Q 1. What is Information Systems Framework?

Give Examples to illustrate how the business applications of information systems

can support a firm’s business, processes, managerial decision making, and strategies for competitive advantage.
Ans.
Management Information Systems (MIS): Are the most common form of management support systems. They provide managerial end
users with information products that support much of their day-to-day decision-making needs. MIS provide a variety of pre-specified
information (reports) and displays to management that can be used to help them make more effective, structured types of day-to-day
decisions. Information products provided to managers include displays and reports that can be furnished:
 On demand
 Periodically, according to a predetermined schedule
 Whenever exceptional conditions occur
Decision support systems provide managerial end users with information in an interactive session on an ad hoc (as needed) basis.
Managers generate the information they need for more unstructured types of decisions in an interactive, computer-based information
system that uses decision models and specialized databases to assist the
Decision-making processes of managerial end users.
Executive information systems provide top and middle management with immediate and easy access to selective information about
key factors that are critical to accomplishing a firm’s strategic objectives. EIS are easy to operate and understand.

Business Applications of Information Systems

Information systems perform three vital roles in business firms. Business applications of IS support an organization’s business
processes and operations, business decision-making, and strategic competitive advantage. Major application categories of information
systems include operation support systems, such as transaction processing systems, process control systems, and enterprise
collaboration systems, and management support systems, such as management information systems, decision support systems, and
executive information systems. Other major categories are expert systems, knowledge management systems, strategic information
systems, and functional business systems. However, in the real world most application categories are combined into cross-functional
information systems that provide information and support for decision-making and also perform operational information processing
activities.

Q 2. Explain different types of computer system? Clarify “Radio Frequency Identification” storage technology
importance.
Types Of Computers

 Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is considerable overlap:

 Personal computer: A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor.

 Workstation: A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and,
in general, a higher-quality monitor.

 Minicomputer: A multi-user computer capable of supporting up to hundreds of users simultaneously.

 Mainframe: A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.

 Supercomputer: An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second.

Supercomputer and Mainframe

Supercomputer is a broad term for one of the fastest computers currently available. Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for
specialized applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations (number crunching). For example, weather forecasting
requires a supercomputer. Other uses of supercomputers scientific simulations, (animated) graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy
research, electronic design, and analysis of geological data (e.g. in petrochemical prospecting). Perhaps the best known supercomputer
manufacturer is Cray Research. Mainframe was a term originally referring to the cabinet containing the central processor unit or "main frame" of
a room-filling Stone Age batch machine. After the emergence of smaller "minicomputer" designs in the early 1970s, the traditional big iron
machines were described as "mainframe computers" and eventually just as mainframes. Nowadays a Mainframe is a very large and expensive
computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously. The chief difference between a supercomputer and a
mainframe is that a supercomputer channels all its power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power
to execute many programs concurrently. In some ways, mainframes are more powerful than supercomputers because they support more
simultaneous programs. But supercomputers can execute a single program faster than a mainframe. The distinction between small mainframes
and minicomputers is vague, depending really on how the manufacturer wants to market its machines.

Minicomputer

It is a midsize computer. In the past decade, the distinction between large minicomputers and small mainframes has blurred, however, as has the
distinction between small minicomputers and workstations. But in general, a minicomputer is a multiprocessing system capable of supporting
from up to 200 users simultaneously.

Workstation

It is a type of computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop publishing, software development, and other types of applications
that require a moderate amount of computing power and relatively high quality graphics capabilities. Workstations generally come with a large,
high-resolution graphics screen, at large amount of RAM, built-in network support, and a graphical user interface. Most workstations also have a
mass storage device such as a disk drive, but a special type of workstation, called a diskless workstation, comes without a disk drive. The most
common operating systems for workstations are UNIX and Windows NT. Like personal computers, most workstations are single-user computers.
However, workstations are typically linked together to form a local-area network, although they can also be used as stand-alone systems. N.B.: In
networking, workstation refers to any computer connected to a local-area network. It could be a workstation or a personal computer.

