FUTURE TECHNOLOGY-CASE 1

Enumerate reasons why we use technology today

These are some reasons why we use technology today:

• For communication

• For transportation

• For education

• For business

• For job creation

• For entertainment

What are some points that have influenced us?

Nowadays, modern technology plays an important role in our society and in the development of many countries. Modern technology has solved many problems that people face. Technology today has made life better and quicker in our modern society. Modern Technology makes our lives more convenient and safe, with the help of these modern technologies we can live easy and comfortable.

What are the factors involved in technology change?

The factor involed in technolgy change is the people's demand. People use technology to imrove their ability to do work. Through technology, people communicate better. Technology allows them to make more and better products.

SAD2-Assignment 3

Interview your university network specialist. Ask how various parts of the system communicates with each other throughout the university. (Q) Given the chance to redesign the existing setup, enumerate and discuss your keypoints for an effective and efficient network environment ideal for the university.

In assignment #3, we are task to interview a network specialist in our university. Our university network administrator is Engr. Ariel Roy Reyes. Last Friday, we supposed to have a class discussion regarding the assignment, but sir Reyes was very busy on that day, so we decided to gave him a questionnaire.
The first question was all about in system development, how various parts of the system communicate with each other throughout the university? In what way?...According to sir Reyes, regarding System Development, the best person to ask is our University Programmers, Mr. Fortich and Dr. Mercado.

The next question was all about the components involved in the system(s) in the university? (hardware, software, technology, etc.)..According to sir Reyes, he is not in the right position to discuss the details of the software components used as there are other assigned personnel for such job. However, talking about hardware component and technology used, basically I, assigned as the network administrator, is entrusted to maintain our different servers to run 24/7. Currently, we have our Web Server hosted here in our University in our HP ProLiant ML350 Server. Its an old but stable server set-up here in our Networks Office and has been active since Engr. Val A. Quimno , not yet a dean, was appointed as the Network Administrator. The said server has the following specification:

• Intel Xeon 3.0 GHz, 3.2 GHz, or 3.4 GHz processors (dual processor capability) with 1MB level 2 cache standard. Processors include support for Hyper-Threading and Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T)
• Intel® E7520 chipset
• 800-MHz Front Side Bus
• Integrated Dual Channel Ultra320 SCSI Adapter
• Smart Array 641 Controller (standard in Array Models only)
• NC7761 PCI Gigabit NIC (embedded)
• Up to 1 GB of PC2700 DDR SDRAM with Advanced ECC capabilities (Expandable to 8 GB)
• Six expansion slots: one 64-bit/133-MHz PCI-X, two 64-bit/100-MHz PCI-X, one 64-bit/66-MHz PCI-X, one x4 PCI-Express, and one x8 PCI-Express
• New HP Power Regulator for ProLiant delivering server level, policy based power management with industry leading energy efficiency and savings on system power and cooling costs
• Three USB ports: 1 front, 1 internal, 1 rear
• Support for Ultra320 SCSI hard drives (six hot plug or four non-hot plug drives supported standard, model dependent)
• Internalstorage capacity of up to 1.8TB; 2.4TB with optional 2-bay hot plug SCSI drive
• 725W Hot-Plug Power Supply (standard, most models); optional 725W Hot-Pluggable Redundant Power Supply (1 1) available. Non hot plug SCSI models include a 460W non-hot plug power supply.
• Tool-free chassis entry and component access
• Support for ROM based setup utility (RBSU) and redundant ROM
• Systems Insight Manager, SmartStart, and Automatic Server Recovery 2 (ASR-2) included

• Protected by HP Services and a worldwide network of resellers and service providers. Three-year Next Business Day, on-site limited global warranty. Certain restrictions and exclusions apply. Pre-Failure Notification on processors, memory, and SCSI hard drives.
Aside from it, our mail server running under Compaq Proliant ML330 Server, our oldest server, is also hosted here in our Networks Office. Together with other Servers, such as Proxy and Enrollment Servers, both proxy and our enrollment servers are running in a microcomputer/personal computers but with higher specifications to act as servers.
How do these communicate with one another? (topology, network connectivity, protocols, etc.) – may include data flow/ UML diagrams to better explain. According to him, all Servers are connected in a shared medium grouped as one subnetwork. In general, our network follows the extended star topology which is connected to a DUAL WAN Router that serves as the load balancer between our two Internet Service Providers. All other workstations are grouped into different subnetworks as in star topology branching out from our servers subnetwork as in extended star topology. At present, we are making use of class C IP Address for private IP address assignments. Other workstations IP assignments are configured statically (example: laboratories) while others are Dynamic (example: offices). All workstations are connected via our proxy servers that do some basic filtering/firewall to control users access to the internet aside from router filtering/firewall management. So, whenever any workstation has to connect to the internet, it has to pass through software and hardware based firewall.

What are the processes involved in the communication (each system to other systems)?...According to sir Reyes, all workstations are connected via a proxy server. It means that whenever a workstation is turned on, it requests for an IP address from the proxy server (for dynamically configured IP address) and connect to the network after IP address is acquired. As connection is established, each system can now communicate and share resources within the same subnetwork and to server following the concepts discuss in your Computer Network Class.
How do you go along with the maintenance of the system?...Basically, our servers are expected to be in good condition since it is required to be up 24/7. Daily, during my vacant period, monitoring on the servers are observed that includes checking logs, checking hardware performance such as CPU health, etc. If problems are observed, remedies are then and then applied. Once in a week, regular overall checkup is observed as preventive maintenance to ensure not to experience longer downtime if possible.

Does the system follow a specific standard? Explain Please.

• As I was appointed as the Network Administrator, everything was already in place except for some minor changes. Basically, different networking standards was already observed such as cabling standards, TIA/EIA 568A-B, different IEEE standards as discussed in your Computer Networks Subject, etc.

How is the security of the system? Are there any vulnerabilities? Risks? Corresponding mitigation techniques? Access control?
• As I have mentioned, we have implemented both software and hardware based filtering/firewall. Basically, Risks or vulnerabilities and different mitigation techniques were considered to increase security in our network. Aside from filtering/firewall, constant monitoring on networks activity also increases the security of the system.

