IS 101 - Chapter 4.pdf

Software: Systems and Application Software IS 101: Fundamentals of Information System JORDYLENE G. SAGUSAY Faculty, Department of Information System College of Computing and Information Sciences Learning Objectives ◦ Understand the functions of two basic kinds of software; including the applica...

Software: Systems and Application Software IS 101: Fundamentals of Information System JORDYLENE G. SAGUSAY Faculty, Department of Information System College of Computing and Information Sciences Learning Objectives ◦ Understand the functions of two basic kinds of software; including the application software that can support, personal, workgroup and enterprise business objectives. Summarize the basic approaches to developing software and outline the evolution and importance of programming languages. IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Why Learn About Software? Software is indispensable for any computer system and the people using it Systems software ◦ Input data from a keyboard, make calculations, print results, etc. Applications software ◦ Key to helping you achieve your career goals and enrich your life ◦ Stock trading, scientific, accounting, tax, gaming, etc. IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 3 An Overview of Software Computer programs ◦ Sequences of instructions for the computer Documentation ◦ Describes program functions IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 4 Systems Software Set of programs that coordinates the activities and functions of hardware and programs Computer system platform ◦ Combination of a hardware configuration and systems software IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 5 Application Software Helps users solve particular problems In most cases, resides on the computer’s hard disk Can be stored on CDs, DVDs, and flash or keychain storage devices IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 6 Supporting Individual, Group, and Organizational Goals Sphere of influence ◦ Scope of problems and opportunities addressed by a particular organization Personal sphere of influence ◦ Serve the needs of an individual user Personal productivity software ◦ Help users improve their personal effectiveness Workgroup ◦ When two or more people work together to achieve a common goal IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 7 Supporting Individual, Group, and Organizational Goals (continued) Workgroup sphere of influence ◦ Helps workgroup attain its common goals Enterprise sphere of influence ◦ Support the firm in its interaction with its environment IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 8 Supporting Individual, Group, and Organizational Goals (continued) 9 Systems Software Systems software ◦ Controls operations of computer hardware ◦ Supports application programs’ problem-solving capabilities Types of systems software ◦ Operating systems ◦ Utility programs ◦ Middleware IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 10 Operating Systems Set of programs that controls computer hardware and acts as an interface with application programs Kernel ◦ Ties all components of the OS together and regulates other programs IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 11 Operating Systems (continued) Combinations of OSs, computers, and users ◦ Single computer with a single user ◦ Single computer with multiple users ◦ Multiple computers ◦ Special-purpose computers IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 12 Operating Systems (continued) Activities performed by the operating system ◦ Perform common computer hardware functions ◦ Provide a user interface and input/output management ◦ Provide a degree of hardware independence ◦ Manage system memory IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 13 Operating Systems (continued) Activities performed by the operating system ◦ Manage processing tasks ◦ Provide networking capability ◦ Control access to system resources ◦ Manage files IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 14 Operating Systems (continued) 15 Operating Systems (continued) Common hardware functions ◦ Get input from keyboard or some other input device ◦ Retrieve data from disks ◦ Store data on disks ◦ Display information on a monitor or printer IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 16 Operating Systems (continued) User interface and input/output management ◦ User interface ◦ Allows individuals to access and command the computer system ◦ Command-based user interface ◦ Requires that text commands be given to the computer to perform basic activities ◦ Graphical user interface (GUI) ◦ Uses icons and menus displayed on screen to send commands to the computer system IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 17 Operating Systems (continued) Hardware independence ◦ Application program interface (API) ◦ Allows applications to make use of the operating system Memory management ◦ Allows computer to execute program instructions effectively and to speed processing IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 18 Operating Systems (continued) 19 Operating Systems (continued) Processing tasks ◦ Multitasking ◦ More than one program can run at the same time ◦ Time-sharing ◦ Allows more than one person to use a computer system at the same time ◦ Scalability ◦ Ability of the computer to handle an increasing number of concurrent users smoothly IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 20 Operating Systems (continued) Networking capability ◦ Allows computers in a network to send and receive data and share computing resources Access to system resources and security ◦ Protection against unauthorized access ◦ Logins and passwords File management ◦ Ensures that files in secondary storage are available when needed and that they are protected from access by unauthorized users IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 21 Current Operating Systems Microsoft PC operating systems Apple Computer Operating Systems Linux IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 22 Current Operating Systems (continued) 23 Workgroup Operating Systems Windows Server UNIX NetWare Red Hat Linux Mac OS X Server IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 24 Enterprise Operating Systems z/OS ◦ IBM’s first 64-bit enterprise OS HP-UX and Linux ◦ HP-UX: robust UNIX-based OS from Hewlett-Packard IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 25 Operating Systems for Small Computers, Embedded Computers, and Special-Purpose Devices Palm OS Windows Embedded Windows Mobile IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 26 Utility Programs Hardware utilities Security Utilities File-compression