l a b l e round the clock.

Product, process, and delivery agent are three main factors that decide the trend

of commerce.

Interoperability, technological implication, flexibility, forward integration,

innovative revenue collection, legacy systems, and collective product information

are the constraints to be followed to build a better eCommerce framework.

Ubiquity, universal standard, information density, global reach, richness,

interactivity, customization, and social technology are the features provided

t h r o u g h eCommerce.

Promoting business activities globally with cost effective services, reaching out to

a large population, flexible and improved infrastructure, and resourcefulness are

the advantages provided through eCommerce.

Business models refers to the methods of connectivity among business entities

and description about features like trading methods, operational processes,

organizational structures, consumers, and infrastructure.

Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), Consumer to Consumer

(C2C), Consumer to Business (C2B), Business to Government (B2G), Government

to Business (G2B), and Government to Citizen (G2C) are the seven basic types of

business models.

Credit card, debit card, smart card, eMoney, and efund are few electronic

payment methods used in eCommerce.

The process of sending information digitally or electronically without human

intervention is called as Electronic Data Interchange ( E D I ) .

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N e w IT

Initiatives

I T M
UNIVERSITY

ONLINE
Computer Information System

09. New IT I n i t i a t i v e s eBook

9 . 1 Introduction

Technological developments have tremendously transformed the era of business

processes. In contemporary times, it introduces global businesses without geographical

restrictions and allows business operations to take place at remotely located offices with

the help of the Internet. Email, video conferencing, wireless networks, cellular phones,

and virtual networking have allowed business operations to be conducted on the

Internet at remote locations.

A user expects operations to be performed on a real time platform with data available

round the clock. This has led to the application of business on the Internet where

customers and businesspersons interact with each other at remote locations. Data

sharing and communication is accomplished easily through services provided by the

Internet. Thus, application of Internet over various business activities has led to the

development of infinite technologies.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Describe Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

E x p l a i n e B u s i n e s s with its security implications

Define eGovernance

S u m m a r i z e cloud computing

Describe Knowledge Management Systems ( K M S )

E x p l a i n M a n a g e m e n t Information Systems ( M I S )

E x p l a i n Decision S u p p o r t Systems (DSS)

Describe Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

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9 . 2 Enterprise Resource P l a n n i n g (ERP)

Alternatively called Transaction Processing System (TPS), ERP assists to capture and

store transactions of an enterprise. It helps to retrieve these transactions that assist

business executives to handle decisions effectively.

ERP comprises details of every aspect, such as finance, marketing, production,

purchase, etc. and with the help of integrated software it records transaction details of

these aspects. It is also called the backbone of information system since the

effectiveness of decision making depends on transactions being captured. The

availability of reliable, accurate, and appropriate information is an important feature of

ERP.

For instance, a customer places an order based on product availability and receives a

unique number for every order. This transaction is uniquely identified using the order

number and any queries regarding the order are solved in reference to it. All these

processes are automatically generated without much manual labor using the ERP

system.

Methodologies and Approaches

ERP is implemented based on the methodology selected by the respective o r g a n i z a t i o n .

Methodology states the order in which the implementation processes are applied. It

includes a set of methods such as, creating a plan, monitoring progress, maintaining

project modules, and evaluating requirements.

The schema for ERP implementation includes selection of the approaches mentioned in

Fig. 9.2a that best fits the organization.

Approaches

Business
Big Bang Approach Pilot Approach Phased Approach
Model Approach

Fig. 9 . 2 a : ERP Implementation Approaches

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Big Bang Approach

ERP software is implemented in all departments of the organization in a single

shot. T h i s approach has both positive and negative aspects. The positive aspect is

that it provides an integrated platform to every department and the negative

aspect is that it requires more co-ordination from different departments, staff

training, etc. Breakdown of one department affects the functioning of the other

which leads to lack of confidence among stakeholders.

Pilot Approach

Disadvantage of the big bang approach is overcome t h r o u g h the pilot Approach. In

this model, all the ERP modules are implemented in a single business entity. The

functioning of the software is carefully monitored. If any problem arises, it is

rectified easily and it affects only the respective department. Once the software is

successful, it is implemented throughout the organization.

Phased Approach

In this approach, the ERP is generated for every module in a business. For

instance, ERP is applied for marketing initially and later on developed for sales,

production, etc. At the final stage, all the modules are integrated and a unified ERP

is generated.

Business Model Approach

It is a c o m b i n a t i o n of the big bang and pilot approach where a universal model is

generated for the entire organization and moves on with individual modules.

Developers prefer modules that are relatively smaller in size and are easy to

implement. Thus it lowers costs, risks, and boosts confidence among developers

with the success from the first project.

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Implementation Stages

ERP implementation depends on the size and models generated by the organization. Fig.

9.2b depicts the general steps which are to be followed for effectively implementing an

ERP. The output of one step becomes an input for another.

I - I

Deployment
. - ..
Preparation

- . -

Fig. 9 . 2 b : ERP Implementation Stages

Project Strategy

It includes the process of collecting requirements from every department. One

individual from each department participates in the planning process and

elaborates the functions about their respective department in detail based on

which a blue p r i n t is generated.

Business Analysis

This is a crucial step which decides the effectiveness of the project. User

requirements are carefully documented and evaluated for its feasibility. Improper

planning leads to poor project development and destroys the q u a l i t y of software.

It is recommended to dedicate maximum time in this step until user requirements

are fully met.

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Plan

This includes the generation of a design schema with respect to the user

requirements and design constraints. The prototype is provided to the user for its

acceptance. Any changes requested by the user are implemented at this stage.

Develop

The static design plan is changed to dynamic using any one of the ERP

approaches. The development takes place individually for every m o d u l e , s i m i l a r to

the Pilot Approach. The design plan is devised based on various constraints such

as, cost, time, complexity, and influence on the organization.

Integrate

At this stage, modules designed individually are integrated to form a complete

system. For instance, if a product is ordered, the control is transferred to the

production department that checks the stock availability. After that, it moves to

the sales department which decides the delivery of the product. If the stock is not

available, then the control is transferred to the purchase department to purchase

the product. Thus, the output of one system influences another.

Test

A test plan is generated using the business analysis documentation. It is used to

test the outcome of the transaction. Testing every function of a module is

important. The report structure and data quantity should also be checked.

Deployment Preparation

It includes preparation related to the actual implementation of the project.

Functioning of processes in the right order, authenticating network connection,

user access permission, printing and numbering documents are tasks to be

checked under this step. It should be monitored that a compromise on data

accuracy never occurs.

