Information System Networks

Why do information systems need networks?

Remote access: Users with a PC or terminal at one location need to use computer hardware or software at another Information sharing: User may need to share information via email, common database access, and general documents
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Information System Networks (contd)

Why do information systems need
networks? (contd) Resource sharing: Users share expensive computer resources like printers Interorganizational communication: Computers in different businesses may need to communicate with each other (e.g., EDI, EFT, etc.)
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Communications Hardware
Communications Channel Communications Devices

Chapter 6. Information System Networks

Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel characteristics

A channel is the link over which data is transmitted in data communications Data is transmitted as groups of bits Method of transmission determines 4 characteristics: signal type, data rate, data flow, and data transmission method
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Channel characteristics (contd)

Signal type Digital transmits bits as high and low pulses High pulse = 1 and low pulse = 0 Analog - Transmits data as a continuously changing wave form
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Channel characteristics (contd)

Signal type (contd) Some channels can only send digital or analog signals Computers use digital Telephones use analog Data over telephone lines is converted
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Channel characteristics (contd)

Data rate How fast data is sent over a channel Bandwidth is another term Measured in bits per second (bps) Baud rate is times per second the pulse changes from high to low
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Channel
characteristics (contd) Data flow

Chapter 6. Information System Networks

Communications Hardware (contd)

Channel characteristics (contd)

Transmission methods Asynchronous Synchronous

Chapter 6. Information System Networks

Communications Hardware (contd)

Channel characteristics (contd)

Transmission methods (contd)

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media

Wire cables Fiber-optic cables Microwave systems Wireless systems

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media (contd)

Wire cables Oldest media, used since the 1800s Twisted pair is 2 wires twisted together Also used for telephone lines Inexpensive Slow data transmission rate
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media (contd)

Wire cables (contd) Coaxial cable Heavily insulated copper wire Also used for cable television More expensive Faster data transmission rate
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media (contd)

Fiber-optic cables Bundles of glass or plastic wires Each fiber is 1/2000 inch thick Data is transmitted by laser light pulses Each pulse is a bit Very fast (one billion bps)
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media (contd)

Fiber-optic cables (contd) Computer signals are already digital For voice, a codec is needed because is voice is analog and must be converted

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media (contd)

Microwave systems Special types of radio signals Must be sent line-of-sight Can transmit both voice and data Analog or digital form Very expensive, but fast and no cables
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communication
s channel media (contd) Microwave systems (contd)

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel media (contd)

Wireless systems Microwave is good for long distances For short distances: Radio,similar to cordless telephones Infrared, similar to TV remotes Used for wireless LANs
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel sources

Private Any organization can buy equipment Common for small geographic areas Not practical for long distance

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel sources (contd)

Public Main system is telephone network Owned by common carriers Local companies do short distances Others handle long distances Some governments own services
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1 2

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications channel sources (contd)

ISDN Integrated Services Digital Network Telephone signals are digital Voice and data can be sent over the same line at the same time Faster, but more expensive
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Communications Hardware (contd) Using Digital Telephone Lines Common Digital Services
The most commonly used digital telephone services are:
ISDN, T1, and T3 (128 kbps, 1.54 Mbps, 44.73 Mbps) DSL (Digital Subscriber Line-51.84 Mbps) ATM (Asynchronous transfer mode - up to 10,000 Mbps) Cable Modem (27 Mbps)

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices
Channel Interface Devices Modems

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices (contd)

Modems (contd) Determine data rate, data flow, and transmission method Modems on both ends must match characteristics Can be internal or external (Figure 6.9)
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices (contd)

ISDN terminal adapters Needed to connect computers to ISDN Adjusts the form of the signal Adapters are needed at both ends of the channel Faster than modems, telephone lines

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices (contd)

Communications control units Allows several computer devices to share a channel, controls traffic
Multiplexers Controller Front-end processor

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications
devices (contd) Communications control units (contd) INSERT Figure 6.10

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices (contd)