utilities Spam and pop-up blocker utilities IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 27 Utility Programs (continued) Network and Internet utilities Server and mainframe utilities Other utilities ◦ Manages and protects corporate documents ◦ Helps people with visual disabilities use the Internet ◦ Monitors employees ◦ Searches for files and documents IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 28 Utility Programs (continued) 29 Middleware Software that allows different systems to communicate and exchange data Can also be used as an interface between the Internet and older legacy systems Service-oriented architecture (SOA) ◦ Uses modular application services to allow users to interact with systems, and systems to interact with each other IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 30 Application Software Application programs ◦ Interact with systems software ◦ Help you perform common tasks, such as: ◦ Creating and formatting text documents ◦ Performing calculations ◦ Managing information IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 31 Overview of Application Software Proprietary software ◦ One-of-a-kind program for a specific application, usually developed and owned by a single company Off-the-shelf software ◦ Existing software program that is purchased Application service provider (ASP) ◦ Company that can provide software, support, and computer hardware on which to run the software from the user’s facilities over a network IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 32 Overview of Application Software (continued) 33 Overview of Application Software IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 34 Personal Application Software Word processing Spreadsheet analysis Database applications Graphics program Personal information managers Software suites and integrated software packages Other personal application software IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 35 Workgroup Application Software Support teamwork, whether people are in the same location or dispersed around the world Groupware ◦ Software that helps groups of people work together more efficiently and effectively IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 36 Enterprise Application Software Software that benefits an entire organization Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software ◦ Set of integrated programs that manage a company’s vital business operations for an entire multisite, global organization IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 37 Application Software for Information, Decision Support, and Specialized Purposes Available in every industry ◦ Specialized application software for information, decision support, and other purposes IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 38 Programming Languages Sets of keywords, symbols, and a system of rules for constructing statements ◦ By which humans can communicate instructions to be executed by a computer Program code ◦ Set of instructions that signal the CPU to perform circuit- switching operations Syntax ◦ Set of rules associated with a programming language IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 39 The Evolution of Programming Languages Visual, object-oriented, and artificial intelligence languages ◦ Easier for nonprogrammers to use than older generation languages Visual languages ◦ Use a graphical or visual interface for program development Compiler ◦ Software program that converts programmer’s source code into machine-language instructions IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 40 The Evolution of Programming Languages (continued) 41 The Evolution of Programming Languages (continued) 42 Software Issues and Trends Software bugs ◦ Defect in program that keeps it from performing as it should Tips for reducing impact of software bugs ◦ Register all software ◦ Check read-me files for work-arounds ◦ Access support area of the manufacturer’s Web site for patches ◦ Install latest software updates IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 43 Copyrights and Licenses Most software products are protected by law using copyright or licensing provisions ◦ In some cases, you are given unlimited use of software on one or two computers ◦ In other cases, you pay for your usage - if you use the software more, you pay more Some software now requires that you register or activate it before it can be fully used IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 44 Open-Source Software Software freely available to anyone in a form that can be easily modified More reliable and secure than commercial software Can contain hidden costs, particularly for user support or solving problems with the software IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 45 Open-Source Software (continued) 46 Shareware, Freeware, and Public Domain Software Shareware and freeware ◦ Software that is very inexpensive or free, but whose source code cannot be modified Public domain software ◦ Not protected by copyright laws and can be freely copied and used IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 47 Software Upgrades Software companies revise their programs and sell new versions periodically Revised software may or may not offer any major additional capabilities Revised software can contain bugs or errors Software upgrades usually cost much less than the original purchase price IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 48 Global Software Support Vendors face the challenge of providing adequate support for their software customers in all locations of the world Trend ◦ Outsourcing global support to one or more third-party distributors IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 49 Summary Main categories of software ◦ Systems software and application software Operating system (OS) ◦ Set of computer programs that controls the computer hardware to support users’ computing needs Three approaches to developing application software ◦ Build proprietary application software ◦ Buy existing programs off the shelf ◦ Use a combination of customized and off-the-shelf application software IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 50 Summary (continued) Application service provider (ASP) ◦ Can provide software, support, and computer hardware on which to run the software from the user’s facilities over a network Important software issues and trends ◦ Software bugs, software licensing and copyrighting ◦ Open-source software, shareware and freeware ◦ Multiorganizational software development ◦ Software upgrades and global software support IS 101 – Fundamentals of Information Systems Principles of Information Systems, Ninth Edition 51