Personal computer

It can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user. In price, personal computers range anywhere from a
few hundred pounds to over five thousand pounds. All are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire
CPU on one chip. Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running spreadsheet and
database management applications. At home, the most popular use for personal computers is for playing games and recently for surfing the
Internet. Personal computers first appeared in the late 1970s. One of the first and most popular personal computers was the Apple II, introduced
in 1977 by Apple Computer. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, new models and competing operating systems seemed to appear daily. Then,
in 1981, IBM entered the fray with its first personal computer, known as the IBM PC. The IBM PC quickly became the personal computer of choice,
and most other personal computer manufacturers fell by the wayside. P.C. is short for personal computer or IBM PC. One of the few companies
to survive IBM's onslaught was Apple Computer, which remains a major player in the personal computer marketplace. Other companies adjusted
to IBM's dominance by building IBM clones, computers that were internally almost the same as the IBM PC, but that cost less. Because IBM clones
used the same microprocessors as IBM PCs, they were capable of running the same software. Over the years, IBM has lost much of its influence
in directing the evolution of PCs. Therefore after the release of the first PC by IBM the term PC increasingly came to mean IBM or IBM-compatible
personal computers, to the exclusion of other types of personal computers, such as Macintoshes. In recent years, the term PC has become more
and more difficult to pin down. In general, though, it applies to any personal computer based on an Intel microprocessor, or on an Intel-compatible
microprocessor. For nearly every other component, including the operating system, there are several options, all of which fall under the rubric of
PC

Personal Computer Types

Actual personal computers can be generally classified by size and chassis / case. The chassis or case is the metal frame that serves as the structural
support for electronic components. Every computer system requires at least one chassis to house the circuit boards and wiring. The chassis also
contains slots for expansion boards. If you want to insert more boards than there are slots, you will need an expansion chassis, which provides
additional slots. There are two basic flavors of chassis designs–desktop models and tower models–but there are many variations on these two
basic types. Then come the portable computers that are computers small enough to carry. Portable computers include notebook and subnotebook
computers, hand-held computers, palmtops, and PDAs.

Desktop Computer

A computer designed to fit comfortably on top of a desk, typically with the monitor sitting on top of the computer. Desktop model computers are
broad and low, whereas tower model computers are narrow and tall. Because of their shape, desktop model computers are generally limited to
three internal mass storage devices. Desktop models designed to be very small are sometimes referred to as slimline models.

Notebook computer

An extremely lightweight personal computer. Notebook computers typically weigh less than 6 pounds and are small enough to fit easily in a
briefcase. Aside from size, the principal difference between a notebook computer and a personal computer is the display screen. Notebook
computers use a variety of techniques, known as flat-panel technologies, to produce a lightweight and non-bulky display screen. The quality of
notebook display screens varies considerably. In terms of computing power, modern notebook computers are nearly equivalent to personal
computers. They have the same CPUs, memory capacity, and disk drives. However, all this power in a small package is expensive. Notebook
computers cost about twice as much as equivalent regular-sized computers. Notebook computers come with battery packs that enable you to run
them without plugging them in. However, the batteries need to be recharged every few hours.

Hand-held computer

A portable computer that is small enough to be held in one’s hand. Although extremely convenient to carry, handheld computers have not replaced
notebook computers because of their small keyboards and screens. The most popular hand-held computers are those that are specifically designed
to provide PIM (personal information manager) functions, such as a calendar and address book. Some manufacturers are trying to solve the small
keyboard problem by replacing the keyboard with an electronic pen. However, these pen-based devices rely on handwriting recognition
technologies, which are still in their infancy. Hand-held computers are also called PDAs, palmtops and pocket computers.