Deployment

It states the actual implementation of the project in an organization. This takes

place either t h r o u g h Big Bang, Pilot, Phased or the Business Model Approach.

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Maintain

When user satisfaction with the transaction system is scaled, the user views and

captures reports generated using the ERP system. If any demand occurs with the

ERP, it is easily implied.

ERP Benefits

Operation costs reduce realistically with better management of ERP systems.

Every user requirement is achieved through close interaction with the user w h i c h

assists in project delivery in a short cycle.

Notification in occurrence of any critical task assists in effective decision m a k i n g .

Fast and better data management techniques are a v a i l a b l e to the organization as

per the user's requirement.

The structure of ERP is rigid and flexible simultaneously which easily adapts to

d y n a m i c user requirements.

Business process becomes faster with group work technology and automation of

workflow.

9.3 eBusiness

Development of the Internet has led to the emergence of a new organization structure

called eBusiness or electronic business. Every operation in an organization works

with electronic data interchange at any time. It introduces organizations to a global

market.

Implementation of the Internet and web technology has changed the concept of

traditional business. Geographical area is not a restriction anymore and services are

provided to partners, vendors, and customers located remotely. It acts as a m e d i u m for

every kind of business operations round the clock.

Internet features have changed the era of buying and selling goods. It allows the user to

buy or sell any product across the globe. Due to minimum paper work, the cost of

business processing has reduced considerably. It also helps to maintain data accuracy

and allows users to access data at any time without interruption. Systems like the

decision support system, application packages, and information systems assist in

efficient functioning of eBusiness.

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eBusiness shares information in a digital format ( l s and Os). Prior to the d i g i t a l format,

data was transferred in the form of analog signals with varying frequency and amplitude.

eBusiness heavily d e p e n d s on the Internet for all its activities w h i c h makes organizations

more flexible, profitable, competitive, and efficient.

In eBusiness, customer order, billing, and payment are performed in a d i g ital format. It

is achieved through web portal that is designed for the users' interaction for data.

Enterprise Resource System (ERS), Knowledge Management System (KMS), Customer

Relationship Management system ( C R M ) , etc. assist in its efficient f u n c t i o n i n g . Fig. 9.3a

portrays a sample eBusiness structure in an organization .

,. a<MC -: .,.

Onhne
Sales Auctions Payments web Factory E-Mail Factory
Catalogs

eBuisness tools

MY COMPANY

Fig. 9 . 3 a : eBusiness Structure

eBusiness integrates every function of a business process to a single task. It helps in

business automation and assists in easy data updates. The software is designed with

front end and back end systems where the former denotes the user interface designed

using any p r o g r a m m i n g languages and latter denotes the data source.

eBusiness Security

Implementing significant business operations on a virtual network and maintaining data

in digital format is a difficult task. Any unauthorized access or information theft is

difficult to discover since the attacker is not actively present. It is also important to

check the authenticity of the customers for pure transaction. Fig. 9 . 3 b shows some the

security techniques implemented to effectively handle eBusiness operations.

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Digital D1g1t1al

Certificate Signature

Data Protection
Encryption
Act

Fig. 9 . 3 b : eBusiness Security Techniques

Encryption

The information shared over the Internet is not communicated in original format.

Data confidentiality is maintained by transforming the content into a coded form.

This process is called encryption. In case, if any unauthorized data access is

attempted, privacy is maintained.

Digital Certificate

It is used to identify whether the source of transaction is authentic or not. It is

s i m i l a r to the physical certificate which uniquely identifies and describes the user.

If an unauthorized user poses as a trusted identity and invoke transaction the

user's identity is validated through the digital certificate. It can also use a simple

method such as, "username and password" technique.

Digital Signature

Information is coded through encryption in which the digital signature acts as a

key. Every user possesses a unique digital signature and the transaction is invoked

only by the authentic user who possesses it.

Data Protection Act

Data controllers should follow certain principles described in the Data Protection

Act, 1 9 9 8 to handle user data. Any violation of the customer's data or u n d e r m i n i n g

its p r i n c i p l e s w i l l be liable under law.

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9 . 4 eGovernance

Development of Information Technology (IT) has improved every sector by providing

fast communication, high reliability, and data accuracy. It creates a high impact in the

governance sector that facilitates both society and officials. A society expects

government to function faster and respond with accurate information at the rig ht t i m e .

With the implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), IT helps

to achieve good governance. Wider and deeper participation of i n d i v i d u a l s , institutions,

organization, etc acts as a main objective of eGovernance which is achieved easily.

According to a definition by World Bank, "E-Government" refers to the use by

government agencies of information technologies (such as Wide Area

Networks, the Internet, and mobile computing) that have the ability to

transform relations with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government.

These technologies can serve a variety of different ends: better delivery of

government services to citizens, improved interactions with business and

industry, citizen empowerment through access to information, or more efficient

government management. The resulting benefits can be less corruption,

increased transparency, greater convenience, revenue growth, and/or cost

reductions. This definition specifies the use of information technology for easy revenue

generation, f i n a n c i a l decisions, and improving citizen-government r e l a t i o n s h i p .

According to another definition by UNESCO, Governance refers to the exercise of

political, economic, and administrative authority in the management of a

country's affairs, including citizens' articulation of their interests and exercise

of their legal rights and obligations. E-Governance may be understood as the

performance of this governance via the electronic medium in order to facilitate

an efficient, speedy and transparent process of disseminating information to

the public, and other agencies, and for performing government administration

activities. This definition highlights the use of electronic medium in a country's top

affairs m a n a g e m e n t and creates lucidity and efficiency to citizens as per t h e i r request.

eGovernance benefits many entities such as, citizens, government authorities, etc.

Listed below are some advantages of eGovernance.

It provides better quality services to the citizens with perfect data management.

S c a l a b i l i t y to reach every citizen has become easier.

Every activity of a government is implemented in a simple, efficient, and elegant

manner.

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Stages of eGovernance

From the g i v e n definitions, it is clear that eGovernance is closely related to Information

Technology (IT), computer networking, and communication systems. Fig. 9.4a portrays

the stages to i m p l e m e n t eGovernance in any nation.

Online Data

Interactrvttv

Online Data

Presence

Ccmputenzatton

Fig. 9.4a: eGovernance Stages

Computerization

Computers were introduced in government organizations to automate every

activity. Initially, it was used for word processing and slowly progressed to data

processing.

Networking

Local government organizations located remotely are connected together to form a

network. It assists in data and resource sharing.

