Chapter 11

1. Systems Analysis & Design7th Edition Chapter 11 System Operation & Support

2. Phase Description • Systems Operation, Support, and Security is the final phase in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) • You will be supporting a functioning information system • You continuously will access and improve the system, and you will be alert to any signs of obsolescence • You will also address multi-level security issues

3. Chapter Objectives • Explain how the systems operation, support, and security phase relates to the overall system development process • Describe user support activities, including user training and help desks • Discuss the four main types of system maintenance

4. Chapter Objectives • Explain various techniques for managing systems operation and support • Describe techniques for measuring, managing, and planning system performance • Assess system security at five levels: physical security, network security, application security, file security, and user security

5. Chapter Objectives • Describe backup and disaster recovery policies and methods • List factors indicating that a system has reached the end of its useful life • Assess future challenges for IT professionals as technology reshapes the workplace

6. Introduction • Now that the system is operational, the IT staff members must assure that it meets user expectations, supports business objectives, and is secure • More than half of all IT department effort goes into supporting existing systems and making them more valuable to users

7. Overview of Systems Support and Maintenance • The systems operation, support, and security begins when a system becomes operational and continues until the system reaches the end of its useful life • After delivering the system, the analyst has two other important tasks: he or she must support users and provide necessary maintenance to keep the system operating properly

8. User Support Activities • User Training • Additionally, new employees must be trained on the company’s information systems • Training users about system changes is similar to initial training

9. User Support Activities • Help Desk • Often called an information center (IC) • Enhance productivity and improve utilization of a company’s information resources

10. User Support Activities • Help Desk • Might have to perform the following tasks: • Show a user how to create a data query or report that displays specific business information • Resolve network access or password problems • Demonstrate an advanced feature of a system or a commercial package • Help a user recover damaged data

11. User Support Activities • Online Chat Support • Interactive support also can be delivered in the form of an online chat • Blackboard provides a chat room called a Virtual Classroom, which is an online meeting-place where students can ask questions and interact with an instructor

12. Maintenance Activities • The systems operation, support and security phase is an important component of TCO (total cost of ownership) because ongoing maintenance expenses can determine the economic life of a system • Operational costs • Maintenance expenses • Maintenance activities

13. Maintenance Activities • Four types of maintenance task can be identified • Corrective maintenance • Adaptive maintenance • Perfective maintenance • Preventative maintenance

14. Maintenance Activities • Four types of maintenance task can be identified

15. Managing Systems Support • Maintenance Team • System administrator • Systems analysts • Analysis • Synthesis

16. Managing Systems Support • Maintenance Team • Programmers • Applications programmer • Systems programmer • Database programmer • Programmer/analyst

17. Managing Systems Support • Managing Maintenance Requests • Involves a number of steps • Maintenance request • Initial determination • Role of the systems review committee • Completion of the work • User notification

18. Managing Systems Support • Establishing Priorities • In many companies, systems review committee separates maintenance requests from new systems development requests • Many IT managers believe that evaluating all projects together leads to the best possible decisions • Neither approach guarantees an ideal allocation between maintenance and new systems development

19. Managing Systems Support • Configuration Management • Configuration management (CM) • As enterprise-wide information systems grow more complex, configuration management becomes critical • Most maintenance projects require documentation changes

20. Managing Systems Support • Maintenance Releases • Maintenance release methodology • A numbering pattern distinguishes the different released • Reduces the documentation burden • But new features or upgrades are available less often • Service packs

21. Managing Systems Support • Version Control • Archived • Systems librarian • Companies can purchase software such as Serena

22. Managing Systems Support • Baseline • Systems analysts use baselines as yardsticks to document features and performance during the systems development process • Functional baseline • Allocated baseline • Product baseline

23. Managing System Performance • Performance and Workload Measurement • Metrics • Response time • Bandwidth and throughput • Kbps (kilobits per second) • Mbps (megabits per second) • Gbps (gigabits per second)

24. Managing System Performance • Performance and Workload Measurement • Turnaround time • The IT department often measures response time, bandwidth, throughput, and turnaround time to evaluate system performance both before and after changes to the system or business information requirements • Management uses current performance and workload data as input for the capacity planning process

25. Managing System Performance • Capacity Planning • What-if analysis • You need detailed information about the number of transactions; the daily, weekly, or monthly transaction patterns; the number of queries; and the number, type, and size of all generated reports

