PART A - QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

1. What is Data? Data are a collection of: a. Facts b. Measurements c. Statistics

2. Compare information & data. Data consists of facts and figures that are relatively meaningless to the user. (e.g., number of hours worked by an employee) Information is processed data or meaningful data. (e.g., multiplying the hours worked by the hourly rate to get each employees gross earnings).

3. Explain the concept of system. A system may be defined as a set of elements which are joined together to achieve a common objective. The set of elements for a system may be understood as Input, Process and output. A system has one or more multiple inputs; these inputs are processed through a transformation process to convert these inputs into outputs.

INPUT

PROCESSING

OUTPUT

FEEDBACK/CONTROL

4. Information Technology

Information technology is the use of computers and software to manage information. IT consists of hardware, software, telecommunications, database management and other information processing technologies used in computer based information system.

5. Artificial Intelligence.

AI is an application that enables the computer system to perform some of the same logical reasoning tasks as humans.

The ability of a computer or other machine to perform those activities that are normally thought to require intelligence.

6. What is an Information System? Information system is an integrated set of components for collecting, storing, processing, and communicating information. Business firms, other organizations, and individuals rely on information systems to manage their operations, compete in the marketplace, supply services, and augment personal lives.

7. What are the different kinds of Information System based on hierarchy? Information systems support different types of decisions at different levels of the organizational hierarchy. Major types of Information systems are:

Transaction Processing Systems (TPS) Management Information Systems (MIS) Decision Support Systems (DSS) Executive Support Systems (ESS) Office Automation system (OAS) Business Expert System (BES)

Relation of information systems to levels of organization 8. List out the role of System analyst. Systems analysts act as the principal liaison between the information systems groups and the rest of the organization. It is the systems analyst's job to translate business problems and requirements into information requirements and systems. The System analyst has various tasks to perform.

Communication: The Analyst should examine the communication structure in the organization and where necessary set up formal structures to ensure that users have information about the system as it develops.

Education: At all stages of the project, the analyst should concentrate on educating individuals at all levels.

Participation: Both formal and informal structures should be used to allow people to contribute ideas on the old systems and new systems.

Training: Training sessions should be used to impart skills and to build up user confidence.

Job design: In designing new jobs, major aim should be to retain the satisfactory ones of the old job and to remove the unsatisfactory ones.

9. Define MIS. According to G.B.Davis, Management Information System is defined as an integrated man/machine system for providing information to support the operations, management and decision making functions in an organization.
10. What are the characteristics of MIS?

The main characteristics of MIS are:

MIS is comprehensive in nature. MIS is centrally coordinated to ensure that its data processing, office automation, decision support system are developed and operated in a planned and coordinated way.

MIS is rationally integrated. MIS transforms data into information. MIS enhances productivity in several ways. MIS should provide relevant information. It should provide feedback about its own efficiency and effectiveness.

It must be designed to be easily modified.

11. List out the functions of MIS. The MIS must perform the following functions in order to meet its objectives. Data Capturing Processing of data Storage of information Retrieval of information Dissemination of management information

12. List out the basic requirements of MIS. The basic requirements of a computer based MIS are:

Hardware: It refers to Physical computer and other associated devices. Software: It means the instructions or programs that direct the operation of hardware.

Database: The database contains all data utilized by the application software. Operations Personnel: It includes Computer Operators , system analysts, Programmers etc.,

Procedures. UNIT II

13. What is SDLC? SDLC stands for Software Development Life Cycle. SDLC is the process of developing information systems through investigation, analysis, design, implementation and maintenance. SDLC is also known as information systems development or application development. SDLC is a systems approach to problem solving. 14. List out the various stages of SDLC. 1. Preliminary Investigation 2. Feasibility Study 3. Analysis 4. Design 5. Coding 6. Testing 7. Maintenance & Review.

15. Define system analysis. System analysis is a process of collecting and interpreting facts, identifying problems and using the information to recommend improvements in the system.

16. List out the strategies/tools for requirement determination. Interview Questionnaire Record review Observation

17. List out the various Software life cycle models. Waterfall life cycle model. Incremental Life cycle model.

Spiral Life cycle model. WIN WIN spiral model. Object oriented model.

18. DFD Data Flow Diagram (DFD) is a graphical representation of the logical flow of data. It helps in expressing the systems requirements in a simple and understandable form. It is also known as bubble chart.

19. What are the various symbols used in DFD? There are four main symbols used in DFD. Square: It represents Source/ destination of system data.

Circle/Bubble: It represents process that transforms incoming data into outgoing data flow.

Arrow: It is a pipeline through which data flows.

Open rectangle: it represents data store.

20. What do you mean by ER?

An entity-relationship (ER) diagram is a specialized graphic that illustrates the interrelationships between entities in a database.

21. What are the various symbols used in ER? ER diagrams often use symbols to represent three different types of information.