The last question was, are there any interference? During what (most) times do these occur? Explain their effects especially with regards to the business of the university?..He explained, that the Major Interferences are normally encountered as an effect of unforeseen and beyond our control events such as black outs, and the like. The said interference would of course affect University’s day-to-day businesses for obviously this will paralyze all our activities that rely on electricity and further this might cause damage on our network devices, etc. that may later be the reason for longer downtime. Problems encountered by our providers such as connection to the National/International Gateway also affect University’s business such as correlating to University’s Business Partners outside and within the country.

Given the chance to redesign the existing setup, enumerate and discuss your key points for an effective and efficient network environment ideal for the university.

For me, I would better improve the design and enhance it by using a best method to get better quality network environment instead redesigning the setup it will consume long time and wasting money and some factors that are possibly cause failure. By improving and maintaining the design, the university can save and assure a quality setup.

SAD2- Assignment 2

Relative to your answer in Assignment 1 .... what's your take on the design of the enrollment system?

In relative to my assignment 1, I have mentioned that the new enrollment system implemented in the university is fairly clear and understandable compared to the last system and you can see more improvements, the steps are easily to understand. The university should provide a system that easily to use, so that the student be able to enroll and validate without problems, short time of period and hassle free procedure during enrollment time. The student should direct in step only, so that the process could easy and it could save time.

I would suggest that the university should provide an easier procedure enrollment system, because there are some facts and processes that the university should improve. The university should plan well in terms of generating new enrollment system and considered new details and information in the system.

SAD2-Assignment 1

The diagram shows the new enrollment system implemented this semester

The first step, the student will check and submit the following documents required and pay all the amounts needed coming from different organization (Local Council fee, Obrero Campus Student Council fee, collegiate headlight fee and Insurance).
The second step (for scholars only), the student will require to validate their scholarship in OSS.
The third step (if to be taken), the student will require to register the CWTS or ROTC.
The fourth step, after gather all the requirements, the student will proceed to the colleges belong and ready for advising, present enrollment requirements like receipts from different organization, fill up the PRF and return to the adviser to sign, and then the student will submit the PRF to the encoder and secure the temporary COR printing.
The fifth step (for scholars only), the student will submit the temporary COR to the bookkeeper and for those students that are not scholar, they need to pay and submit temporary COR and will receive officially receipt printing.
The sixth step, the student will proceed to the registrar and submit necessary requirements, the student are now officially enrolled.

For me, the new enrollment system implemented in the university is fairly clear and understandable compared to the last system and you can see more improvements, the steps are easily to understand, but for me, I believe that the university could provide easier procedure enrollment system. But there’s some fact that the university needs to improve.
The university should provide an easier procedure during enrollment period. Some cases, the student usually experience hard and long process for the period of enrollment, many students observed difficult steps especially on registrar procedure, and it takes long time waiting during validation.
The university should provide a system that easily to use, so that the student be able to enroll and validate without problems, short time of period and hassle free procedure during enrollment time. The student should direct in step only, so that the process could easy and it could save time. By improving some steps or processes in the enrollment system, lots of students and personnel could save time and experience comfortable life. Using improving procedure, the university could practice a new system and helping them to use a easy steps and for the progress university, the school should apply this new system, by helping and gaining more knowledge and information many students could benefits.

SAD1-Assignment 11

You were tasked by the IC-dean to evaluate the enrollment system of the university, list and briefly describe the characteristics that an anlayst(you) examines when choosing or defining deployment environment.


The characteristics that an analyst examines when defining deployment environment:

Security Configuration

The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to remain accessible and productive to its intended users. The term computer system security means the collective processes and mechanisms by which sensitive and valuable information and services are protected from publication, tampering or collapse by unauthorized activities or untrustworthy individuals and unplanned events respectively. The strategies and methodologies of computer security often differ from most other computer technologies because of its somewhat eluding objective of preventing unwanted computer behavior instead of enabling wanted computer behavior.

Security has to be compared to related concepts: Safety, continuity, reliability. The key difference between security and reliability is that security must take into account the actions of people attempting to cause destruction.

Usability Planning

Usability planning provides an important means of managing individual usability activities as well as the overall role played by usability input within a software engineering programme. It defines the scope of usability work required to produce a user- interface design that is efficient, effective and satisfying in use.
Usability planning involves defining and managing user-centred design activities that will take place during the development of a product. A usability plan report is created, which details the scope of selected usability activities and defines actions and time-scales required to implement them. Usability planning should be carried out for all development projects, but in particular development projects purporting a high degree of user-centred design.
Cost benefit analyses of user-centred design activities may be carried out and its results summarised in the first part of the usability plan. Wherever an investment in user-centred design activities is made during development, one or more tasks will be identified. A task manager is appointed for each task, an appropriate activity is selected and a schedule specified. The usability plan is a living document, and undergoes regular reviews as the project progresses.

Benefits
• Ensures that usability work is co-ordinated and not performed in a piecemeal fashion.
• Provides clear visibility of what usability work is going on and what its overall aims are.
• Enables priorities to be assessed, and facilitates the efficient allocation of resources.

However, it is important to remember that usability plans may not be stable because of continually changing project plans. Also, usability plans are constrained by the need to schedule the delivery of results in sufficient time for them to be acted upon by designers and implementers.

Cost and schedule

Identify the deployment pattern or strategy used.
The target deployment environment for an application may already be rigidly defined, and so the application design must reflect the restrictions. Sometimes design tradeoffs are required; for example, because of protocol or port restrictions, or specific deployment topologies. Identify constraints early in the design phase to avoid surprises later, and involve members of the network and infrastructure teams to help with this process.


Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Security
http://www.usabilitynet.org/tools/planning.htm

SAD1-Assignment 10

With reference to assignments 8 and 9, what characteristics does an analyst(you) examine when evalauating DFD quality?

According to my research, Data-flow diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the "flow" of data through an information system. DFDs can also be used for the visualization of data processing (structured design). On a DFD, data items flow from an external data source or an internal data store to an internal data store or an external data sink, via an internal process.
A DFD provides no information about the timing of processes, or about whether processes will operate in sequence or in parallel. It is therefore quite different from a flowchart, which shows the flow of control through an algorithm, allowing a reader to determine what operations will be performed, in what order, and under what circumstances, but not what kinds of data will be input to and output from the system, nor where the data will come from and go to, nor where the data will be stored (all of which are shown on a DFD).