PDA

Short for personal digital assistant, a handheld device that combines computing, telephone/fax, and networking features. A typical PDA can
function as a cellular phone, fax sender, and personal organizer. Unlike portable computers, most PDAs are pen-based, using a stylus rather than
a keyboard for input. This means that they also incorporate handwriting recognition features. Some PDAs can also react to voice input by using
voice recognition technologies. The field of PDA was pioneered by Apple Computer, which introduced the Newton MessagePad in 1993. Shortly
thereafter, several other manufacturers offered similar products. To date, PDAs have had only modest success in the marketplace, due to their
high price tags and limited applications. However, many experts believe that PDAs will eventually become common gadgets.

Radio Frequency Identification

RFID technology is a simple method of exchanging data between two entities namely a reader/ writer and a tag. This communication allows
information about the tag or the element carrying the tag to be determined and in this way it enables processes to be managed more easily.

An RFID system comprises a number of elements:

RFID reader / writer: The reader write is used to communicate with the tags that may pass within range. The RFID reader writer will normally be
located in a fixed position and will be used to interrogate an RFID tag. Dependent upon the application and the format of the system and the RFID
reader / writer, data may also be written to the RFID tag
RFID tag: RFID tags may also be called RFID transponders and are typically located on items that are mobile. They are small and generally cheap
so that they can be attached to low cost (or high cost) items that need to have information associated with them. They are also generally considered
as being disposable. The RFID tag contains data that is relayed to the reader, and in some systems it may also be possible to update the data within
the tag to indicate that the tag and hence the item has undergone a specific stage in a process, etc. RFID application software: Like all systems
these days, RFID systems need application software to run the overall system. With many systems there will be a number of different reader /
writers and the data to and from these needs to be coordinated and analysed. Application software will be required for these. Although each RFID
system will vary according to its requirements, these are the main elements which can be found.RFID technology has become widespread in its
use. It offers may advantages and RFID is a particularly versatile system, being able to be used in many areas from shops, to manufacturing plants
and also for general asset tracking as well as a host of other innovative applications.

Importance of Storage Techonology

We live in an information-centric world. As a society, we have a growing reliance on creating and consuming data (Figure 1), which must be
available when and where it is needed. Data and related information services are enabled or provided via information technology services
combining applications, facilities, networks, servers, storage hardware, and software resources.

More data can be stored in the same or smaller physical footprint than in the past, thus requiring less power and cooling per gigabyte (GB), terabyte
(TB), petabyte (PB), or exabyte (EB). However, data growth rates necessary to sustain business activity, enhance IT service delivery, and enable
new applications are placing continued demands requiring more processing, network, or input/output (I/O) bandwidth and data storage capacity.

Figure 1. IT and data storage demand drivers.

As a result of this increasing reliance on information, both for home and personal use along with business and professional needs, more data is
being generated, processed, moved, stored, and retained in multiple copies for longer periods of time. The net result is that IT organizations of all
sizes are faced with having to do more with what they have (sometimes with less), including maximizing available IT resources while overcoming
common footprint constraints (available power, cooling, floor space, server, storage and networking resources, management, budgets, and IT
staffing).

The Business End of IT Data Storage Impact

Just as we live in an information-centric society which extends from home to the office, from the small office/home office (SOHO) to the remote
office/branch office (ROBO), small/medium-size business (SMB), small/medium enterprise (SME), to ultra-large organizations or enterprises, there
is another common theme, and that is economics. Economics are a constant focus, whether it is costs or expense, profits and margins, return on
investment (ROI), total cost of ownership, or some other business specific measurement.

On the one hand, there is a need or reliance on having more information; on the other, there are the constants of economics, cause and effect,
and supply and demand. You need or want information, but there is a cost to supporting or managing it. Yet information can also directly or
indirectly drive profits, so a balancing act is necessary. Thus, to support or sustain economic (business) growth or manage the data necessary to
maintain daily activity, there are associated costs (hardware, software, people, facilities, power, etc.) that need to be managed.

