FUTURE TECHNOLOY-CASE 2

As a future IT professional, possibly I could contribute for the development of technology based on what I’ve learned from college:

Time Management

In developing a technology the time management is very important, you’ll be able to use your time in a much more balanced and effective way, the important point is that time management is not necessarily about getting lots of stuff done, because much more important than that is making sure that you are working on the right things, the things that truly need to be done your activities in right time. Improving your time management skills can even help you get better results by doing less work and having a successful opportunity.

Technological Skills

In developing a technology, as an IT professional should be familiar with degree of technological knowledge to complete the project. Nowadays, new technologies develop and build up, as an IT professional should be able to adopt various styles of applications in identifying alternative solutions to the problem. Provide a best explanation and solution so that you can develop a technique in developing a successful technology.

Team Building

In developing team project, as an IT professional should be expert in facilitating team meetings, conflict resolution and handling diverse team. Should ensure motivation and empowerment of team members by encouraging the suggestion and recommendations of the team and allowing the team share their opinions.

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