Characteristics Examined in Evaluating Data Flow Diagram:

Balancing of data flows

The concept of balancing states that all the incoming flows to a process and all the outgoing flows from a process in the parent diagram should be preserved at the next level of decomposition. Process decomposition lets you organize your overall DFD in a series of levels so that each level provides successively more detail about a portion of the level above it. The goal of the balancing feature is to check your system internal consistency, which is particularly useful as different levels of expertise are generally involved in a project. When you decompose a process, PowerDesigner helps you initialize, in the sub diagram, the objects from the upper-level to link to the sub-process. PowerDesigner automatically retrieves global objects, such as external entities or data stores and creates object shortcuts, if need be. A data flow diagram illustrates the processes, data stores, and external entities in a business or other system and the data flows between these things. Four diagramatical components are used to develop a DFD.

Leveling of Data Flow Diagram

All data flows entering and leaving a process must appear on the corresponding diagram which decomposes that process.
The access to data stores across levels of diagrams must be consistent:
• the direction of accesses must match and all accesses on higher level diagrams must appear on corresponding lower level diagrams
• a data store is first shown on the highest level diagram where it is accessed by more than one process
• it can then appear on all lower level diagrams where it is accessed

Develop a Physical Data Flow Diagram

Most logical design level TPS structured design is data flow diagram (DFD) based, since typically the data is simple in structure and independent from the procedural modules because of the need for sharing of data between applications. Complex entity relationship diagrams (ERD) based design methods are therefore seldom required for TPS systems. At the physical design level however, no predominate structured design approach has appeared.

Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_flow_diagram
http://www.experiencefestival.com/data_flow_diagram_-_balancing_a_dfd

SAD1-Assignment 9

Exploded Diagram of Pre-Enrollment System for New Students




CONTEXT DIAGRAM of Pre-Enrollment Process in USEP




Current logical Data Flow Diagram of Pre-Enrollment Process in USEP

SAD1-Assignment 8

Using the same narrative as refelcted in your assignment 4, develop an activity diagram and a fully developed description for a use case.


Description:

The student will submit the following documents require to the UGTO Personnel, the UGTO Personnel will provide an application form to the student. The student will write down the require data on the form, he/she will proceed to the cashier office to pay the examination fee and the cashier will issue a receipt. The UGTO Personnel will give schedule to the student. The student will take an USEPAT and English Plus examination. After the examination the UGTO Personnel will post the qualified student who passed the entrance examination, if the student will be failed in English Plus, she/he will take English Bridge Program. The student will require obtaining an interview to the college/department that she/he selects. After the interview, the student will take a medical check-up to the USEP clinic. The college/department will post qualified students. If he/she will pass the college interview, the student will submit the require documents to the department.

SAD1-Assignment 7

USEP Pre-enrollment System Use Case Diagram

ACTORS: STUDENT, UGTO PERSONNEL, CASHIER, INTERVIEWER, CLINIC NURSE, ADVISER DEAN


Use Cases:

Step 1- Submit Necessary Documents- The student will submit the following documents require to the UGTO Personnel.
Step 2-Give the Application Form- The UGTO Personnel will provide an application form to the student.
Step 3-Fill-up the Application Form-The student will write down the require data on the form.
Step 4-Pay the Examination Fee-The student will proceed to the cashier office to pay the examination fee.
Step 5-Give the Examination Schedule-The UGTO Personnel will give schedule to the student.
Step 6-Take USEPAT and English Plus Examination-The student will take an USEPAT and English Plus examination.
Step 7-Give the Examination Result-The UGTO Personnel will provide the qualified student who passed the entrance examination.
Step 8-Take English Bridge Program (if failed in English Plus)-If the student will not pass in the English Plus, she/he will take English Bridge Program.
Step 9-College Interview-The student will require to obtain an interview to the college/department that she/he select.
Step 10-Take Medical Examination-The student should take a medical check-up to the USEP clinic.
Step 11-Post Qualified Applicant-The college/department will post a qualified students.
Step 12-Submission of Documents to the adviser/dean-The student will submit the require documents to the department.

SAD1- Assignment 6

Consider the following dialogue between a systems professional, John Juan, and a manager of a department targeted for a new information system, Peter Pedro:

Juan: The way to go about the analysis is to first examine the old system, such as reviewing key documents and observing the workers perform their tasks. Then we can determine which aspects are working well and which should be preserved.

Pedro: We have been through these types of projects before and what always ends up happening is that we do not get the new system we are promised; we get a modified version of the old system.

Juan: Well, I can assure you that will not happen this time. We just want a thorough understanding of what is working well and what isn’t.

Pedro: I would feel much more comfortable if we first started with a list of our requirements. We should spend some time up-front determining exactly what we want the system to do for my department. Then you systems people can come in and determine what portions to salvage if you wish. Just don’t constrain us to the old system.

Required:

a.Obviously these two workers have different views on how the systems analysis phase should be conducted. Comment on whose position you sympathize with the most.

In this scenario both side had their own views about the systems analysis phase, in Juan, he wanted to examine first the old system, analyze the system and reviewing the documents, observing the workers performances, so that they can determine what aspects they should be preserved. In this situation, Juan wanted again to apply the previous method that he generated, but suddenly, Pedro differ the process because they have already tried that method but they didn’t succeed because they observed that after the process they cannot provide the system they promise to the client. There’s a problem they encountered and they cannot offered a perfect system that will apply to the client. In other side, Pedro tried a new method to generate a new system that has a perfect quality, he stated that they first started with a list of their requirements determined what were the system should be needed and required to their department, spending a long time to studies the process and give a method that will create a good system.

For me, I sympathized with Juan, although they have been through those types of projects before and at the end they didn’t generated the system required that they promises. But for me, Juan was right as a system analyst they should considered first what are the negative sides they made and after determining the problem, give best solutions and accurate the right, in that way you could be determined the lessons you did and resolve it and generate best solutions that could be created a perfect system. Though they were failed but still there’s chance to exact the bad side and decide a better solution to the system.

b.What method would you propose they take? Why?