O n l i n e Data Presence

There arises a necessity for data availability on the network. The government

designed a website that displays information related to the organization structure,

citizenship procedures, law and order, reports and publications, etc.

O n l i n e Data Interactivity

The need for communication among citizens and government entities is laid down

easily. It reduces personal interface with government entities and increases timely

completion of related tasks.

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9.5 Cloud Computing

The t e c h n i q u e of sharing remotely located data storage and software u n d e r the control

of a third party is called cloud computing. Thus, it assists in reducing the data

supervision effort. The organization becomes scalable without changing much of its

infrastructure. It is cost effective and provides huge benefits for the organization in

sharing resources and data with h i g h security.

According to a definition by U. S. National Institute of Standards and Technology

(NIST), Cloud computing is a model for enabling ubiquitous, convenient, on

demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources

(e.g., networks, servers, storage, applications, and services) that can be

rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort or service

provider interaction. This cloud model is composed of five essential

characteristics, three service models, and four deployment models.

Source: http://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistpubs/800-145/SP800-145. pdf

Model Types

Fig. 9.Sa depicts three types of cloud computing models which differ based on the

functions it provides.

End Users

Saas

PaaS

l a a S Network

Architects

Fig. 9 . S a : Cloud Computing Models

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Storage components, computing capabilities, networking equipment, connecting

media, servers, workstations, etc. are provided to the customers t h r o u g h IaaS. It

assists customers to completely access software within the infrastructure. For

instance, Amazon, GoGrid, 3 Tera provides IaaS.

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Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Customers are offered a particular software layer or development environment as

a service in PaaS. Freedom of application generation is g i v e n to the customer and

is executed on the provider's area. Combination of an operating system and

a p p l i c a t i o n servers increases scalability and eases m a n a g e a b i l i t y requirements. For

instance, Google's A p p Engine, force.com provides PaaS.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The entire a p p l i c a t i o n is offered to the user as a service in Saas. A s i n g l e copy is

run on the cloud and is accessed by multiple users. Installation cost and effort of

server configuration, and software license are reduced. For instance, Google,

Microsoft, Zoho provides Saas.

Cloud Types

Fig. 9.Sb portrays different types of clouds that are used based on the type of access

required by the organization.

Hybrid

Cloud

VMware vSphere
vr-iwere vSphere

Private P1.1bltC

Cloud Clo...d

Fig. 9 . S b : Types of Cloud

Private Cloud

It provides complete privacy and security for sensitive data of an organization

using a private d o m a i n . T h e hardware components and infrastructure are specified

by the organization itself. Since it provides a huge platform, the c o m p u t i n g speed

and facility increases. S i m i l a r to an intranet, private clouds are laid and open only

to sing le o r g a n i z a t i o n . Private clouds are classified into two types. They are,

o On premise Private Cloud: where the organization creates a private cloud

internally. It provides more security and protection of data.

o Externally Hosted Private Cloud: where the cloud provider assigns a

private cloud to the organization externally.

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P u b l i c Cloud

External providers assign clouds to customers which is valid for a payment. It is

cost effective, since the payment is shared by multi-clients. All clients operate on a

single infrastructure cloud with different resources, access rights, security levels,

etc.

Hybrid Cloud

The organization can create a combination of public and private clouds. High

priority and sensitive information is stored in the private cloud to maintain

security. Programs or applications are run from the public cloud for easy allotment

and scalability.

Benefits

It is cost effective and the payment is based on u sa g e . It does not require

installation charges which h i g h l y reduces the expenses of an o r g a n i z a t i o n .

Cloud providers offer bulk storage space so that the organization can store huge

quantities of data. Workload spikes can be easily hand led with this scalability

feature.

Cloud computing adopts changing business constraints easily. It acts as a b u i l d i n g

block t h r o u g h which a unified integrated management control is possible.

Challenges

Cloud computing is flexible, cost effective, and assists customers to effectively handle

business operations remotely. However, there exist certain concerns which are

important to m a i n t a i n its effectiveness.

Management Capabilities

The process of platform management and infrastructure is still narrow. Auto

scalability of infrastructure is still a difficult task.

Data Recovery and Availability

Certain business constraints like data replication, maintenance, damage recovery,

transaction management, and performance management are strictly followed in an

organization. Cloud providers should not compromise with such constraints.

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Data Protection

It is an important principle to maintain since an organization does not want to

compromise on data security. Prevention and detection of unauthorized access to

sensitive information is crucial.

Legal Issues

Cloud providers should observe legal issues irrespective of any country. For

instance, in European countries, it is a law that the personal information of any

entity should not be placed outside it. Thus, it is the responsibility of cloud

providers to follow laws of their respective locations.

9 . 6 K n o w l e d g e M a n a g e m e n t Systems ( K M S )

The ability of a person to observe and respond significantly in a situation refers to

knowledge. Thus, in an organization it is important for employers to comprehend a

situation before reacting to it. The experiences of an individual build knowledge and the

human brain obtains, stores, and manages them through different techniques listed in

Table 9 . 6 a .

Input Human Response

Signal Hint of an occurrence

Data Measure of indication

Information Measure in addition with focus and accuracy

Expertise Information build ing on account of certain constraints and principles

Knowledge Generating aptitude depending on cognitive sciences

Table 9 . 6 a : H u m a n Brain Knowledge Acceptance Method

The process of defining, obtaining, storing, and formatting knowledge is called

Knowledge Management (KM). According to a definition by Broadbent, Knowledge

management is a form of expertise management which draws out tacit

knowledge, making it accessible for specific purposes to improve the

performance of organization; about how the organization's 'know-how' should

be structured, organized, located and utilized to provide the most effective

action at that point in time.

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Knowledge management components are broadly classified as people, process, and

technology. Participation of process and technology are found to be easier when

compared to people. Ensuring complete participation of people or employees is a

challenging task in KM and is achieved through motivation, rewards, performance

a p p r a i s a l s , etc.

Fig. 9 . 6 a : Knowledge Management Components

Organization develops critical knowledge over time that resides in employees,

databases, files, etc. which is used for strategic management. It is not obtained easily

and requires special techniques for extraction which is done through the help of

Knowledge Management Systems (KMS). Therefore, KMS deals with the definition,

a c q u i s i t i o n , development, storage, delivery, and application of knowledge.

Table 9.6b depicts some of the tools used for knowledge management.

Database management tools SQL, MS-Access

Search e n g i n e tools Google, Yahoo, msn

Document m a n a g e m e n t tools Lotus

www.actiontech.com

www.vmark.com

www.semio.com

www.infoseek.com

Table 9 . 6 b : Knowledge Management Tools

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K M S Architecture

Fig. 9.6b shows the processes that are included in knowledge management system.

