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Chapters 1-3 IT

Terms in this set (74)

computer literacy
skill in using productivity software, such as word processors, spreadsheets, database management systems, and presentation software, as well as having a basic knowledge of hardware and software, the Internet, and collaboration tools and technologies.
information literacy
understanding the role of information in generating and using business intelligence.
business intelligence
provides historical, current, and predictive views of business operations and environments and gives organizations a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
transaction-processing systems
focus on data collection and processing; the major reason for using them is cost reduction.
management information system
an organized integration of hardware and software technologies, data, processes, and human elements designed to produce timely, integrated, relevant, accurate, and useful information for decision-making purposes.
data
consists of raw facts and is a component of an information system.
database
a collection of all relevant data organized in a series of integrated files.
process
component of an information system that generates the most useful type of information for decision making, including transaction-processing reports and models for decision analysis.
information
consists of facts that have been analyzed by the process component and is an output of an information system.
information technologies
support information systems and use the Internet, computer networks, database systems, POS systems, and radiofrequency- identification (RFID) tags.
five forces model
Michael Porter's; analyzes an organization, its position in the marketplace, and how information systems could be used to make it more competitive. The five forces include buyer power, supplier power, threat of substitute products or services, threat of new entrants, and rivalry among existing competitors.
application software
can be commercial software or software developed in house and is used to perform a variety of tasks on a personal computer
arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
performs arithmetic operations (+, −, *, /) as well as comparison or relational operations (<, >, =); the latter are used to compare numbers
assembly language
the second generation of computer languages, is a higher-level language than machine language but is also machine dependent. It uses a series of short codes, or mnemonics, to represent data or instructions.
bus
a link between devices connected to the computer. It can be parallel or serial, internal (local) or external
cache RAM
resides on the processor. Because memory access from main RAM storage takes several clock cycles (a few nanoseconds), cache RAM stores recently accessed memory so the processor is not waiting for the memory transfer.
central processing unit (CPU)
the heart of a computer. It is divided into two components: the arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and the control unit.
computer
a machine that accepts data as input, processes data without human intervention by using stored instructions, and outputs information.
control unit
tells the computer what to do, such as instructing the computer which device to read or send output to.
CPU case
also known as a computer chassis or tower. It is the enclosure containing the computer's main components.
disk drive
a peripheral device for recording, storing, and retrieving information.
fifth-generation languages (5GLs)
use some of the artificial intelligence technologies, such as knowledge-based systems, natural language processing (NLP), visual programming, and a graphical approach to programming. These languages are designed to facilitate natural conversations between you and the computer.
fourth-generation languages (4GLs)
use macro codes that can take the place of several lines of programming. The commands are powerful and easy to learn, even for people with little computer training.
high-level languages
machine independent and part of the third-generation of computer languages. Many languages are available, and each is designed for a specific purpose.
input devices
send data and information to the computer. Examples include keyboards and mouses.
machine language
the first generation of computer languages, consists of a series of 0s and 1s representing data or instructions. It is dependent on the machine, so code written for one type of computer does not work on another type of computer.
magnetic disk
made of Mylar or metal, is used for random-access processing. In other words, data can be accessed in any order, regardless of its order on the surface.
magnetic tape
made of a plastic material, resembles a cassette tape and stores data sequentially.
main memory
stores data and information and is usually volatile; its contents are lost when electrical power is turned off. It plays a major role in a computer's performance.
motherboard
the main circuit board containing connectors for attaching additional boards. It usually contains the CPU, Basic Input/Output System (BIOS), memory, storage, interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers for standard peripheral devices, such as the display monitor, disk drive, and keyboard.
network attached storage (NAS)
essentially a network-connected computer dedicated to providing file-based data storage services to other network devices.
operating system (OS)
a set of programs for controlling and managing computer hardware and software. It provides an interface between a computer and the user and increases computer efficiency by helping users share computer resources and by performing repetitive tasks for users.
optical discs
use laser beams to access and store data. Examples include CD-ROMs, WORM discs, and DVDs.
output devices
capable of representing information from a computer. The form of this output might be visual, audio, or digital; examples include printers, display monitors, and plotters.
random access memory (RAM)
volatile memory, in which data can be read from and written to; it is also called read-write memory.
read-only memory (ROM)
nonvolatile; data can not be written to ROM.
redundant array of independent disks (RAID)
a collection of disk drives used for fault tolerance and improved performance, typically in large network systems.
secondary memory
nonvolatile, holds data when the computer is off or during the course of a program's operation. It also serves as archival storage.
server
a computer and all the software for managing network resources and offering services to a network.
storage area network (SAN)
a dedicated high-speed network consisting of both hardware and software used to connect and manage shared storage devices, such as disk arrays, tape libraries, and optical storage devices.
allocation
approach to a distributed DBMS combines fragmentation and replication, with each site storing the data it uses most often
Business analytics (BA)
uses data and statistical methods to gain insight into the data and provide decision makers with information they can act on.