Protocol converters When computers communicate they follow protocols (ASCII, EBCDIC) Protocol converters allow incompatible computers to communicate
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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices (contd)

Data encryption devices Used to secure date for transmission Scrambles data A key is requires to decode the data at the destination

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Communications Hardware (contd)

Communications devices (contd)

LAN Adapters (NIC) Connects a computer to a LAN and allows the computer to send and receive data over the network The adapter plugs into the computers circuit board LAN channel plugs into the adapter
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COMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE
Needed in addition to hardware Receives data from communication
devices and passes data to programs for processing Gets results of processing and sends the results to communications devices for transmission over the channel

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Communications Software (contd)

PC communications software
Terminal emulation Makes the computer act like many types of terminals Some computers expect a terminal, not a PC Makes the computer on the other end think it is talking to a terminal
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Communications Software (contd)

PC communications software
File transfer Uses a protocol (FTP) Upload - transfer data from a PC to a remote computer Download - transfer data from a remote computer to a PC
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Communications Software (contd)

Multi-user computer communications
software Called a telecommunications monitor Allows mini and mainframe computers to communication with many terminals Routes data between computer and the terminals May do protocol conversion
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Communications Software (contd)

Network communications software
On a server, this is called a network operating system or NOS On clients, the software allows the computer to send a receive data through the LAN adapter WANs use telecommunications monitors to optimize speed & talk to PCs/terminals
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Remote Access
Terminal communications

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Remote Access (contd)

PC communications

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Remote Access (contd)

PC communications (cont'd)
Information utilities Compuserve, AOL, Prodigy, MSN Store data of interest to many people Provide Internet access Internet service providers (ISP) also offer Internet access only
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Network Organization

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Network Organization (contd)

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Local Area Networks

Located in a single building or in several
nearby buildings Usually organized as bus or ring networks Use coaxial, twisted-pair, or fiber-optics Local bus networks are called Ethernets, developed by Xerox Ring networks are usually token ring, developed by IBM
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Local Area Networks (contd)

LANs may contain several types of servers
Print: allows computers on the LAN to use a common printer File: allows computers on the LAN to share files Database allows computers on the LAN to use a common database Users can use any of the resources
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Local Area Networks (contd)

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Local Area Networks (contd)

Client-server computing

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Local Area Networks (contd)

Client-server computing (contd)
Used extensively in business, and is replacing some multiple user computers Advantages: Shared server does only database management Relatively easy to add capabilities and more users
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Wide Area Networks

Cover large geographic areas
(international) Metropolitan area networks (MAN) cover single cities Usually organized as hybrid networks Use many channel media A single channel may be a combination of media Used by businesses with distant locations
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Wide Area Networks (contd)

Provide long distance remote access Allow resources to be easily shared May be used for long distance email Make global connectivity a reality for
businesses May use the Internet if properly secured

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Internetworks
Many different networks connected A bridge connects two similar networks A gateway connects two different networks A router sends messages through
networks Can be international Can be interorganizational
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Internetworks (contd)
The Internet
An international collection of interconnected networks Grew out of military, academic, and research networks Now global, with millions of computers and users
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Internetworks (contd)
The Internet (contd)
Part of the information superhighway, a concept for allowing any computer to be connected to any network Backbones are high speed channels that transmit data between networks, using routers to get data to the correct location
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Internetworks (contd)
The Internet (contd)
Uses 2 universal protocols to allow any computer to talk to any other computer Transmission control protocol (TCP) Internet protocol (IP) World Wide Web (WWW) is a hypertext system that links information together for easy access
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Internetworks (contd)
The Internet (contd)
Pages on the WWW are stored on web servers A web browser can view pages The Internet is increasingly used for electronic commerce Also, email, telnet, FTP, Gopher, Usenet or Newsnet or newsgroups
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Internetworks (contd)
Intranets

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Internetworks (contd)
Intranets (contd)
Extranets are used by business for electronic commerce, using codes and passwords Network computers are PCs with limited capabilities for intra- and Internet access

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