Knowledge

Delivery

Fig. 9 . 6 b : K M S Architecture

Knowledge Identification

At the initial step knowledge is defined and identified for further processing. The

scope and category of knowledge is defined. The next step includes the process of

searching the source for obtaining such knowledge.

Knowledge Generation

It i n c l u d e s the process of obtaining knowledge according to the constraints defined

in identification. Once knowledge is captured, it is passed on for manipulation.

Scrap knowledge is integrated in the form of sets based on which knowledge

database is created. The process of knowledge generation is a difficult task.

Knowledge Delivery

Once knowledge is created, it is stored in database. It can be retrieved later for

manipulation. Knowledge in database contains sensitive information and it has to

be h i g h l y secure.

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9 . 7 M a n a g e m e n t Information Systems ( M I S )

Management Information System (MIS) integrates several sub-systems that provide

information and support business activities, management analysis, a n d decision making.

It provides output from the reports generated through mathematical models.

According to a definition by Davis and Olson, MIS is an integrated user machine

system for providing information to support operations, management, and

decision making functions in an organization. The system utilizes computer

hardware and software, manual procedures for analysis, planning, control and

decision m a k i n g , and database.

MIS

Decision M.iking

Feedback

serrormance

Fig. 9 . 7 a : MIS Structure

Data is obtained and transformed to a formal structure which is used for decision

making. Decisions are then generated and implemented using the Decision Support

System ( D S S ) . The performance of every decision is monitored and feedback is provided

to the MIS, based on w h i c h changes are made to its components.

Objectives

A major a i m of the MIS is to provide better organizational structure and manage it in an

enhanced way. It also obtains potential information from business processes. Listed

below are some of the objectives that are to be achieved through MIS.

Data Capture: obtains internal and external data which decides the performance

of business processes and assists in effective decision m a k i n g .

Data Process: it includes processing of data to structured information and

performs data manipulation such as, summarization, analysis, report generation,

calculation, etc.

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Information Storage: information or processed data is stored in a n y data source

which can be retrieved in future for further operations.

Information Retrieval: it includes the process of obtaining relevant information

from the data source in an effective format.

Data Distribution: it stores data at remote locations for easy accessibility to the

user.

Characteristics

MIS promotes features that assist in better management of an organization. Some

characteristics that are provided by MIS are listed below.

It contains a central database, rather than a traditional file system.

It allows easy flow of information among different sub-systems with less c o u p l i n g

and h i g h cohesion.

It predicts information that is necessary for decision makers to study the o n g o i n g

competition in the market.

Design of the MIS should always be a top down approach.

It is designed in such a way that it is used for long term planning.

Data processing is rapid and secure.

It follows the business strategies and principles of an o r g a n i z a t i o n .

It collects processes, stores, analyzes, and retrieves unstructured data to

structured information.

9 . 8 D e c i s i o n Support Systems (DSS)

Decision Support Systems (DSS} helps to perform effective decisions and also

validates its performance. The problem parameters are utilized for evaluation and it is

performed through sensitive analysis. It resembles the Herbert Simon model. It

summarizes the objectives of a problem and the solution varies among different

systems.

The process of decision making is broadly classified into programmable and non

programmable. Programmable decisions are framed using pre-defined rules and

computer components such as, input devices, output devices, database, and software

utilities. Non-programmable decisions are performed without pre-defined rules and

require complete user involvement to constantly check the decision cycle process.

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-+ O U T P U T

Fig. 9 . S a : Programmable DSS

DSS does not provide decisions directly instead, it assists decision makers by providing

information that is useful for decision making. The information is provided until the

decision-making process is completed successfully. The higher the rank of making

decisions the more information is sought.

Types of DSS

Fig. 9.Sb shows five types of DSS which is used for effective decision m a k i n g .

Status Inquiry Systems

Data Analysis Systems

Information Analysis

Systems

Accounting Systems

Model Based Systems

Fig. 9 . S b : DSS Types

Status I n q u i r y Systems

Decisions are performed based on one or two features of decision-making

situations. It does not include any computation, calculations, research, analysis,

etc. Once a status is decided, decision making is performed easily.

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Data Analysis Systems

It performs a comparative analysis using various formulae and algorithm. It is not

well structured and can be improved with the help of data processing tools and

business rules. Cash flow analysis, inventory analysis, and personal inventory

systems are some examples for data analysis systems.

Information Analysis Systems

This system analyzes data from data sources and generates reports which assist

decision makers in providing situations for effective decision making. Market

research analysis, sales analysis, and accounts receivable systems are some

examples of information analysis systems.

Accounting Systems

This system assists indirectly in the decision-making process which monitors the

status and performance of business and its processes. The core of the system

includes data processing and report generation. Factors like cash, inventory,

products, personnel, etc. are used to control decisions.

Model Based Systems

Since it generates prototype solutions, it is also called simulation models or

optimization models. It provides certain guidelines on which decisions are made.

Models of DSS

Fig. 9.Sc shows three DSS models which are categorized based on its usage in

collaboration with different architectures and components.

DSS Models

Management Science Operations Research


Behavioral Models
Models Models

Fig. 9.Sc: DSS Models

Behavioral Models

This model analyzes the behavior of decision variables and its relationships which

assist in the d e c i s i o n - m a k in g process. The analysis is used to alarm or alert the

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decision maker. It includes trend analysis, prediction, and statistical investigation.

The parameters or variables that predict business trendsetting are studied through

these behavioral models. Regression among these variables is identified by its

influence t h r o u g h the regression model.

Management Science Models

The model developed using business management, econometrics, and accounting

principles are called management science models. Certain management rules act

as a constraint which is to be followed to make decisions. These management

systems are easily converted to decision support systems. For instance, budgetary

systems, ABC analysis, inventory control are management sciences used in

material management. It can either be used directly into the decision design or

t h r o u g h management principles.

Operations Research Models

These are mathematical models that represent real time business problems in

terms of constraints, variables, constants, parameters, etc. The solutions are

achieved through various mathematical methods such as, set theory, calculus,

matrix a l g e b r a , probability, etc. The operation research models are used to obtain

optimum solutions for problems. A problem that does not provide solution t h r o u g h

the operation model is solved using simulation model.

9 . 9 Customer R e l a t i o n s h i p Management ( C R M )

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) establishes a direct relationship between

business executives and customers which helps effective progression of business. It also

supports effective understanding of customer behavior with respect to business growth

and promotion. Once expectations put forth are met, customer satisfaction is achieved

t h r o u g h constant interaction.