26. Managing System Performance • System Maintenance Tools • Many CASE tools include system evaluation and maintenance features • In addition to CASE tools, you also can use spreadsheet and presentation software to calculate trends, perform what-if analyses, and create attractive charts and graphs to display the results

27. System Security • Physical Security • First level of security concerns the physical environment • Computer room • Computer room security • Biometric scanning systems • Motion sensor

28. System Security • Physical Security • Servers and desktop computers • Keystroke logger • Tamper-evident cases • BIOS-level password • Boot-level password • Power-on password

29. System Security • Physical Security • Notebook computers • Select an operating system that allows secure logons and BIOS-level passwords • Mark or engrave the computer’s case • Consider notebook models that have a built-in fingerprint reader • Universal Security Slot (USS) • Back up all vital data

30. System Security • Physical Security • Notebook computers • Use tracking software • While traveling, try to be alert to potential high-risk situations • Establish stringent password protection policies

31. System Security • Network Security • Network • Network interface • Encrypted • Encrypting network traffic • Unencrypted – plain text • Public key encryption (PKE)

32. System Security • Network Security • Encrypting network traffic • Public key • Private key • Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) • Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) • WPA2

33. System Security • Network Security • Private networks • Private network • Virtual private networks • Virtual private network (VPN) • Tunnel

34. System Security • Network Security • Ports and services • Port • Destination port • Service • Port scans • Denial of service (DOS) • Distributed denial of service (DDOS)

35. System Security • Network Security • Firewalls • Firewalls can be configured to detect and respond to DOS attacks, port scans, and other suspicious activity

36. System Security • Application Security • Services • Security hole • Administrator – super-user • Permissions • Input validation • Patches and updates • Patches • Third-party software • Automatic update service

37. System Security • Application Security • Patches and updates • Exploits • Patches • Third-party software • Automatic update service • File Security • Permissions • User Groups

38. System Security • User Security • Privilege escalation attack • Identity management • Password protection • Social engineering • Pretexting • User resistance

39. Backup and Disaster Recovery • Backup Options • Backup policy • Backup media • Rotation schedule • Offsiting

40. Backup and Disaster Recovery • Backup Options • Schedules • Full backup • Incremental backup • Retention periods

41. Backup and Disaster Recovery • Disaster Recovery Issues • Hot site • Data replication • Companies that require a hot site view it as a justifiable and necessary business expense, whether or not it ever is needed

42. System Obsolescence • Even with solid support, at some point every system becomes obsolete • Signs: • The system’s maintenance history indicates that adaptive and corrective maintenance is increasing steadily • Operational costs or execution times are increasing rapidly, and routine perfective maintenance does not reverse or slow the trend

43. System Obsolescence • Signs: • A software package is available that provides the same or additional services faster, better, and less expensively than the current system • New technology offers a way to perform the same or additional functions more efficiently • Maintenance changes or additions are difficult and expensive to perform

44. System Obsolescence • Signs: • Users request significant new features to support business requirements

45. Facing the Future: Challenges and Opportunities • Predictions • It is clear that companies will continue to face intense competition and global change, especially in the wake of economic, social, and political uncertainty • Although disruptions will occur, technology advances will spur business growth and productivity

46. Facing the Future: Challenges and Opportunities • Predictions • It is interesting to note that some observers, such as Bill Joy, wonder whether technology is moving so fast that humans will be left behind • What does seem clear is that the future world of IT must be envisioned, planned, and created by skilled professionals

47. Strategic Planning for IT Professionals • An IT professional should think of himself or herself as a business corporation that has certain assets, potential liabilities, and specific goals • Working backwards from your long-term goals, you can develop intermediate mile stones and begin to manage your career just as you would manage an IT project • Planning a career is not unlike planting a tree that takes several years to reach a certain height

48. IT Credentials and Certification • Credentials • Certification • Many other IT industry leaders offer certification, including Cisco, Novell, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems

49. Chapter Summary • Systems operation, security, and support covers the entire period from the implementation of an information system until the system no longer is used • A systems analyst’s primary involvement with an operational system is to manage and solve user support requests

50. Chapter Summary • Systems analysts need the same talents and abilities for maintenance work as they use when developing a new system • Configuration management is necessary to handle maintenance requests • System performance measurements include response time, bandwidth, throughput, and turnaround time • All information systems eventually become obsolete