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 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 1 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Major Platform Resource Types Hardware Software Networking Human Resources 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 3 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Classes of Hardware Systems There are two basic classes of hardware systems Commercial Business and Technical Engineering Large Small Commercial Business Mainframes Commercial Minicomputers Microcomputers Embedded systems 1999 John DiMarco Technical Engineering Supercomputers Workstations and Servers Microcomputers Embedded Systems Platform Selection 4 2 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Commercial Minicomputers 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 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 5 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Workstations and Servers 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 Encroaching on Minicomputer marketplace Internet servers are key application area Intrinsically multi user capable machines 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 6 3 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Open vs Proprietary 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 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 7 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Black Box vs Glass Box 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 8 4 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Microcomputers 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 9 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Wintel MS Windows Intel x86 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 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 10 5 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Wintel MS Windows Intel x86 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 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 11 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Apple Macintosh 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 6 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 UNIX Derivatives on x86 Hybrid market Workstation Server class software on x86 hardware Both Commercial and Free options exist Commercial Sun Solaris x86 SCO Unixware BSDI Free Linux FreeBSD OpenBSD NetBSD Free UNIX derivatives Linux BSD on Intel x86 with source code are true glass box systems Commercial vendors for Free UNIX exist Inroads being made in both microcomputer and workstation marketplaces 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 13 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Java and Network Computers 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 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 14 7 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Networking The Network is the Computer Sun Microsystems 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 1999 John DiMarco Platform Selection 15 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Local Area Network LAN 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 8 Information Systems Analysis and Design csc340 Backbone Network
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