Thus, CRM assists in interaction with customers and uses various tech no log ies to

maintain the relationship. The main need for CRM is to provide complete fulfillment of

customer expectations. A customer's behavior and initiatives assist in managing the

relationship between customers and sellers and provides comfort, happiness, and

fulfillment.

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Organizations combine procedures, policies, and business strategies to provide an

effective C R M . CRM d i s p l a y s status of the business and constraints for meeting customer

needs. The CRM software helps to track and monitor customer contacts and supports

customer-interfacing processes. It captures customer queries, orders, and contact

information which is shared among departments internally. The three key areas where

information is shared are front office operations, business relationship, and back office

operations.

Fig. 9.9a lists five CRM modules that are used to implement customer interaction and

achieve customer satisfaction.

Sales I n t e l l i g e n c e

Fig. 9 . 9 a : CRM Package

Sales Force Automation Activities: includes activity management, monitoring

customer response, generates report, assessment of management and accounts,

and target account selling.

Analytical CRM Activities: refers to design and execution of marketing

c a m p a i g n s , a n a l y s i s of customer profitability, behavior, and response

Sales Intelligence CRM: generates three As (Attention, Alert, and Action).

Occurrence of changes in cross-selling and customers opting competitor's products

are the features captured in this package.

Campaign Management Activities: refers to planning, d e s i g n i n g , and launching

c a m p a i g n material. It also includes analysis of campaign feedback.

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Collaborative CRM Activities: identifies interdependent activities and supports

collaborative effort through information interchange.

CRM Approaches

CRM is effectively implemented based on the following two models mentioned in Fig.

9.9b.

CRM Models

Data-driven Model Process-driven Model

Fig. 9 . 9 b : CRM Models

Data-driven C R M Model

This model decides the process of building CRM strategies based on the customers'

past data from data source. This data is obtained and analyzed based on which

management decisions are made. These principles are then implemented on the

customer data w h i c h is evaluated and modified on request.

Process-driven C R M Model

It is a d y n a m i c process and requires specific functions to study customer behavior.

It decides the type of service that is to be provided to the customers. It includes

service initialization, service transaction, and pre-service and post-service

information.

Electronic CRM (eCRM)

With the development of the Internet and electronic technologies, CRM has made a

tremendous transfiguration to electronic CRM (eCRM). Online and round the clock

service are provided through eCRM. Customer intelligence which is defined as deriving

data about customers are implemented through online data mining tools. Evaluation,

analysis and interpretation of customer interactions are laid easily. It provides value

added experience to customers through various channels such as, call centers, ATM, self

help, PDA, etc.

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9 . 1 0 Chapter S u m m a ry

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) assists to capture and store transaction data

of an enterprise.

Big bang, pilot, phase, and business model are ERP implementation approaches.

Project strategy, business analysis, plan, develop, integrate, test, deployment

preparation, deployment, and maintain are ERP implementation stages.

The development of the Internet has led to the emergence of a new organization

structure w h i c h processes on network is called eBusiness.

Encryption, d i g i t a l certificates, d i g i t a l signatures, and data protection act are some

of the security techniques implemented in eBusiness.

Faster communication, high data reliability, and quick response to citizens are

possible with the help of introducing the Internet in governance operations

t h r o u g h eGovernance.

Computerization, networking, online data presence, and online data interactivity

are the stages for introducing eGovernance.

The technique of sharing remotely located data storage and software under the

control of a third party is called as cloud computing.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service ( P a a S ) , and Software as a

Service (Saas) are three different types of cloud computing models.

Clouds are categorized into three types such as, public, private, and hybrid clouds.

The process of defining, obtaining, storing, and formatting knowledge is called as

Knowledge Management ( K M ) .

Knowledge identification, knowledge generation, and knowledge delivery are the

processes involved in K M S architecture.

Management Information System (MIS) integrates several sub-systems that

provides information and supports business activities, management analysis and

decision m a k i n g .

Decision Support Systems (DSS) helps to perform effective decisions and also

validates its performance.

DSS can be either a programmable or a non-programmable activity.

Status inquiry system, data analysis system, information analysis system,

accounting system, and model based system are the five different types of D S S .

The DSS model is categorized into three types such as, behavioral, management

science, and operations research models.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) establishes a direct relationship

between business executives and customers which helps effective progression of

business.

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CRM package includes sales force automation, analytical CRM, sales intelligence,

c a m p a i g n management, and collaborative CRM.

Data-driven model and process-driven model are two different approaches of C R M .

Electronic CRM refers to implementation of CRM using the Internet and electronic

tech no log ies.

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Security

Measures

I T M
UNIVERSITY

ONLINE
Computer Information System

10. Security Measures eBook

1 0 . 1 Introduction

Security is a major prospective for every activity over a network. Transactions are

possible at any corner of the world using Internet. Confidential and sensitive information

is shared on the Internet to accomplish effective transactions in an instant. Customers

do not compromise on security aspects such as confidentiality, integrity, and non

repudiation. Thus, advancement in Information Technology (IT) has led to the

development of in-built security features in web browsers, search engines, web sites,

etc.

"Prevention is better than cure", thus, predicting possible occurrences of risks and taking

the rig ht action at the rig ht time is preferred over recovery from data loss. It is

important to know security mechanisms for effectively implementing a secure network.

Various available IT laws monitor every online activity and the same is also applicable

for infringement of IT rights.

Security is required to protect physical and digital data. Every transaction on the

Internet is handled digitally. Various techniques and tools are available on the market

which can be used to achieve high security. This chapter elaborates various security

m e c h a n i s m s which can be used to attain high security on every o n l i n e transaction.

After reading t h i s chapter, you will be able to:

Classify types of attack

List security p r i n c i p l e s

Define cryptography

S u m m a r i z e the working of digital signatures

Differentiate types of security protocols

E x p l a i n Information Security Management Systems ( I S M S )

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1 0 . 2 Types of Attacks

The unauthorized process of viewing, retrieving, modifying, or deleting a users' data or

resources is called an attack. The person or device that assists in digitally attacking a

computer or its resources is called an attacker.

According to a definition by USA's Committee on National Security Systems, An

attack, via cyberspace, is targeting an enterprise's use of cyberspace for the

purpose of disrupting, disabling, destroying, or maliciously controlling a

computing environment or infrastructure; or destroying the integrity of the

data or stealing controlled information.

Fig. 1 0 . 2 a elaborates the different types of attacks which are categorized based on the

intention of the attacker.