Innovation is doing more with what you have: supporting growth and enhancement of services without negatively impacting service-level
objectives (SLOs), including quality of services, while reducing per-unit cost for service delivery (as shown in Figure 2). The trick is to find the
balance among boosting productivity, reducing costs, and maintaining or enhancing customer service delivery.

Figure 2 sums up the balancing act of maximizing use of available IT resources while supporting growing business demands in a cost-effective
manner. IT resources include people, processes or best practices, time, budgets, physical facilities, power, cooling, floor space, server, storage and
networking hardware, along with software and services. All too often, the approach has been to drive cost down by increasing utilization at the
expense of quality of service (QoS) and SLOs. An example is leveraging consolidation or migration to a cloud service based on a lower-cost model
that trades QoS and SLO for price.
Figure 2. Supporting demand, maintaining quality of service (QoS), while reducing costs.

Another variation is to boost QoS and SLOs along with performance to meet demand at the expense of cost or less effectively utilized resources.
In other words, it's relatively easy to improve in one area while causing issues or aggravation in another. Innovation occurs when all three
categories shown in Figure 2 are positively impacted.

Figure 2 identifies constraints or barriers to cost-effective service delivery while maintaining or enhancing the service delivery experience including
QoS and SLOs. Cloud, virtualization, and data storage networking are tools and techniques that, combined with best practices, can be used to
enable innovation and meet the objectives of Figure 2.

Clouds, virtualization, and data storage networks can be used to enable cost reduction and stretching of resources by supporting consolidation
initiatives. However, these same tools and techniques can also be used for enabling agility, flexibility, and enhanced services that can improve
both top- and bottom-line business metrics. For some environments or applications the focus may be on cost reduction while supporting little to
no growth, while for others it may mean working with the same or a slightly increased budget while supporting business demand and SLOs. In
some organizations this also means reducing costs or stretching available budgets and resources to do more with what they have.

Addressing Business and IT Issues

Clouds, virtualization, and storage networks are tools, techniques, and best practices to help support or sustain growth while reducing per-unit
costs, removing complexity, enabling flexibility or agility, and also enhancing customer experiences. Clouds, virtualization, and storage networks
are not the objective themselves; rather, they are tools, vehicles, or mechanisms that can be used to help achieve broader business and IT
objectives. They can be used for new, start-from-scratch environments; they can also be aligned with existing IT service delivery as well as help
with a transition-over-time evolution of IT.

Thus, taking a step back from the technology, tools, and techniques, and keeping the bigger picture in focus, helps to understand what to use
when, where, and why, as well as how to go about it in a more effective manner.

What Is Driving Data Growth and Information Reliance

The popularity of rich media and Internet-based applications has resulted in explosive growth of unstructured file data, requiring new and more
scalable storage solutions. General examples of unstructured data include spreadsheets, PowerPoint, slide decks, Adobe PDF and Word
documents, Web pages, video and audio, JPEG, MP3, and MP4, photos, audio, and video files.

Examples of applications driving continued growth of unstructured data include:

 Gaming, security, and other surveillance video or security

 Unified communications including Voice-over-IP (VoIP)

 Rich media entertainment production and viewing

 Digital archive media management

 Medicine, life science, and health care

 Energy including oil and gas exploration

 Messaging and collaborations (email, IM, texting)

 Internet, Web, social media networking, video and audio

 Finances, marketing, engineering, and customer relations management (CRM)

 Regulatory and compliance requirements

While structured data in the form of databases continues to grow, for most environments and applications the high-growth area and expanding
data footprint along with associated performance bottlenecks is centered on semi-structured email data and unstructured file data. Unstructured
data has varying I/O characteristics that change over time—for example, data starting out with a lot of activity, then going idle for a time, followed
by extensive reads, as in the case of a video or audio file becoming known and popular on a media, entertainment, social networking, or a company-
sponsored website.