For me, I would propose a Waterfall Life Cycle Model because this is the most common and classic of life cycle models, also referred to as a linear-sequential life cycle model. It is very simple to understand and use. In a waterfall model, each phase must be completed in its entirety before the next phase can begin. At the end of each phase, a review takes place to determine if the project is on the right path and whether or not to continue or discard the project. Unlike what I mentioned in the general model, phases do not overlap in a waterfall model.

According to my research, the Waterfall Life Cycle Model is a sequential software development process, in which progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards (like a waterfall) through the phases of Conception, Initiation, Analysis, Design (validation), Construction, Testing and Maintenance. The waterfall development model has its origins in the manufacturing and construction industries; highly structured physical environments in which after-the-fact changes are prohibitively costly, if not impossible. Since no formal software development methodologies existed at the time, this hardware-oriented model was simply adapted for software development.
The first formal description of the waterfall model is often cited to be an article published in 1970 by Winston W. Royce,[1] although Royce did not use the term "waterfall" in this article. Royce was presenting this model as an example of a flawed, non-working model (Royce 1970). This is in fact the way the term has generally been used in writing about software development—as a way to criticize a commonly used software practice.

Advantages

• Simple and easy to use.
• Each phase has specific deliverables.
• Higher chance of success over the waterfall model due to the development of test plans early on during the life cycle.
• Works well for small projects where requirements are easily understood.
• Testing is inherent to every phase of the waterfall model
• It is an enforced disciplined approach
• It is documentation driven, that is, documentation is produced at every stage

Disadvantages

• Very rigid, like the waterfall model.
• Little flexibility and adjusting scope is difficult and expensive.
• Software is developed during the implementation phase, so no early prototypes of the software are produced.
• Model doesn’t provide a clear path for problems found during testing phases.
• Testing is inherent to every phase of the waterfall model
• It is an enforced disciplined approach
• It is documentation driven, that is, documentation is produced at every stage


Sources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_model
http://toostep.com/trends/types-of-sdlc-models

SAD1-Assignment 5

Consider your school, how do you know that the life cycle was developed specifically for the university. How do we know it meets our needs?

As a student of University of Southeastern Philippines it is my opportunity to know the life cycle developed of the university, what are the different phases and models them used, how the development life cycle gives procedure to the university.
First, let’s define System Development System Life Cycle. According to my research, Systems Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a conceptual model used in project management that describes the stages involved in an information system development project from an initial feasibility study through maintenance of the completed application. Various SDLC methodologies have been developed to guide the processes involved including the waterfall model (the original SDLC method), rapid application development (RAD), joint application development (JAD), the fountain model and the spiral model. Mostly, several models are combined into some sort of hybrid methodology. Documentation is crucial regardless of the type of model chosen or devised for any application, and is usually done in parallel with the development process. Some methods work better for specific types of projects, but in the final analysis, the most important factor for the success of a project may be how closely particular plan was followed. Processes of creating or altering systems, and the models and methodologies that people use to develop these systems. In software engineering the SDLC concept underpins many kinds of software development methodologies. These methodologies form the framework for planning and controlling the creation of an information system.

These are the System Development Life Cycle steps:

• Define
Define or classify first the problem, so that you could describe the nature or fundamental qualities of the project. You could easily precise the problem and determine the limitation.

• Design

In designing the project, it is planning or drawing the output that lays the basis for the making of every object or system. Systems design is most effective when more than one solution can be proposed. The plans for the care and feeding of a new system are as important as the problems they solve.

• Demonstrate
Demonstrate the project is very important task, it shows clearly and deliberately illustration with clear explanation and visual presentation showing how something works some main information.

• Develop
To generates the main requirements of the project and allow for the creation, development and running of application programs. Through a series of progressive changes they could provide a outstanding system with a good and high quality.

• Deliver
In this step, the proper place of the project transport into the expected output of the system and it would carry out to user the important thing to do in the using the system.

We could know the phases if the steps you select are compatible to your system or project development, the university would easily generate the steps and create system development life cycle that would compatible. The problem would easily to resolve if you select a phase that accurate and clear to solve the system.



Sources: http://www.startvbdotnet.com/sdlc/sdlc.aspx

SAD1- Assignment 4

Identify and discuss at least 3 systems development models .. discuss each phases ...

1. Waterfall Software Development Life Cycle Model

The simplest software development life cycle model is the waterfall model, which states that the phases are organized in a linear order. A project begins with feasibility analysis. On the successful demonstration of the feasibility analysis, the requirements analysis and project planning begins.
The design starts after the requirements analysis is done. And coding begins after the design is done. Once the programming is completed, the code is integrated and testing is done. On succeeful completion of testing, the system is installed. After this the regular operation and maintenance of the system takes place. The following figure demonstrates the steps involved in waterfall life cycle model.

2. The Spiral Life Cycle Model

This is a recent model that has been proposed by Boehm. As the name suggests, the activities in this model can be organized like a spiral. The spiral has many cycles. The radial dimension represents the cumulative cost incurred in accomplishing the steps dome so far and the angular dimension represents the progress made in completing each cycle of the spiral. The structure of the spiral model is shown in the figure given below. Each cycle in the spiral begins with the identification of objectives for that cycle and the different alternatives are possible for achieving the objectives and the imposed constraints.
The next step in the spiral life cycle model is to evaluate these different alternatives based on the objectives and constraints. This will also involve identifying uncertainties and risks involved. The next step is to develop strategies that resolve the uncertainties and risks. This step may involve activities such as benchmarking, simulation and prototyping. Next, the software is developed by keeping in mind the risks. Finally the next stage is planned.

3. Prototyping Software Life Cycle Model

The goal of prototyping based development is to counter the first two limitations of the waterfall model discussed earlier. The basic idea here is that instead of freezing the requirements before a design or coding can proceed, a throwaway prototype is built to understand the requirements. This prototype is developed based on the currently known requirements. Development of the prototype obviously undergoes design, coding and testing. But each of these phases is not done very formally or thoroughly. By using this prototype, the client can get an "actual feel" of the system, since the interactions with prototype can enable the client to better understand the requirements of the desired system.
Prototyping is an attractive idea for complicated and large systems for which there is no manual process or existing system to help determining the requirements. In such situations letting the client "plan" with the prototype provides invaluable and intangible inputs which helps in determining the requirements for the system. It is also an effective method to demonstrate the feasibility of a certain approach. This might be needed for novel systems where it is not clear that constraints can be met or that algorithms can be developed to implement the requirements. The process model of the prototyping approach is shown in the figure below.

