Ch. 6 - Telecommunications Network Alternatives

Last Thursday, we learned about telecommunications networks and alternatives. A telecommunications network is any arrangement where a sender transmits a message to a receiver over a channel consisting of some sort of medium. There are five different types of communications networks: WAN, P2P, Client/Server, LAN and VPN. It was really interesting to learn more about Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Networks, because I know these types of networks are extremely popular in file-sharing and music-sharing, especially. For example, Napster used P2P file-sharing software with central server architecture. Their software connected each user's PC to a central server that contained a directory of all the other users in the network. When one user requested a file, the server would search the directory for any other users who had that file and were online. The advantages of central server P2P networks is that they can better protect the integrity and security of the content and users of the network; however, the directory is slower and can be overwhelmed by too many users or technical problems.

We also learned about three different types of telecommunications media: twisted-pair wire, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable. Twisted-pair wire is cheap and robust, but extremely slow. Coaxial cable is faster and has greater bandwith, but also has a thick coating that makes it difficult to move or manipulate. The winner is fiber-optic cable, which is very fast and does not lose or corrupt data; however, it is expensive and prone to damage.

We learned a lot more information about wireless technologies, telecommunications processors and software, network architecture and protocols, and bandwith and switching alternatives. I won't go into detail about these in this post, but this section definitely had a lot more information to learn than the last section. But I am finding this chapter easier to understand than the last unit, although it is still challenging because it's very technical.

Ch. 6 - The Networked Enterprise

Last Tuesday, we begn learning about telecommunications and networks. Our first case was pretty interesting, as it focused on the availability of Wi-Fi in coffee shops such as Starbucks and fast food places such as McDonalds. Starbucks in particular is offering time-limited free Wi-Fi to customers who have a Starbucks card. Personally, I don't think this is enough of an incentive for customers to purchase a Starbucks card, because if I wanted free Wi-Fi, I would just go to the library or another place offering the Internet connection, like McDonalds. But then again, I don't hang out in coffee shops too often. Over the last few years, Wi-Fi has become so plentiful that it is almost taken for granted. It kind of makes me sad to think that most, if not all, of the cybercafes have probably been shut down because there is no need for them anymore, but I guess technology is just advancing and it's inevitable that some businesses will be lost in the process.

We also learned about the difference between Internet, intranets and extranets. The Internet is the world-wide network of computers accessible to anyone who knows their IP address. An Intranet is a network that is not available to the world outside of the intranet. For example, I work at the Registrar's Office at the Law School across campus, and I guess an example of an Intranet would be our Outlook e-mail accounts and the shared drive with all our document templates that can only be accessed when we are logged into the Chapman University network. An Extranet is an Intranet that is partially accessible to authorized outside users. Network links can use Internet technologies to connect the intranet of one business to the intranets of another. I guess an example of an extranet would be when one company, such as Wal-Mart, gives its large suppliers access to their data network in order to allow the supplier to re-stock and deliver inventory to Wal-Mart automatically, rather than having Wal-Mart order new inventory on its own.

Exam #2 - Ch. 3, 4 & 5

Last night, we had our second midterm exam. I spent more time studying for this exam than the last one, but I still found it more difficult than the first exam. While I was studying, I realized that this unit was more difficult than last unit because we learned a lot of technical terms about hardware and software. On the exam, the questions were basic, but I struggled to remember a lot of what I studied because I realized I hadn't completely "understood" what I studied, unlike in the first exam. Instead, I focused on memorizing definitions, so when the time came to write down what I remembered, it wasn't as easy. Still, I think it went alright. I wish I had studied RAID farms more, as well as grid computing. There were also a few T/F questions that I wasn't sure of.

Last week, we also had our fist Access Demo. I have already used Access in ACTG 439, but it was really nice to go through the program slowly and review what I learned. I also learned some new things, like how fields can be Indexed or Required, and how to alter some of the properties of each field. I already worked on the homework assignment, and I found it easy and quick. I am looking forward to our next Access Demo tomorrow night!

Ch. 5 - Database Management Foundations

Tonight, we learned about file organization and file management. We learned that flat files should be avoided at all costs - these are files that are independent of other files with their own unique data file structure. For example, a customer record in marketing versus a customer record in billing may have the same information, but under different record names.

I know firsthand how frustrating this can be. A few months ago, I was working on compiling a list of a few hundred names of students, and matching these up with their ID numbers for my job at the Registrar's Office. It sounds simple enough, except I had two different spreadsheets - one with field names Last Name, First Name, and ID number, and another spreadsheet with only the field Full Name (first name then last name). My supervisor needed me to copy and paste the ID numbers from the first spreadsheet to the correct Full Name on the second spreadsheet. There were hundreds of names here, and I really didn't want to look up each name and ID number and copy and paste a hundred times, so I thought about using Access to form some relationship tables with these spreadsheets and see if it could create a compiled list for me. I'm pretty sure this can be done, but I couldn't make it work..the relationships didn't match up or something, so I did have to end up copying and pasting each ID number.

I hope that when we start learning Access next week, maybe I can learn a way to make this work, if it's possible!

Please see post below for my blog on Tuesday night's class.

Ch. 4 - System Software

On Tuesday night, we learned about operating systems - the most frequently used type of system software. The operating system has five basic functions: (1) user interface, (2) resource management, (3) task management, (4) file management, and (5) utilities, performance monitors and security monitors. Personally, I highly prefer using Windows because it is so familiar and easy to use. I haven't used Unix or Linux before, and I actually have a Mac laptop, which I installed Windows on because I found the Mac software kind of difficult to use.

We also talked about OSS (open source software), which basically makes software available to programmers to remove bugs, add new features and streamline operations. Professor Tuggle emphasized the fact that OSS has millions of programmers who produce improvements, not for the money, but out of their needs.

I'm not sure if i'm interpreting OSS correctly, but are the various applications that users create for Facebook and the iPod/iPhone examples of OSS? I know on Facebook, pretty much anyone can create a program or application that other users can download and add to their page - stuff like Top Friends, My Courses, Music Players, Bumper Stickers, Games, etc. And whenever I click to add one of these applications, I always am first re-directed to an EULA (end-user license agreement) that says Facebook is not liable for the program or content because it is created by an outside creator or something to that effect...