Data footprint is the total data storage needed to support your various business application and information needs. Your data footprint may, in
fact, be larger than how much actual data you have. A general approach to determine your data footprint is to simply add up all of your on-line,
near-line and off-line data storage (disk and tape) capacity.

Q 3. What are main functions of an Operating System?

There are Many Functions those are Performed by the Operating System But the Main Goal of Operating System is to Provide the Interface between
the user and the hardware Means Provides the Interface for Working on the System by the user. The various Functions those are Performed by
the Operating System are as Explained below:-

Operating System as a Resource Manager

Operating System Also Known as the Resource Manager Means Operating System will Manages all the Resources those are Attached to the System
means all the Resource like Memory and Processor and all the Input output Devices those are Attached to the System are Known as the Resources
of the Computer System and the Operating system will Manage all the Resources of the System. The Operating System will identify at which Time
the CPU will perform which Operation and in which Time the Memory is used by which Programs. And which Input Device will respond to which
Request of the user means When the Input and Output Devices are used by the which Programs. So this will manage all the Resources those are
attached to the Computer System.

Storage Management

Operating System also Controls the all the Storage Operations means how the data or files will be Stored into the computers and how the Files
will be Accessed by the users etc. All the Operations those are Responsible for Storing and Accessing the Files is determined by the Operating
System Operating System also Allows us Creation of Files, Creation of Directories and Reading and Writing the data of Files and Directories and
also Copy the contents of the Files and the Directories from One Place to Another Place.

Process Management : The Operating System also Treats the Process Management means all the Processes those are given by the user or the
Process those are System ‘s own Process are Handled by the Operating System . The Operating System will create the Priorities foe the user and
also start or Stops the Execution of the Process and Also Makes the Child Process after dividing the Large Processes into the Small Processes.

Memory Management: Operating System also Manages the Memory of the Computer System means Provide the Memory to the Process and
Also Deal locate the Memory from the Process. And also defines that if a Process gets completed then this will deal locate the Memory from the
Processes.

Extended Machine : Operating System also behaves like an Extended Machine means Operating system also Provides us Sharing of Files between
Multiple Users, also Provides Some Graphical Environments and also Provides Various Languages for Communications and also Provides Many
Complex Operations like using Many Hardware’s and Software’s.

Mastermind: Operating System also performs Many Functions and for those Reasons we can say that Operating System is a Mastermind. It
provides Booting without an Operating System and Provides Facility to increase the Logical Memory of the Computer System by using the Physical
Memory of the Computer System and also provides various Types of Formats like NTFS and FAT File Systems.

Operating System also controls the Errors those have been Occurred into the Program and Also Provides Recovery of the System when the System
gets Damaged Means When due to Some Hardware Failure , if System Doesn’t Works properly then this Recover the System and also Correct the
System and also Provides us the Backup Facility. And Operating System also breaks the large program into the Smaller Programs those are also
called as the threads. And execute those threads one by one.

Q 5. Identify the following electronic business systems

 Transaction Processing System
 Enterprise Collaboration System

TPS: Transaction Processing Systems

Definition: A Transaction Processing System (TPS) is a type of information system that collects, stores, modifies and retrieves the data transactions
of an enterprise. A transaction is any event that passes the ACID test in which data is generated or modified before storage in an information
system

Features of Transaction Processing Systems

The success of commercial enterprises depends on the reliable processing of transactions to ensure that customer orders are met on time, and
that partners and suppliers are paid and can make payment. The field of transaction processing, therefore, has become a vital part of effective
business management, led by such organisations as the Association for Work Process Improvement and the Transaction Processing Performance
Council. Transaction processing systems offer enterprises the means to rapidly process transactions to ensure the smooth flow of data and the
progression of processes throughout the enterprise. Typically, a TPS will exhibit the following characteristics:

Rapid Processing
transaction processing systemsThe rapid processing of transactions is vital to the success of any enterprise – now more than ever, in the face of
advancing technology and customer demand for immediate action. TPS systems are designed to process transactions virtually instantly to ensure
that customer data is available to the processes that require it.