Sources:
http://www.freetutes.com/systemanalysis/sa2-waterfall-software-life-cycle.html
http://www.freetutes.com/systemanalysis/sa2-spiral-model.html
http://www.freetutes.com/systemanalysis/sa2-prototyping-model.html

SAD1- Assignment 3

Evidences

Discuss the role of a systems analyst as a project manager. (at least one thousand words) .... you need to interview an analyst/project manager ..show evidences

In assignment 3, we were task to interview a System Analyst. On April 29, 2010, we were having an interviewed in SAMULCO or Sta. Ana Multipurpose Cooperative in Uyanguren, Davao City. Together with my classmates in System Analysis and Design 1, we went to the office of SAMULCO to conduct an interview to their MIS Department. We interviewed Mr. James Bautista, a System Analyst in SAMULCO. First we interviewed him about the skills and characteristics must a system analyst develop in order to be more effective in any design modelling process. In this question, Mr. Bautista answered well and gave more important details about the techniques in how to become a good system analyst. He said that being a system analyst must looks into the over-all system and makes good steps before you develop a project. You do not need think as a programmer but think as a common to others. He us three skills and characteristics must a system analyst develop in order to be more productive in any design modeling process, first characteristic is being a System Analyst must be observant, because if you fail to notice the important details it will be failed to you as analyst. Second skills and characteristics must a system analyst develop in order to be more productive in any design modeling process, must have a basic programming skills, because if you do not have a basic programming skills, maybe you will not familiarize in terms of programming and developing the subject and third one is being a system analyst must be able to communicate well; he said that this is very important in terms of developing. In these three skills, as a system analyst you should have knowledge in terms of developing a project, accurate a project with good quality and good class.After answering the first question we proceeded into the second question which was the role of a systems analyst as a project manager. He answered well the question.
The first question were asking him was what is the role (system analyst) as a project manager?, he said that as a system analyst must manages the entire team or the entire project, be required to the time, you will taking the client, talking to the team and talking to the developer. As a system analyst you should able to manage the team, give a better opinion and recommendation about the project, so that the step in developing the project would be successful and has a high quality.

As a system analyst you should responsible every steps and procedure about the project and give a good opinion to exact the planning and developing the project. Always asking and talking in every parts of the team, accurate the wrong steps and wrong decisions in terms of working, also asked the client if what they wanted in generated their project, what output they wanted, so that you could generate a successful output. Talked to the developer if what is the possible output you wanted and if some are missing or lacking, give them a good recommendation and solutions to resolve the wrong mistakes into the right ways. Get the overall output of the project and specification about the system. That the agreement should be finished on time, because in developing a system you should finish the project on time and has a good quality, so that your client will be happy and satisfied about he project and will give you a high pay about the system. Always remember that in developing a good and effective project to your client could build you a better name and trusted and excellence quality to everyone.

Another example of the role of a system analyst as a project manager, must delegate the task to the team, he said you must give the time line to the team and finish the project earlier. Because in every members has their own task and abilities in developing a system, as a system analyst you should be able to set apart in every team their work, so that you can easily finish the project you were develop and each team can contribute a important ideas and give a main procedure the project, because in the end you could construct a good quality system to your client and submit the project on time and earlier. So that your client will be satisfied you work.
In this explanation, you could think that in every team and every task, you should be responsible in developing the project, and also be patience in every failed, because in creating a project we can’t say that there is no obstacle, but there is, so that we could test us how patience we are and how responsible we are. Because every steps we will encounter the problem but just try and try until we succeed and reach our goal. In certain project you will learn more, especially in developing, give a proper training and also teach the right things to do and avoid the bad things to act. Being a system analyst you should be a model to your team guide them into the right ways and give them a proper guidance to perform a good member in the team, because sometimes if there is problem everyone could depend and easily find a better method to resolve the problem.

Overall the interview was excellent, I learned more about how to become a good system analyst, and I got new knowledge and experienced from the interview. Mr. Baustista shared us the techniques as a good analyst and he gave us important aspect to be a successful system analyst.

SAD1 -Assignment 2

Evidences

Interview a Systems Analyst and ask what skills and characteristics must a systems analyst develop in order to be more effective in any design modeling process [include in your answer evidences (pix, ltrs, etc)]? at least 1000 words exlcuding your evidences.

In assignment 2, we were tasked to interview a System Analyst, yesterday April 29, 2010, we were having an interviewed in SAMULCO or Sta. Ana Multipurpose Cooperative in Uyanguren, Davao City. Together with my classmates in System Analysis and Design 1, we went to the office of SAMULCO to conduct an interview to their MIS Department. We interviewed Mr. James Bautista, a System Analyst in SAMULCO. We gave him a questionnaire to address our questions.

Before Mr. Bautista answered the question, first he introduced his self and asking us what our names. Before he started, he explained us what was System Analyst all about and gave us some important ideas and strategies how to become a successful system analyst for the future. He said that if you were not good in programming you have a chance to be a good system analyst. He said that being system analyst was not easy, because you need to focus your career in terms of developing a project, you should see the problem alone and think a best a solution, so that you could generate a successful project.

He said that being System Analyst must looks into the over-all system and makes good steps before you develop a project. You do not need think as a programmer but think as a common to others. In these explanations, being a system analyst you must think fair whether you are a good analyst but think that you have equal ideas in terms of developing a project to the others and treating them well and fair. As a system analyst you need to treat others equal.