Boxes are commonly used to represent entities. Diamonds are normally used to represent relationships and Eclipse or ovals are used to represent attributes.

22. DBMS. Database Management System (DBMS) is a set of computer programs that controls and allows the creation, maintenance, storage, modification and extraction of information from a database by the end users. It consists of collection of interrelated data and a set of programs to access the data.

23. RDBMS. In Relational Database Management System (RDBMS), data is organized into tables called relations, each of which is implemented as a file.

24. What do you mean by Tuple and attribute in a relation. In relational terminology, a row in a relation is called a tuple and it represents a record or an entity. A column in a relation represents field or an attribute.

25. What is system design? System design starts after the system analysis phase is over. The output of system analysis becomes an input in the design phase. Data requirements are worked out on the basis of user requirement estimates.

26. List out the various feasibility study. The feasibility of a proposed system can be assessed in terms of: Organizational Feasibility Economic Feasibility Technical Feasibility Operational Feasibility

27. What are the objectives of system design? A system is designed with the following objectives:
o

Practicality: The system should be designed in such a way that it may be learnt and operated with ease by the users.

o o o

Flexibility: A system must be responsive to the change. Efficiency: A system should perform jobs within their specified time. Security: This relates to detection and prevention of fraud and abuse of data.

UNIT III

28. Differentiate between MIS and DSS

S.NO. MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM 1. 2. Information form of a MIS is periodic. Information form of DSS is interactive. information formats are adhoc, DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

Information formats are pre-specified DSS and fixed.

flexible and adaptable. information about the It provides information to confront specific problems or opportunities. supports the semi-structured and

3.

It

provides

performance of the organization. 4.

It supports structured decisions for It control.

operational and tactical planning and unstructured decisions for technical and strategic planning and control.

5.

It provides indirect support to many It provides direct support tailored to the managers. decision managers. making styles of individual

29. Differentiate between DSS and EIS S.NO. EXECUTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEM 1. It directly supports the value added work It provides information, models or tools for in the organization. 2. It provides tools, information decision making. or It provides tools for analyzing data and building models and help in analyzing the alternatives. 3. Features are:(i) User friendly interface Features are: (i) user controlled interaction (ii) user friendly methods of analyzing with computers (ii) use of models and data. data. DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM

structured methods for making decisions.

30. Define EIS.

Executive Information System (EIS) are management information systems which are designed to meet the strategic information needs of top management. They provide selected and summarized information for senior executives.

31. Where are Expert Systems used? Expert systems are designed and created to facilitate tasks in the fields of

Accounting Medicine Process control Financial service Production Human resources etc.

32. What is KM?

Knowledge Management (KM) is a process that helps organizations identify, select, organize, disseminate, and transfer important information and expertise that are part of the organizations memory.

33. What is GIS? Geographic information system (GIS) is a special category of DSS that integrate computer graphics and geographic databases with other DSS features. A GIS combines different pieces or layers of information so that more knowledge is gained about a particular location.

34. What are the benefits of GIS? GIS can be used when natural disasters occur. GIS helps banks in the identification of suitable locations for installing new branches or ATM terminals.

GIS can be used to support decisions that require knowledge about the geographic distribution of people or other resources in scientific research. UNIT IV

35. Software Testing Software Testing is a set of activities conducted with the intent of finding errors in software. It is the process of verifying that a program functions properly. 36. Concurrency control Concurrency control provides rules, methods, and design methodologies to maintain the consistency of modules operating concurrently while interacting, and thus the consistency of the whole system. 37. List out the parameters that define software Engineering quality. Software quality measures how well software is designed and how well the software conforms to that design. Some of the parameters measure software quality are : Scalability Correctness Completeness Absence of bugs Fault-tolerance

38. Error detection

Error handling refers to the anticipation, detection, and resolution of programming, application, and communications errors. Specialized programs, called error handlers, are available for some applications.

UNIT V 1. What is pervasive computing? Pervasive computing can be defined as access to information and software applications anytime and anywhere. This form of computing is highly dynamic and disaggregated. Pervasive computing aims at availability and invisibility.

2. What is SCM? Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by end customers .Supply Chain Management spans all movement and storage of raw materials , work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption (supply chain).

3. Data warehousing. Data warehousing is defined as a process of centralized data management and retrieval. Data warehousing represents an ideal vision of maintaining a central repository of all organizational data. Centralization of data is needed to maximize user access and analysis.

4. Data Mining. Data mining is the process of extracting patterns from data. Data mining is becoming an increasingly important tool to transform this data into information. It is commonly used in a wide range of profiling practices, such as marketing, surveillance, fraud detection and scientific discovery.

5. What is CMM? CMM (Capability Maturity Model) is a model of process maturity for software development - an evolutionary model of the progress of a companys abilities to develop software.

6. List out the CMM models.

7. e-governance

It is the use of a range of modern Information and Communication Technologies such as Internet, Local Area Networks, mobiles etc. by Government to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, service delivery and to promote democracy.