RWC 1: The 2004 Athens Olympics Network: Faster, Stronger and Redundant

1. Could the 2004 Athens Olympics have been a success without all of the networks and backup technologies? Ideally, yes; in the sense that, as useful as these technologies are, the Games are about competition, sports and athletes, rather than technology. Realistically, no. The information availability provided by the network and redundant hardware (and people and processes too) were critical in the success of the event, and are likely to be so also in the future. Without the networks and all the other technologies we would not have been able to have access to all the plethora of past and current results, statistics and profiles that were available.

2. The 2004 Olympics is a global business. Can a business today succeed without information technology? Why or why not? While everything is possible, it is highly unlikely that any business of a significant size is able to conduct its operations without relying in some form of information technology infrastructure. The complexity of operations, transactions and customer management, while possible to conduct by hand, it would be very difficult to stay competitive when doing so. Information technology has become, today and in the future, either a source of temporary competitive advantage, or a competitive necessity, in that it is not possible to compete without a certain basic level of systems in place.

3. Claude Phillips said dealing with crazy scenarios of what might happen in every area: a network problem, staff stopped in a traffic jam, a security attackeverything that might happen, was the reason for so much testing. Can you think of other businesses that would require crazy scenario testing? Explain. Business that would require this kind of testing scenario would be those where one hundred percent availability at all times is of the essence, even when faced by unlikely and improbable events. Possible examples could include: a. Emergency services, especially those that become activated in major catastrophes the kind of moments where systems are not likely to work but when are most needed b. Transaction processing services, such as credit cards. c. Care centers (hospitals, clinics) that need to have both life-support and medical systems online at all times, and also medical histories available and accessible.

CASE STUDY 2: Lufthansa: Taking Mobile Computing to the Skies While Keeping the Mobile Workforce Connected

1. Are many of Lufthansas challenges identifies in the case similar to those being experienced by other businesses in todays global economy? Explain and provide some examples? While the specifics of each challenge are particular to Lufthansas situation, many are shared by other global organizations. Examples could include: Provide a mobile workforce with equipment that fits their needs while it does not get in the way of accomplishing their objectives (not only technical specifications, but also upgrades and updates, stability, etc) Distribute training and other non-directly value-adding activities during nonproductive periods both to maximize efficiency and reduce downtime Provide adequate support to mobile operations while keeping a tight lid on cost and being able to justify the investment Redefine processes to accommodate new mobile technologies and needs of a distributed workforce including communication, meeting and decision making practices

2. What other tangible and intangible benefits, beyond those identified by Lufthansa, might a mobile workforce enjoy as a result of deploying mobile technologies. Explain. Examples could include: Increased, all-around, communication, both with the organization and with personal relationships (family, friends, etc). Especially important for a highly mobile workforce such as airline pilots. Remote access to corporate applications, important since increasingly more of the employees interaction is self-managed (payroll systems, expense reports, etc.) More productive time spent at customer locations and streamlined order taking and processing Ability to timely collect and report data on the competitive environment, both for the own organization and competitors (prices, volume, advertising, etc)

3. Lufthansa was clearly taking a big risk with their decision to deploy notebook computers to their pilots. What steps did they take to manage that risk and what others might be needed in todays business environment? Provide some examples. Steps taken to manage the risk: Ensured that technical specifications for the equipment were acceptable to both pilots and the union, given the very special work environment they would be used in Increased the chances of user buy-in by providing convenient alternatives to traditionally cumbersome tasks (such as carrying manuals and technical documents around) Standardized on a unique hardware and software platform to reduce support and upgrade costs Structured the process in phases, pilot and general deployment, to both assess feasibility and obtain feedback before mass implementation Other (not mentioned in the case): Training users (pilots) in the skills required to operate and become productive with the new hardware and applications, if they did not have them already Ensure that project analysts and support personnel had the skills required to carry on a project of this magnitude

CASE- 3: JET AIRWAYS TAKES OFF WITH CITRIX

1. What problem does Jet Airways hope that Citrix technologies will solve? Jet Airways was set up in 1993 after the central government opened civil aviation to private investment. By 2005, Jet Airways had been listed on Indias main stock exchanges and had obtained permission to operate international flights. The company lacked in its Information System, they had installed various packages over the years. The systems werent able to interact with one another or with finance and inventory systems. This inefficiency costs a lot to Jet airways in terms of time, money and efforts which could be utilized on maintaining its planes. Jet Airways took the help of Citrix Systems, which is considered to be renowned in airline industry for its software package that provides integrated, intelligent aviation MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) software to improve productivity. Jet Airways was interested in the following benefits by the installation of the software soas to solve its problems, they are: Enhanced and faster delivery of business-critical applications to local and international users Timelier decision making Increased operational efficiencies Superior service levels Lower IT administration costs

2. How does Critix Systems improve operational efficiencies and decision-making? Jet Airways got to deliver another critical airline operational application called Load Manager with Citrix Presentation Server. This generated Load sheet that helped in timely take-off of the flight. The application of Load Manager will also enable quick availability of reports from the system. The sales and marketing team uses the BWsystem as needed. Data entry operators at different locations frequently use therevenue management system. Middle- and even lower-management staff regularly access finance and budget applications. All users connect using the Web Interface functionality of Presentation Server. This is important as any delay in reports would lead to a flight delay and affect operational efficiencies and passenger satisfaction. 3. Give examples of three decisions supported by the Citrix system. What information does the system provide to support each of these decisions? Jet Airways partnered with Mumbai-based on track Solutions, a Silver Citrix Solution Advisor, to implement the latest version of Citrix Presentation Server software with Microsoft Windows Server 2003 running on three two-CPU Intel servers this system provided Jet Airways to support some of its important decisions. Delays in accessing applications, which hampered decision-making processes and many other aspects of business operations. Troubleshooting problems at different locations was time-consuming and expensive due to the deployment of many IT resources. Timely take-off of the flight.

MIS IN ACTION 1. How could an airline benefit from implementing these modules? The Citrix Presentation Server provides a wide range of benefits by its software to the airlines. It helps in reducing the total manpower required and in turn helps in reducing cost. The system helps in timely departure and landing of the flights without anyinconvenience. Citrix System also provides centralization centralized applicationmanagement capability; IT resources have now been streamlined greatly.

2. Give an example of a decision that each of these modules support.

NetScaler XML

API1.The XML API provides a framework for buildingcustom interfaces for configuring & monitori ng aCNAS2.The API supports custom applications built within C,C#, Java and Perl3.Relies upon Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) to communicate over HTTP with the CNAS4.Corresponds closely to the NetScaler CLI syntax Client IP Extraction Module - ISAPI - for use with NetScaler

NetScaler connection management is implemented by cascading or multiplexingclient connections over persistent connections maintained between NetScaler and Web servers. Web servers see a Netscaler Mapped IP address as the source of the connection, and not the actual Client's address. But there are some situations where customers may wish to use the actual Client IP.The following are some examples. 1. Client IP in Web Access Log Client IP addresses in the Web Access Log may be used for usage analysis or billing purposes. 2. Client IP accessed by an application or a script (CGI) Web based applications may use the client IP to influence ad selection. For example, the client IP may be used to determine the country of origin of the client, or the originating ISP of the client. 3. Filtering/Authentication Web servers allow filtering based on the clients host name or IP address. For example, the Apache server allows filtering based on H ostnameLookups. Thedirectives allow from domain or deny from domain result in a double reverse DNS lookup based upon the client IP (a reverse, followed by a forward to make sure that the reverse is not being spoofed).