Mr. Bautista gave us three skills and characteristics must a system analyst develop in order to be more productive in any design modeling process, first characteristic is being a System Analyst must be observant, because if you fail to notice the important details it will be failed to you as analyst. You should an observant every time you make important decisions especially doing a project, always ensured the missing part of the task and observed well if what are lacking and set the important feature, to complete the development and also he said that being an observant it will accurate you by designing a models but make sure that you will work as team because if make individual there’s a big possibility that your design and output will different in the end, sometimes you cant meet the expectation output and it will make your project failed. So that it is very important to develop as a team work and discussed important details about the development and how to create a project accurate well and no mistake. you should paying attention in every steps you made and consult every details, so that you could easily understand the concept of the project, if there was a needed you can simply apply what you have learned and fill the incorrect decisions into the accurate ways, so that your development have a successful output. Just make sure that you develop a project with team work. this is very important in developing a project, don’t work alone, team work is very important especially when you develop a project big, and needed a main aspect in development.

Second skills and characteristics must a system analyst develop in order to be more productive in any design modeling process, must have a basic programming skills, because if you do not have a basic programming skills, maybe you will not familiarize in terms of programming and developing the subject, although you understand the flow of the project but still there is a possibility that you project has an error and it will wasting the time, because sometimes there is a risk in terms of programming and as a system analyst you have idea to consult the project and accurate into the exact development, because sometimes if the programmer can’t meet the output as a system analyst you have the right to exact the project and build the project accurate and the client can satisfied the output, give the best solution and try to generate a good services into the client, so that you can make a good output, whatever happens just give the best to resolve the problem.

The third one is being a system analyst must be able to communicate well; he said that this is very important in terms of developing a project, especially when the client is far. He gave example, he showed as a picture of how important communication between the client, the developer and the system analyst. he explained us well how very important to develop a project that must be able to communicate well and cleared. Especially when you can’t realize what the he/she wanted because at the end you can recognize the simple output that he needs. He gave many examples and experiences about the project and how to resolve it.

Sir James shared a lot of his experienced as a system analyst, I learned a lot during the interviewed and I got some important lessons from his experienced and I realized that it takes 2hours before the interview was done. After Sir James answered all the questions, he asked us one by one if what our learning’s. For me, I learned a lot about the interviewed, there are many things that we should learn more before we make a project and I got many ideas how to become a system analyst someday. Overall the interview was good and fun.

SAD1 -Assignment 1

Based on our learning’s in Chapter 1 report, we are to identify and discuss some of the characteristics we have as a good system analyst.

On April 21, 2010, Wednesday the group one discussed about the characteristics of a System Analyst and they explained well about the significance of being system analyst, they gave some important feature and techniques how to become a good system analyst. As they explained, our facilitator gave some examples about the topic and we got additional ideas and plan in terms of generating a system; it should be step by step before you develop a system.

As a systems analyst, you should be responsible about the plans solutions and plans development before you meet the requirements or the objectives. You would be familiar the problem and give the best solutions. System analyst would be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, and implementation time-lines. In these responsibilities you would be a good analyst in the future and has a successful system implementation. Because we don’t someday, you would be a system analyst, by helping these responsibilities you would be a good analyst.

As a system analyst, knows how to analyze both negative and positive side of the possible outputs for the system. Being a system analyst, you should be able to determined first both sides which are the positive or the supportive ways in creating a system, find out the good side that could help to your requirements and provide a improvement, so that you could generate or produce a high-quality system but after that you should also be able determined the negative side or the bad side of your system, not all implementing or develop a system has a positive part but you should aware the bad side because it would assist you to the exact method or techniques and thinking a way to correct the system. In this way you should be able to determine what is right technique to perform a situation that could help your development and implementation, because before you could perform a system make sure that you examine first both sides or your planning, so that you could be accomplished a system that has good quality and consistent.

As a system analyst, must be a good listener and be able to react to what people say, because being a analyst, you have time to listen the part of the people who willing to correct you and you are willing to accept their observation about your system and give them a right details about the task, though some are bad and some a good but it would help you to make your system has a right perform. You are willing to admit every opinion from different people either positive or negative, it would help you to you’re your system accurate well and also you are willing to accept their opinion , so that you could correct the bad things. Just remember that before you could create a perfect system first is you are prepared to accept and you are good listener, so that you could develop a perfect system.

As a system analyst, should be a responsible, as a system analyst you must be responsible with our overall standing with your system development by making a plan in how to start the development in step by step method, so that you should follow the right way in making a system and you could create a successful system and you could finish on time with hardworking and team work, so that you could easy handle the situation and make on time. Being a responsible system analyst you should always ready for everything what ever happen and also you are always flexible, so that you could easily accept the different situation that you would face during difficulties and just remember the alternative ways, so that you could easily follow the situation.

As a system analyst, must be problem-solver, of course we could not denied that sometimes there are problems that could be face during development and also during planning but as a system analyst you are always ready to resolve the problem, although it is tricky, as a system analyst you should know how to resolve the situation, you should flexible and give the best alternative ways to answer the problem. Whatever the problem come, big or small just give the best solution. But sometimes you could not easily solve the problem but just try to ask good suggestion to your friends. It really requires your point in time and staying power so that any step you make will never be a big regret to you. Some decisions are solve successfully but others were not that lucky enough. For sure, there are answers that we meant to help us but never turned out well. All I can say is that even though we failed at least we try and that will never be a big loss, still we learn something from that experience. And as we all know that experience is a best teacher. So don’t say you still don’t have that key throughout success. As a student, in these characteristics, it will help us to have knowledge how to analyze and create the system, you have already ideas in developing a system in the future and has knowledge in terms of analysis and help us to become a good system analyst.

Assignment 9

The pace of change seems to increase relentlessly, especially changes involving information technology. Using your crystal ball, identify and discuss three changes likely to have substantial impact on your school services in the next three years.

1. Library Book Borrowing System

In this system, the student of the university could be easily used the library by using a new system, the students would be borrowed the book in easy way, unlike in the manual system it takes a long time. The system to build is an automated library book borrowing system that is to be used in the departmental libraries of a particular university. The goal is to relieve the librarians from processing book loans.

The system does not require users to identify themselves to search for books according to certain criteria and to check the availability of a particular book. However to check-out books, to check their respective book loan status, and to place holds on books that are already on loan, users must first identify themselves to the system.

2. Highly Developed Enrollment System

The online enrolment system was proposed in replacement of the manual enrolment system of the institution for it to have an organized flow of transaction and an ease of work especially to the administrators. Although our enrollment system is improved but there are some cases that the system will also failure, not totally perfect. But using highly developed system more capabilities and more students and users would be satisfied the new system. It could help a lot to the people who used the system.