Attacks

Passive Attacks Active Attacks

Content
Traffic Scrutiny
Observation

Message
Deception Replay Repudiation
Modification

Fig. 10.2a: Types of Attacks

Passive Attacks

In t h i s attack, data on a computer or its resources are only viewed and are not altered

by the attacker. The m a i n objective is to obtain the information that is being shared on a

network. It i n c l u d e s two types of attacks.

Content Observation

The attacker obtains and observes messages that are being transmitted on the

network. The observed information is released illegally to other unauthorized users

on the network and this creates a privacy breach. For instance, an intruder illegally

observes a product's details that are viewed or shopped by any individual. Thus,

using these details, gullible buyers are lured by posing attractive discounts which

may lead to unauthorized proprietors.

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Traffic Scrutiny

In this type of attack, the attacker simply monitors the communication pattern and

the message length which occurs on the network. For instance, an intruder illegally

monitors the traffic or network structure of an organization. It provides important

details that are used in a network such as, network architecture, topology,

protocols, etc.

A passive attack is very difficult to detect as the attacker is not active. The solution to

avoid this type of attack is to encrypt the entire process on the Internet, so that only

authorized users can access data.

Active Attacks

In active attacks, the computer resources are attacked and altered. It leads to serious

problems and is very difficult to recover. Active attacks are classified into five types.

They are,

Deception

The attacker impersonates a different identity to make use of confidential

information. Authentication credentials are obtained illegally and used to gain

illegal access. For instance, an intruder illicitly logs in to a company's intranet by

impersonating an employee using authentication credentials to access the

company's confidential details.

Replay

A particular process is captured from the network and is replayed multiple times

which causes network overload. It crashes or slows down the entire network. For

instance, an attacker obtains a message packet that is on transmission and

replicates it infinite times to slowdown the network. If the network cannot handle

the overload, it finally crashes.

Repudiation

Here, communication takes place between a sender and receiver. The repudiation

problem occurs when either a sender denies sending a message or a receiver

denies receiving the message. For instance, a sender sends an e-payment and

later denies sending it or the receiver denies receiving the e-payment and may

request it a g a i n .

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Message Modification

The process of changing information without authorization falls under this

category. The attacker captures data from the sender modifies it and sends it to

the receiver. Both, the sender and the receiver are unaware about the loss of data

originality. For instance, a customer sends an e-payment of 1000 and the

attacker modifies it to 10000 by adding an extra zero, this poses as a huge loss

to the customer.

Denial of Service (DOS)

The process of denying access to an authorized u se r is called Denial of Service

(DOS). The attacker performs this either by changing authorization credentials or

collapsing the network. For instance, an attacker may try to login with a random

username and password, but fails. The system may detect the activity as a threat

and block the user from intra net. At a later time, even though an authorized

customer provides correct username and password, he will be denied access due

to m u l t i p l e wrong usernames and passwords.

10.3 P r i n c i p l e s of Security

Since confidential information is shared on network, security becomes a major aspect.

To enable c o m m u n i c a t i o n , systems are interconnected on network where privacy breach

is an issue. Thus, it is important to follow the security principles w h i c h are represented

in Fig. 1 0 . 3 a for safe and efficient usage of network.

Availability

Fig. 10.3a: Security Principles

Confidentiality

It denotes that only the intended sender and receiver of a message should be able

to access it. It should not allow any unauthorized person to view the contents of

message. For instance, u se r A sends message to u se r B, but an unauthorized user

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C gets access to the message and views it. Thus confidentiality is broken among

user A and B. Confidentiality is categorized as,

o Connection Confidentiality: data protection to all users connected within

a network.

o Connectionless Confidentiality: protection to user data in a single data

block.

o Selective Field Confidentiality: protection to selective field for the user

data on a connected network.

o Traffic Flow Confidentiality: protection to information that are observed

from traffic a n a l y s i s .

Integrity

The o r i g i n a l i t y of the message should remain same till it reaches the receiver. If

the attacker modifies the data before the receiver receives it, then data integrity is

lost. For instance, u se r A sends message to user B, but it is i l l e g a l l y obtained by

user C during transmission. User C alters the message before placing it over

network. Integrity is categorized as:

o Connection integrity without recovery: data integrity is sustained over

connection-oriented systems with absence of data recovery.

o Connection integrity with recovery: it preserves connection-oriented

system a l o n g with recovery of user data.

o Selective field connection integrity: data integrity is maintained for

selective field on user data.

o Connectionless integrity: it includes data integrity for connectionless

systems.

o Selective field connectionless integrity: it sustains data integrity for

selective fields in user data on connectionless systems.

Authentication

It denotes the proof of identity with the help of which an individual is provided

access rights. Authentication credentials decide the scope of access. For instance,

if user A wants to send a message to user B, user B's identity is checked whether

it's really user B or someone impersonating. The simple method to apply this

t e c h n i q u e is by u s i n g username and password.

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Non-repudiation

Some situations occur where a user initially sends a message and denies it later.

Thus, non-repudiation helps to prove such denials. For instance, user A sends an

eFund to an N G O and later denies invoking it.

Access Control

It defines the scope of access that is allocated to an authorized user on a network.

For instance, a student has less access control compared to teachers. They are not

privileged to access the teachers' salary.

Availability

Data and services should be available to authorized users at all times. Due to

unauthorized users' intention, an authorized user should not be blocked on a

network. For instance, intranet details of a company are to be hidden from the

stakeholders but products details should be available to them to enable purchase.

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1 0 . 4 Cryptography: Definition a n d Types

The solution for passive attacks is to encrypt the original text or message. The process

of changing original text to coded text is called cryptography or encryption. The

process of changing coded text to original text is called cryptanalysis or decryption.

The va r i a bl e a p p l i e d to perform the technique for encoding and decoding is called a key.

A c o m b i n a t i o n of these processes is called cryptology.

+
Fig. 10.4a: Cryptology

The sender changes the o r i g in a l message to a coded text using different techniques.

This coded text is then sent to the receiver, who in turn changes the coded text to the

original text. The techniques used for coding and decoding should be known only to the

sender and receiver. If the attacker tries to obtain data d u r i n g transmission, it would be

in a coded format and cannot be deciphered. Thus, confidentiality is maintained. Fig.

10.4b and Fig. 10.4c pictorially depict the encryption and decryption process,

respectively.

Original Coded

Message Message

Hello 4DffOJ,

World (+wsV

Fig. 10.4b: Encryption

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Coded Onginal

Message Message

0
4Dff Ai Hello

(+wsV World

Key

Fig. 10.4c: Decryption

Fig. 10.4d depicts the cryptographic techniques which are classified based on the

n u m b e r of keys used.

