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MD240 - Management Information Systems Sept. 13, 2005 Computing Hardware – Moore's Law, Hardware Markets, and Computing Evolution. Topics Covered. Components of an Information System Moore’s Law Implications for Managers Challenges to Moore’s Law & potential solutions to those challenges
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MD240 -Management Information SystemsSept. 13, 2005Computing Hardware – Moore's Law, Hardware Markets, and Computing Evolution
Topics Covered • Components of an Information System • Moore’s Law • Implications for Managers • Challenges to Moore’s Law & potential solutions to those challenges • The Evolution of Computing Hardware • SuperComputing, Grid Computing, Clustering • Business uses, pros & cons • eWaste, the dark side of Moore’s law • Reality of today’s solutions
5 Components of an IS Data Hardware People Information Systems Software Procedures
Types of Computers(the distinction is blurring) • Personal / Microcomputers • single-user, usually single processor, compact • desktop, laptop, palmtop, PDA, game machine, specialized • Mid-range Systems (Servers) • may have more than one microprocessor, typically multi-user & focused on a functional area or task (marketing, plant management, web server). • Vintage midranges (proprietary OS): IBM AS/400, DEC VAX • Servers (UNIX/Win): Intel-based, Dell, HP, IBM, Sun
Types of Computers (cont.) • Mainframes (IBM) • large, expensive computer, supports multiple user groups, terminals, run several applications at once. • costly: support staff, air conditioning, software • secure: centralized programs & data are relatively easy to backup, maintain, upgrade, and monitor • Super Computers (NEC, IBM, Hitachi, HP, Intel, Cray) • massively parallel and/or clustered • used to solve problems requiring long, difficult calculations (e.g.airline scheduling, advanced modeling - biotech, weather, risk management) • evolution to grid computing…