3. Improved Computer Laboratories and Facilities

As we observed, our facilities and computer laboratories was not improved, though in this generation lots of new technology offered but suddenly our university wasn’t this technology. Also, our facilities are lacking, some students experienced this cases especially in our university. But improving our facilities and laboratories help our students to enhance their talents and capabilities in learning.


Reference:
http://lgl.epfl.ch/research/fondue/case-studies/lbb/problem-description.html

Assignment 8

Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) is the process of aligning an organization's business strategy with effective computer-based information systems to achieve critical business objectives. SISP is a top concern of major executives and considerable resources (time and money) are spent in SISP activities. Many SISP initiatives are not successful due to the difficulty of implementing the recommendations.

These are the list of questions:

• What are the objectives and goals of the company?

Setting objectives and goals is of essential importance for any planning activity and is the center of its success, or failure and also goal is where the business wants to go in the future. Knowing how to set objectives is not exactly shooting up in terms of complexity, but any strategist should know the basic rules of how to formulate and propose the objectives. Objectives give the business a clearly defined target. Plans can then be made to achieve these targets. This can motivate the employees. It also enables the business to measure the progress towards to its stated aims.

• Why the company needs strategic information systems plan?

To determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how it's going to get there. Typically, the process is organization-wide, or focused on a major function such as a division, department or other major function. Review how your external environmental factors have changed: particularly market segments, supplier markets, competition, regulation and the economy. Review your internal situation: particularly profitability analysis. You will now be able to craft your revised course and direction, goals, objectives and action plans.

• What are the factors associated with the SISP process?

• Increased cost of information systems
• Ability to develop systems across organizational boundaries
• Ensure that critical success factors/problem areas are addressed
• Attempt to control data redundancy and maintentance costs
• Application backlogs necessitate identifying important systems early

• What are the benefits, requirements, and drivers in SISP process

adoption?

Clearly define the purpose of the organization and to establish realistic goals and objectives consistent with that mission in a defined time frame within the organization’s capacity for implementation. Ensure the most effective use is made of the organization’s resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities. Produces great satisfaction among planners around a common vision and increases productivity from increased efficiency and effectiveness and also you can solves major problems.

• When Should Strategic Information System Planning Be Done?

In this situation, planning might be carried out once or even twice a year and done in a very comprehensive and detailed fashion (that is, with attention to mission, vision, values, environmental scan, issues, goals, strategies, objectives, responsibilities, time lines, budgets, etc) and if the organization has been around for many years and is in a fairly stable marketplace, then planning might be carried out once a year and only certain parts of the planning process,. Should also be done when an organization is just getting started. (The strategic plan is usually part of an overall business plan, along with a marketing plan, financial plan and operational/management plan.).

References:
http://scm.ncsu.edu/public/facts/facs060329.html
http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/basics.htm
http://www.computer.org/portal/web/csdl/doi/10.1109/HICSS.2000.926735

Assignment 7

Google’s Business Model

Google is a company that started six years ago when its founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin developed a new way to do online searching in a Stanford University dorm room. This new idea then spread quickly to many people around the globe seeking information. Googles’ technologies have been able to sort through a large amount of growing information on the web and deliver it to its users for free, a service which returns accurate information in a very short amount of time. They rely on the millions of people who post websites to figure out which other sites have good content. Google uses a technique called PageRank to rank every page. It figures out all of the sites linking to a web page and gives them a value, based in part on the sites which are linked to them. Then Google is able to determine the sites with the most votes meaning they have the best amount of information to those most interested in the information offered. PageRank keeps on improving as the web becomes bigger, since each new website is another set of information which leans to another vote. It is the top search engine in the world, representing eighty percent of all European search page views and forty one percent of all US search page views. Its net income has been increasing, $6,985,000 in 2001, $99,656,000 in 2002, $105,648,000 in 2003, and $399,199,000 in 2004. This company must have done a great job in order to be so successful. When it was first started their web index contained about thirty million documents, and now they index more than eight billion web pages which translates to two hundred and fifty times as much information.However Google isn’t just a popular search engine it also does many other things that come in hand to many people around the world. Some of Googles’ services include Alerts where you receive news and search results by e mail, Blog Search which finds blogs on people’s favorite topics, Book Search to find text of any books, Images where you can find images on the web, Maps where you find maps and directions, and News where you can find many news stories. Some of Google’s tools include Blogger where you can express yourself online, Earth where you can explore the world from your PC, Translate where you can view web pages in other languages, and Talk where you can IM and call friends from your PC. Google is global, besides its main Google.com it includes one hundred and two other international domains such as Google.de, Googdle.fr, and Google.co.uk. One hundred different languages are available.

Who are their competitors?

* Yahoo

Yahoo and Google are battling over the same Web visitors and advertising dollars. There currently is an $8 billion global search advertising business, which is expected to rise to $22 billion in five years, according to Piper Jaffray.

* Microsoft

Microsoft is also competing with Google because Google is now a major threat to their dominance. While Google was launching all of its products for free, Microsoft was trying to catch up in search doing a project which they spent $150 million on but Google and Yahoo keep on getting ahead with new innovations such as complete maps and satellite photos. Bill Gates wishes he could have combined software innovation with a brand new Internet business model like Google did.

How have they used information technology to their advantage?

In coordination with several of the major corporations, including Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, and Ericsson, Google provided financial support in the launch of the .mobi top level domain created specifically for the mobile internet, stating that it is supporting the new domain extension to help set the standards that will define the future of mobile content and improve the experience of Google users. In early 2006, Google launched Google.mobi, a mobile search portal offering several Google mobile products, including stripped-down versions of its applications and services for mobile users. On September 17, 2007, Google launched, "Adsense for Mobile", a service to its publishing partners providing the ability to monetize their mobile websites through the targeted placement of mobile text ads.Also in September, Google acquired the mobile social networking site, Zingku.mobi to "provide people worldwide with direct access to Google applications, and ultimately the information they want and need, right from their mobile devices."

How competitive are they in the market?