Cryptography

Symmetric Key Cryptography Asymmetric Key Cryptography

Fig. 10.4d: Cryptography Types

Symmetric Key Cryptography

If the same keys are used at the sender and receiver end, then it is called as

symmetric key cryptography. It is important not to leak the key w h i c h is the m a i n

source to protect confidentiality. The attacker can decode and change data

illegally, only if the key is revealed. This cryptographic type is easy to implement.

For instance, Twofish, Serpent, AES, IDEA are algorithms that use symmetric key

cryptography. Fig. 10.4e portrays the functioning of symmetric key cryptography.

Origin al Coded Orlglnal

Message Message Message

I'\

Key Key

Fig. 10.4e: Symmetric Key Cryptography

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Asymmetric Key Cryptography

In asymmetric key cryptography, two different keys are used at the sender and

receiver side to encode and decode, respectively. Each party holds a pair of keys,

a Public Key and a Private Key. A Public key is used to encode and is shared with

all users whereas a private key is used to decode and is kept secret. For instance,

user A uses the public key of user B to encrypt the message and sends it. User B

uses h i s own private key to decode the encoded message. RSA, EIGamal, Cramer

Shoup are algorithms that use asymmetric key cryptography. Fig. 10.4f portray

the functioning of asymmetric key cryptography.

Ong1nal Coded Ongmal

Message Message Message

n
a

9f-- Hill iii iI>-- iii:1 ii il-______.9


Sender Receiver

ft ;
Receiver's Receiver's

Public key Private key

Fig. 10.4f: Asymmetric Key Cryptography

1 0 . 5 Digital Signatures

The non-repudiation, one of the security principles is achieved with the help of d i g i t a l

signatures. This helps to identify and accredit the correct sender. It has major

significance in Web commerce. In most online trading and banking activities, the

customer authorizes transactions using digital signatures, s i m i l a r to paper signatures. It

has a legal status u n d e r the Information Technology (IT) law. For instance, if a customer

A wants to transfer money to customer B, he informs the bank by attaching his d i g ital

signature to the message.

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Original Coded Original

Message Message Message

-lliiliiilHl
l lll
: f-----ill
i fiilhliiIll--
Sender Receiver

Sender's Sender's

Private key Public key

Fig. 10.Sa: Digital Signature

The usage of a d i g i t a l signature is portrayed with Fig. 10.Sa. In digital signature, the

sender encrypts the message using its own private key. It is contradictory to the

asymmetric key cryptography. The coded message is decrypted using the sender's

public key. Since the sender's public key is known to all, it does not achieve

confidentiality but helps in authentication.

For instance, if customer A sends a message, encrypting with his private key, the

receiver can decrypt that coded message with A's private key o n l y . It helps to achieve

the authentication principle.

Another added advantage is that it helps to achieve the non-repudiation principle. For

instance, if the message is decrypted only with A's public key. If customer A denies

sending the message, then receiver can prove by decrypting it with A's p u b l i c key where

decryption is possible only with sender's public key.

Process

The sender uses a s i g n i n g algorithm and signs the message. The data and signature are

sent to the receiver. The receiver uses the verification algorithm to verify the signature,

sent by the sender. If the result is true, the message is accepted, else rejected. This

process is portrayed in Fig. 10.Sb.

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-
Sender
-
Receiver

Message Message

Siqninq Algorithm Verification Algorithm

Message, Signature

Fig. 10.Sb: Digital Signature Process

Attacks on Digital Signatures

Key-only attack: with the help of a public key, the attacker tries to forge a

document by creating a subsequent private key.

Known-message attack: the attacker holds documents which were previously

signed by the sender. For instance, Mr. X, an attacker holds documents that were

signed by the sender, Mr. Y. He uses Mr. Y's signature-message pattern to s i g n on

one of his i l l e g a l l y generated documents.

Selective-message attack: the attacker convinces the sender to s i g n on some of

illegal content on the pretext of legal content. For instance, Mr. X forges Mr. Y's

signature by forcing him to sign on a document which he wants to use for illegal

activities.

Existential Forgery: the content of the digital signature is randomly forged.

Selective Forgery: selective content of the digital signature is forged.

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1 0 . 6 Security Protocols

Security protocols are a set of rules and regulations to be followed to i m p l e m e n t security

p r i n c i p l e s on a network. Every activity over a network such as e m a i l , o n l i n e transaction,

IP a d d r e s s i n g , etc. hold different types of security protocols.

Secure Electronic Transaction (SET}

Internet advancement causes tremendous development in eCcommerce. eCheque,

eDraft, and digital money are possibilities of payment through online transactions. Thus,

SET is a security protocol which is used to monitor and protect d i g i t a l transactions. Fig.

10.6a portrays the working of an SET protocol.

Merchant


- , - Ji
Card holder
Internet

Certificate

Issuer"
,_,
Payment

network

-- Acquirer
Payment gateway

Fig. 10.6a: S e c u r e Electronic Transaction (SET}

It was first implemented through Visa, MasterCard, etc. It provides the option of a

d i g i t a l wallet to an i n d i v i d u a l where transactions are made t h r o u g h d i g i t a l money, Thus,

confidentiality and privacy becomes a major requirement,

The working of an SET protocol is listed below:

The customer should posses and uses an SET-enabled web browser to access Visa

or MasterCard account

A d i g ital certificate is provided to the customer that can be used for on line

purchases, It i n c l u d e s an expiry date which is necessary for the b a n k to validate,

Bank also issues its d i g i t a l certificate which holds bank's p u b l i c key and merchant's

p u b l i c key to the merchants,

Customer places the order of the merchant's product o n l l n e ,

The customer's browser then receives the merchant's dig ital certificate which is

later used to check the merchant's identity,

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Browser places the order and encrypts it using merchant's public key and also

encrypts the payment, using bank's public key.

The encrypted payment is sent to the bank that checks for the merchant's v a l i d i t y

and confirms the payment.

Pretty Good Privacy ( P G P )

The confidentiality principle in email is achieved through PGP protocol. The message is

sent among users, in a coded format. The sender encrypts the original message using

the receiver's public key. The receiver's private key is used to decrypt them message at

the receiver e n d . Fig. 10.6b pictorially depicts the working of PGP protocol.

