Open Systems - 1996b Exam Paper

THAMES VALLEY UNIVERSITY
School of Technology & Information Systems
Module Assessment for Bachelor of Science in Information Systems
South East Asia Programme
Accredited Degree Programme
Level-3 Module

SYS 3040: Open Systems
Time allowed: Three hours

Instruction to candidates:
Answer any FOUR questions out of SIX.

Provide a justification for the following sweeping statements:

"Scalability has already been achieved and portability is becoming less of a problem. Inter-operability may be less critical as Unix is rationalised.

Perhaps one of the most important development in Open Systems is the trend to re-usability as provided by advances in standards in object-broking.

Total: 25 marks

Downsizing now often means that an organisation implements a number of LAN segments on sites connected by remote bridges or gateways, with PC-like user stations and more powerful servers offering local or distributed services.

A recent UK survey reported that a large percentage of enterprises surveyed indicated they were not happy with distributed databases and were considering a return to a centralised database.

It is also true that LAN users are becoming IT-wise and that there is increasingly more use of peer-to-peer applications. These together are causing considerable pressure on network controllers to increase LAN transmission rates.

In this context, what do you consider is meant by:.

i. 'IT-wise'
ii. 'peer-to-peer applications'

(15 marks)

Provide a brief summary of some of the measures that might be considered to achieve higher LAN data rates.

(10 marks)
Total: 25 marks

The Internet provides a valuable toolkit in support of open systems in its widest sense, in particular by allowing a user to obtain information and download software.

The Telnet procedure allows access to a remote processor, perhaps belonging to an Information Provider who offers access to services and acts as a Point of Presence to the Internet.

A number of search engines have been developed to assist user in locating sources of information and FTP can assist in retrieving data once located.

Modern e-mail packages are being developed to support the transfer of many different forms of data as attachments which can then be accessed via a viewer.

Discuss the above with particular reference to the highlighted terms and show how and why standards must be applied both in obtaining open access to information and services and in transferring data providers and between individual users.

Total: 25 marks

The job of building a new system has tended to be as much a matter of providing inter-operability with existing systems as that of providing new or extended functionality.

Explain the role of the system integrator in system development and explain the significance of modern tools both in analysis and in design/implementation.

Total: 25 marks

The term Client-Server is perhaps one of the most over-used and least understood concepts to come out of current systems jargon.

a.	Provide an explanation of what you consider to be the meaning of the term with examples of its use in different situations. (15 marks)
b.	Explain its significance with respect to Windows software and conformance to OLE-COM. (10 marks)

Total: 25 marks

Open Systems can be described as 'an overall approach to the development and implementation of IT to provide support for business re-organisation, which relies heavily on conformance to standards and providing for re-use where possible.

Discuss the business pressures that cause enterprises to re-examine their structure and underpinning IT and review some of the advantages that should be gained from an adoption of Open System thinking.

Total: 25 marks