Since 2001, Google has acquired several small start-up companies, often consisting of innovative teams and products. One of the earlier companies that Google bought was Pyra Labs. They were the creators of Blogger, a weblog publishing platform, first launched in 1999. This acquisition led to many premium features becoming free. Pyra Labs was originally formed by Evan Williams, yet he left Google in 2004. In early 2006, Google acquired Upstartle, a company responsible for the online collaborative word processor, Writely. The technology in this product was combined with Google Spreadsheets to become Google Docs & Spreadsheets.

What new services do they offer?

Desktop products
Standalone applications
• AdWords Editor (Mac OS X, Windows 2000 SP3 /XP/Vista)
Desktop application to manage a Google AdWords account. The application allows users to make changes to their account and advertising campaigns before synchronising with the online service.
• Gmail/Google Notifier (Mac OS X, Windows 2000/XP)
Alerts the user of new messages in their Gmail account.
• Photos Screensaver
Slideshow screensaver as part of Google Pack, which displays images sourced from a hard disk, or through RSS and Atom Web feeds.
• Picasa (Mac OS X, Linux and Windows 2000/XP/Vista)
• Picasa Web Albums Uploader (Mac OS X)
An application to help uploading images to the "Picasa Web Albums" service. It consists of both an iPhoto plug-in and a stand-alone application.
Desktop extensions
These products created by Google are extensions to software created by other organizations.
• Blogger Web Comments (Firefox only)
Displays related comments from other Blogger users.
• Dashboard Widgets for Mac (Mac OS X Dashboard Widgets)
Collection of mini-applications including Gmail, Blogger and Search History.
• Send to Mobile (Firefox) (Discontinued)
Allows users to send text messages to their mobile phone (US only) about web content.

Mobile products
Online mobile products
These products can be accessed through a browser on a mobile device or a standard desktop web browser such as Firefox.
• Blogger Mobile
Only available on some US networks. Allows you to post to your Blogger blog from a mobile device.
• Calendar
Read a list of all Google Calendar events from a mobile device. There is also the option to quickly add events to your personal calendar.
• Gmail
Access a Gmail account from a mobile device using a standard mobile web browser. Alternatively, Google provides a specific mobile application to access and download Gmail messages quicker.
• News
Access Google News on a mobile device using a simpler interface compared to the full online application.
• Google Mobilizer
Makes any web page mobile-friendly.
• iGoogle
Simple version of iGoogle - you must visit the information page to choose which modules to display on your personal mobile version as not all modules are compatible.
Downloadable mobile products
Some of these products must be downloaded and run from a mobile device.
• Gmail
A downloadable application that has many advantages over accessing Gmail through a web [interface] on a mobile such as the ability to interact with Gmail features including labels and archiving. Requires a properly configured Java Virtual Machine, which is not available by default on some platforms (such as Palm's Treo).
• Maps (Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Symbian,Palm OS, and J2ME)
A mobile application for viewing maps on a mobile device. The application lets you find addresses and plot directions. Teamed with a GPS the application can use your geolocation and show your current location on the map. The device must have either a specific application to use Google maps or any phone with a properly configured Java Virtual Machine.

Web products
Account management
• Dashboard
Dashboard is an online tool that allows Google Account holders to view all their personal information Google is storing on their servers.
Advertising
• Ad Planner
An online tool that allows users to view traffic estimates for popular web sites and create media plans.
• Ad Manager
A hosted ad management solution
• AdSense
Advertisement program for Website owners. Adverts generate revenue on either a per-click or per-thousand-ads-displayed basis, and adverts shown are from AdWords users, depending on which adverts are relevant.
• AdWords
Google's flagship advertising product, and main source of revenue. AdWords offers pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for both text and banner ads.
Communication and publishing
• 3D Warehouse
Google 3D Warehouse is an online service that hosts 3D models of existing objects, locations (including buildings) and vehicles created in Google SketchUp by the aforementioned application's users. The models can be downloaded into Google SketchUp by other users or Google Earth.
• Apps
Custom domain and service integration service for businesses, enterprise and education, featuring Gmail and other Google products.
• Blogger
Weblog publishing tool. Users can create a custom, hosted blogs with features such as photo publishing, comments, group blogs, blogger profiles and mobile-based posting with little technical knowledge.
• Calendar
Free online calendar. It includes a unique "quick add" function which allows users to insert events using natural language input. Other features include Gmail integration and calendar sharing. It is similar to those offered by Yahoo! and MSN.
Mapping
• City Tours
An overlay to Maps that shows interesting tours within a city
• Maps
Mapping service that indexes streets and displays satellite and street-level imagery, providing driving directions and local business search.
• Map Maker
Edit the map in more than a hundred countries and watch your edits go into Google Maps. Become a citizen cartographer and help map your world.

What makes them so unique?

• Better and quicker search results
• Advanced search features, including searching for PDF, .doc and .ppt files, and displaying them as HTML
• Easy and powerful search administration
• Easy integration into web sites
• google is free to use, has a custom search engine, puts the search results according to the most popular to least popular.
• google has options for image search, article search or even search for any government document.
• It searches according to the terms you type and also searches for other terms with same meaning.
• It is fast, realiable, it has its own dictionary, calculater, and spell check.

How competitive are they in the international market?

Google has worked with several corporations, in order to improve production and services. On September 28, 2005,Google announced a long-term research partnership with NASA which would involve Google building a 1-million square foot R&D center at NASA's Ames Research Center. NASA and Google are planning to work together on a variety of areas, including large-scale data management, massively distributed computing, bio-info-nano convergence, and encouragement of the entrepreneurial space industry. The new building would also include labs, offices, and housing for Google engineers. In October 2006, Google formed a partnership with Sun Microsystems to help share and distribute each other's technologies. As part of the partnership Google will hire employees to help the open source office program OpenOffice.org.
Time Warner's AOL unit and Google unveiled an expanded partnership on December 21, 2005, including an enhanced global advertising partnership and a $1 billion investment by Google for a 5% stake in AOL. As part of the collaboration, Google plans to work with AOL on video search and offer AOL's premium-video service within Google Video. This did not allow users of Google Video to search for AOL's premium-video services. Display advertising throughout the Google network will also increase.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Google_produ
https://adwords.google.com/select/
https://www.google.com/adsense/
www.google.com enterprise/gsa/index
http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~paturi/cse91/Presents/mbotella.pdf