SENDER SIGNING AND ENCRYPTION PROCESS

Sende,-'s Receive,-'s

Private Key Public Key

('\

- - '@:,II

Raw File Signed and Email or FTP

Encrypted File

RECEIVER DECRYPTION AND VERIFICATION PROCESS

Reeerver's Sender's

Private Key Publtt Key

,. ('\

a Decrypt File

with Private Key


Verify Signature

with Public Key


@

Email or FTP Signed and Raw Fiie


Encrypled File

Fig. 10.6b: Pretty Good Privacy ( P G P )

The keys are password protected and shared among users on the network. Thus, the

authorized user can alone access the key and decrypt the message. PGP is more secure,

since it uses two level securities, one in encrypting the message w h i c h is to be sent and

the other, encrypting the key which is used to code the message.

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Listed below are the steps to be followed for including PGP security features.

Download any PGP tool available in the market, such as iGolder, G n u P G , etc.

Using the tool, generate a public and private key.

E n a b l e the PGP option at the client side of the e-mail.

Obtain public keys from contacts which are used for encryption before sending the

message.

Thus, at the receiver end, the private key is used to decrypt the message.

Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions ( S / M I M E )

The process of sending messages through e-mail is secured using this protocol. It is

included by default in modern web browsers. It helps to identify the correct sender and

sends messages in an encrypted format. Non-repudiation and confidentiality are the two

security p r i n c i p l e s achieved using this protocol.

fi----i. Iatemet f;,ewall BlackBerry

Enterprise
Me55aging

server
Recipient's computer

with 5/MIME private key


BlackBerry Wireless
Server
device network

I
Server that hosts
5/MIME Certificates

Fig. 10.6c: Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions ( S / M I M E )

In Fig. 10.6c, the mobile device sends data which reaches its enterprise server. It is

responsible to check the validity of the sender through its 5/MIME server. If the sender

is v a l i d , then the data reaches the receiver's messaging server. A major d i s a d v a n t a g e of

5/MIME is retrieval of past mails. Since every mail is encrypted, searching mails based

on a keyword becomes d ifficu It. The outgoing mail is scanned for presence of viruses

and then encrypted, but it is difficult to scan incoming 5/MIME mails. 5/MIME provides

mail in a readable format only to sender and receiver. Thus, on the intranet, the

organization cannot be attached as a third party. It raises legal issues in monitoring the

communication s t a n d a r d .

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Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Protocol

It h e l p s to secure connectivity between customers and web sites. A customer performs

transactions and shares sensitive information. Thus security is much more needed to

m a i n t a i n confidentiality.

[a GMO GlobalSign Inc (US] J https://www.globalsign.com/en/ssl-information-center/what-is-ssl/

Fig. 10.6d: Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Protocol

There exists a padlock before the URL in the address bar which denotes that the web

site is secured using SSL protocol. Thus, transaction among customers and SSL

protected web sites are encrypted which provides high confidentiality. It provides

security to credit card transactions, system logs, sensitive information, and webmail,

connection between email client and email server, and transferring files. It also assists in

monitoring intranet traffic and database connections.

1 0 . 7 I n f o r m a t i o n Security Management

In Internet, every transaction is done through digital data. It acts as a critical resource

for an individual. Since eBusiness and eCommerce are entirely performed on digital

network, there exists a necessity to secure information. Information Security

Management System (ISMS) solely performs the task for securing information and

provides a standard for m a n a g in g it on network.

Information Security Management Process

Risk Risk Execute


Policy Scope Control
A n a l ys i s Measures Measures

Fig. 10.7a: Information Security Management Systems ( I S M S )

Policy

The company designs strategies and procedures to maintain security. It includes

terms or rules that are to be achieved to handle information security. This step

plays a crucial role to achieve better security management.

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Scope

Policies designed in the first step are checked for its scope. It should also confirm

to w h i c h extent the security policies can be implemented. The scope of information

security at different departments is also discussed and constraints to access

information are put forth accordingly.

Risk Analysis

The company that plans security management should know the possible risk

factors. Confidentiality of the information and the method used to share matters

the most when maintaining security. The probability of risk factors should be

judged and documented. Security management should be stable to handle sudden

occurrence of risks.

Risk Measures

It is important to measure risks that are possible to occur in every situation. Each

risk listed at the analysis stage should be measured based on how critical it is. It

helps to decide the risk solution which is applied on the occurrence of risks. It also

decides the process of designing automated machines that immediately predicts its

pre-occurrence in prior based on the previous history.

Execute Measures

Each risk holds many solutions which are selected and executed based on certain

requirements such as, cost, time, efficiency, etc. These measures are calculated

for its effectiveness and are ready to be implemented on occurrence of risks.

Control

It informs every online task to a concerned central authority. They are information

manager, information analysts, and information officer. The physical and logical

a v a i l a b i l i t y of information to every authority are finalized.

Principles of ISMS

The effectiveness of ISMS mainly depends on risk analysis, risk measures, execute

measures, and control.

Information Security Management satisfies the following three security p r i n c i p l e s .

Integrity: The data sent by the sender should reach the receiver without any

compromise on its content originality.

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Availability: Data should be available at the right time with the r i g h t scope to an

individual.

Confidentiality: Data viewing rights should be given only to the sender and

receiver.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 17799: Scope and

Implementation

Information security, the most important factor, is implemented in an organization using

the steps standardized by ISO 17799. It provides rules and regulations to be

implemented to obtain high-level security to protect information which is a critical asset

to any organization.

Fig. 10.7b: ISO 17799 Standard

Security policy: policies associated with the information security of an

organization are described and reviewed under this section. It should i n c l u d e every

concern associated to protect a company's data.

Organizational security: it comprises security principles associated with an

organization.

Asset classification and control: information, an important asset of an

organization, is listed in the hierarchy and its control measures are also listed.

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Personal security: it includes security features used to protect information, such

as biometric, fingerprint analysis, face recognition, etc.

Physical and environmental security: it includes security measures laid

physically in an organization to protect its asset.

Communication and operation management: the c o m m u n i c a t i o n method used

in an organization for sharing information is concerned in this section. It also

comprises of operations used to manage and manipulate information.

Access control: it denotes the access permissions allotted to every user in an

organization. Confidentiality of data is achieved by providing access control to

users carefully.

System development and maintenance: the development of I S M S is discussed

under this section. It is used to standardize the process of ISMS and lay

maintenance for each module in the process.

Business continuity management: it includes maintenance factors to be

followed after a p p l y i n g ISMS in an organization along with efficient documentation

for each process in I S M S .

Compliance: it includes careful documentation of the agreement list which is to

be laid for each department in an organization. It is presented to every user in an

organization who accesses the information and acceptance is o b t a i n e d .

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