Reliability

Similarly, customers will not tolerate mistakes. TPS systems must be designed to ensure that not only do transactions never slip past the net, but
that the systems themselves remain operational permanently. TPS systems are therefore designed to incorporate comprehensive safeguards and
disaster recovery systems. These measures keep the failure rate well within tolerance levels.

Standardisation

Transactions must be processed in the same way each time to maximise efficiency. To ensure this, TPS interfaces are designed to acquire identical
data for each transaction, regardless of the customer.

Controlled Access

Since TPS systems can be such a powerful business tool, access must be restricted to only those employees who require their use. Restricted access
to the system ensures that employees who lack the skills and ability to control it cannot influence the transaction process.

Transactions Processing Qualifiers

In order to qualify as a TPS, transactions made by the system must pass the ACID test. The ACID tests refers to the following four prerequisites:

Atomicity

Atomicity means that a transaction is either completed in full or not at all. For example, if funds are transferred from one account to another, this
only counts as a bone fide transaction if both the withdrawal and deposit take place. If one account is debited and the other is not credited, it does
not qualify as a transaction. TPS systems ensure that transactions take place in their entirety.

Consistency

TPS systems exist within a set of operating rules (or integrity constraints). If an integrity constraint states that all transactions in a database must
have a positive value, any transaction with a negative value would be refused.

Isolation

Transactions must appear to take place in isolation. For example, when a fund transfer is made between two accounts the debiting of one and the
crediting of another must appear to take place simultaneously. The funds cannot be credited to an account before they are debited from another.

Durability

Once transactions are completed they cannot be undone. To ensure that this is the case even if the TPS suffers failure, a log will be created to
document all completed transactions. These four conditions ensure that TPS systems carry out their transactions in a methodical, standardised
and reliable manner.

Types of Transactions

While the transaction process must be standardised to maximise efficiency, every enterprise requires a tailored transaction process that aligns
with its business strategies and processes. For this reason, there are two broad types of transaction:

Batch Processing

Batch processing is a resource-saving transaction type that stores data for processing at pre-defined times. Batch processing is useful for
enterprises that need to process large amounts of data using limited resources. Examples of batch processing include credit card transactions, for
which the transactions are processed monthly rather than in real time. Credit card transactions need only be processed once a month in order to
produce a statement for the customer, so batch processing saves IT resources from having to process each transaction individually.

Real Time Processing

In many circumstances the primary factor is speed. For example, when a bank customer withdraws a sum of money from his or her account it is
vital that the transaction be processed and the account balance updated as soon as possible, allowing both the bank and customer to keep track
of funds.

Enterprise Collaboration System

Today’s collaborative environments are burdened by an excess of independent Moving parts. A typical organization could easily have
several platforms for Collaboration applications, including file sharing applications, email, instant Messaging, videoconferencing and
wikis—making it that much harder for IT staff to Manage information and to monitor and control the collaboration tools. In contrast,
a collaborative solution such as Microsoft SharePoint provides a Comprehensive set of collaborative and communication services on
a single platform, With centralized management infrastructure, thus facilitate the work of IT staff. Microsoft SharePoint is a
collaboration platform that makes the communication Process of an organization more effective. It enables collaboration on managing
Documents, sharing information, setting up websites and publishing reports. The Following set of tools is included to support
collaboration (SharePoint, Web page, December 2013):

Sites provides a single infrastructure for all the business websites that
Allows sharing documents or managing projects.
Composites offers tools and components for creating no-code business
Solutions.
Insights helps team members’ access information in databases, reports, and
Business applications.
Communities delivers collaboration tools to easily sharing ideas and work.
Content represents SharePoint’s content management system with features
Such as document types, retention polices, and automatic content sorting.
Search helps people find information and contacts.