Create, read, update, and delete (CRUD)
refers to the range of functions that data administrators determine who has permission to perform certain functions
data dictionary
stores definitions, such as data types for fields, default values, and validation rules for data in each field
data hierarchy
the structure and organization of data, which involves fields, records, and files.
data mart
a smaller version of a data warehouse, used by a single department or function
data model
determines how data is created, represented, organized, and maintained. It usually contains data structure, operations, and integrity rules.
data warehouse
a collection of data from a variety of sources used to support decision-making applications and generate business intelligence.
data-driven Web site
acts as an interface to a database, retrieving data for users and allowing users to enter data in the database
Data-mining analysis
used to discover patterns and relationships
Database administrators (DBA)
found in large organizations, design and set up databases, establish security measures, develop recovery procedures, evaluate database performance, and add and fine-tune database functions
database management system (DBMS)
software for creating, storing, maintaining, and accessing database files. A DBMS makes using databases more efficient.
distributed database management system (DDBMS)
stores data on multiple servers throughout an organization
Encapsulation
refers to the grouping into a class of various objects along with their attributes and methods—meaning, grouping related items into a single unit. This helps handle more complex types of data, such as images and graphs
Extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL)
the processes used in a data warehouse. It includes extracting data from outside sources, transforming it to fit operational needs, and loading it into the end target (database or data warehouse)
foreign key
a field in a relational table that matches the primary key column of another table. It can be used to cross-reference tables
fragmentation
approach to a distributed DBMS addresses how tables are divided among multiple locations. There are three variations: horizontal, vertical, and mixed.
hierarchical model
the relationships between records form a treelike structure. Records are called nodes, and relationships between records are called branches. The node at the top is called the root, and every other node (called a child) has a parent. Nodes with the same parents are called twins or siblings.
indexed sequential access method (ISAM)
records can be accessed sequentially or randomly, depending on the number being accessed. For a small number, random access is used, and for a large number, sequential access is used.
Inheritance
refers to new objects being created faster and more easily by entering new data in attributes
logical view
how information appears to users and how it can be organized and retrieved
network model
similar to the hierarchical model, but records are organized differently. Unlike the hierarchical model, each record in the network model can have multiple parent and child records
Normalization
improves database efficiency by eliminating redundant data and ensuring that only related data is stored in a table
object-oriented databases
both data and their relationships are contained in a single object. An object consists of attributes and methods that can be performed on the object's data.
Online analytical processing (OLAP)
generates business intelligence. It uses multiple sources of information and provides multidimensional analysis, such as viewing data based on time, product, and location
Online transaction processing (OLTP)
used to facilitate and manage transaction-oriented applications, such as point-of-sale, data entry, and retrieval transaction processing. It generally uses internal data and responds in real time
physical view
how data is stored on and retrieved from storage media, such as hard disks, magnetic tapes, or CDs
primary key
uniquely identifies every record in a relational database. Examples include student ID numbers, account numbers, Social Security numbers, and invoice numbers.
query by example (QBE)
you request data from a database by constructing a statement made up of query forms. With current graphical databases, you simply click to select query forms instead of having to remember keywords, as you do with SQL. You can add AND, OR, and NOT operators to the QBE form to fine-tune the query.
random access file structure
records can be accessed in any order, regardless of their physical locations in storage media. This method of access is fast and very effective when a small number of records need to be processed daily or weekly
relational model
uses a two-dimensional table of rows and columns of data. Rows are records (also called tuples), and columns are fields (also referred to as attributes).
replication
approach to a distributed DBMS has each site store a copy of the data in the organization's database
sequential access file structure
records in files are organized and processed in numerical or sequential order, typically the order in which they were entered.
Structured Query Language (SQL)
a standard fourth-generation query language used by many DBMS packages, such as Oracle 11g and Microsoft SQL Server. SQL consists of several keywords specifying actions to take
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