Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 XVIII Selecting a Computing Platform Choosing Hardware Software and Networking Equipment Criteria and Selection Process Hardware Alternatives and their Features Software Alternatives and their Features Networking Alternatives 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 1 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Computing Platforms A computing platform consists of the hardware software e g operating system compilers database management systems etc and networking configuration Key questions What platform suits best the needs of the project What criteria should be used to decide How should hardware software and networking equipment be selected Why What general principles should be kept in mind Key concern Understanding of systems hardware software and networking 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 2 Information Systems Analysis and Design Major Platform Resource Types csc340 Classes of Hardware Systems Systems There are two basic classes of hardware systems Commercial Business and Technical Engineering Hardware Software Networking Human Resources Large Small 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 3 Information Systems Analysis and Design Technical Engineering Supercomputers Workstations and Servers Microcomputers Embedded Systems 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 4 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Commercial Minicomputers Workstations and Servers 10 000 to 500 000 Proprietary hardware and software e g IBM AS 400 Compaq DEC VAX VMS or Alpha OpenVMS HP MPE iX Often black box systems Increasingly being replaced by UNIX or Windows NT based systems Multi user machines 5 000 to 500 000 Open Systems e g Sun SPARC IBM RS6000 HP UX SGI IRIX Compaq Tru64 SCO etc Often at least partially glass box systems 1999 John DiMarco csc340 Commercial Business Commercial Business Mainframes Commercial Minicomputers Microcomputers Embedded systems Platform Selection 5 Encroaching on Minicomputer marketplace Internet servers are key application area Intrinsically multi user capable machines 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 6 1 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Information Systems Analysis and Design Open Open vs Proprietary Black Box vs Glass Box The Openness of a system is a measure of the ease by which one system can be replaced by a another from an entirely different manufacturer Proprietary systems available only from one vendor Advantages vendor provides everything Disadvantages price gouging difficult migration poor interoperability between vendors Open systems are available from many vendors Advantages easy to change vendors lower prices good interoperability Disadvantages minor differences finger pointing Few systems are entirely proprietary or entirely open A Black Box system is one in which only the vendor or integrator has access to the internals of the system customer user customization is limited Often used for single turn key applications E g point of sale bank ATM A Glass Box system has internals that are partially or completely accessible to the customer user Often preferred for general purpose use E g engineering workstation Very few commercial systems are entirely Glassbox 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 7 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 1999 John DiMarco Wintel Wintel MS Windows Intel x86 Platform Selection 9 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 1999 John DiMarco Open architecture CPUs available from Intel AMD and Cyrix despite Intel Slot 1 patent Motherboard chipsets available from Intel VIA SiS motherboards available from many vendors Peripherals available from many vendors Intel x86 hardware increasingly becoming a commodity csc340 Apple Macintosh Platform Selection 11 Platform Selection 10 Information Systems Analysis and Design Wintel Wintel MS Windows Intel x86 1999 John DiMarco csc340 Microsoft Windows NT Server and desktop Window system on top of VMS derived OS Microsoft Windows 95 98 00 desktop only Window system on top of DOS Both proprietary single user 1 000 to 25 000 Generally Open hardware proprietary software Hardware becoming a commodity Encroaching on Minicomputer and to a lesser extent the workstation and server marketplace Wintel WINdows on inTEL are the main players in this category Apple competes in niche markets Generally single user machines 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 8 Information Systems Analysis and Design Microcomputers csc340 5 of the microcomputer marketplace Niche markets K 12 education graphic design Proprietary hardware and software New inroads into home marketplace iMac Rarely chosen for office business use 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 12 2 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 UNIX Derivatives on x86 Java concept compile once run everywhere Network computer concept stateless small microcomputer auto downloads and uses software and data as needed from network Java popular for network computers Java used on wide range of systems from workstations to embedded systems Platform Selection 13 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 1999 John DiMarco Networking is a major component of almost every modern computer system Client Server Internet and Intranet Remote Office Work from home Key Networking Areas Local Area Network short distance one building Backbone medium distance campus Wide Area Network long distance Remote Access via phone cable TV satellite Platform Selection 15 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Connects machines within a single building group Ethernet copper Available in 10 100 Mb versions 1Gb using fibre Inexpensive widely used Token Ring Available in 4 and 16Mb versions Rarely used except by IBM ATM copper 155 Mb 622Mb using fibre Expensive complex flexible high overhead Switch or shared hub 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 16 Information Systems Analysis and Design Backbone Network csc340 Wide Area Network WAN Connect multiple groups buildings 100Mb fibre or Gb Ethernet Fast inexpensive simple FDDI Old 100Mbit technology increasingly obsolete ATM 155Mb 622Mb Expensive powerful flexible complex highoverhead Switched or Routed csc340 Local Area Network LAN The Network is the Computer Sun Sun Microsystems Microsystems 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 14 Information Systems Analysis and Design Networking 1999 John DiMarco csc340 Java and Network Computers Hybrid market Workstation Server class software on x86 hardware Both Commercial and
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