Assignment Code: MTTM 4/MTM 4/TMA/2022

Course Code: MTTM 4/MTM-4

Assignment Name: Information Management System and Tourism

Year: 2022

Verification Status:Verified by Professor

1. What is meant by Internal Information and external Information? What are the Information needs for Decision Making Process? 20

Ans) Internal information and external information are the two broad categories into which information can be classified.

Internal Information

The information that has been collected internally is described as been produced from the organization's operations at different management levels in the numerous functional divisions. The internal data is compiled and processed as it progresses from the lowest to the highest managerial levels. Internal data is always relevant to the multiple organisational operational units. Sales would be an example of internal data. stats, employee data, account information, etc. The typical audience for this kind of material is middle and junior management tiers. However, summarised internal data is equally important. Top management is completely occupied.

External Information

The business organization's environment is often where the external data is gathered. It is believed that external information influences organisational performance on the outside. Information on governmental policies, rivalry, the state of the economy, and the global market is regarded as external information. The top management cadres typically need external information, which aids in the development of long-term organisational policy initiatives.

Information Needs for Decision-Making

The following is a description of the information needs for each stage:

Information for the Intelligence Phase: By giving information about both internal and external conditions, information systems can aid in the intelligence stage. Depending on the circumstance, intelligence involves periodically or continually examining the surroundings for prospective decision-making opportunities. For instance, a marketing executive visits important clients on a regular basis to discuss potential issues and identify new customer needs.

Information for the Design Phase: The design phase entails developing a number of potential solutions to the issues and assessing the alternative strategies. Here, information activities and skills that are more precisely targeted and described while concentrating on certain designs are needed. This level necessitates a significant amount of invention and ingenuity. This stage of the decision-making process may benefit from idea development and concept engineering. It is possible to use methods like Brainstorming and Nominal Group Technique.

Information for the Choice Phase: Out of the different options generated in the design stage before, a final decision on a certain course of action must be made in this stage. In this step, a manager can make use of informational technologies that can compute and monitor the effects, expenses, and possibilities supplied by each choice created in the previous stage. Managers should be assisted in choosing the best course of action by information systems. It is best for an information system to provide the design outcomes in a way that encourages decision-making. The final conclusion would depend on whether there was just one criterion or aim to be considered or if there were a number of criterion and objectives to consider. For the goal of ranking alternatives, "expert choice" software is provided.

Information for the Implementation Phase: The decision-making process ends with this phase. It is involved with carrying out and watching. When a decision is taken in the earlier stage, the system's function shifts to data collecting in order to provide more feedback and assessment. Managers must be able to track the effective execution of the decision with the use of the information systems. Managers can utilise a reporting system in this case to regularly update them on the status of a particular solution. Resource limitations and potential remedial measures are some of the issues that arise. Full-fledged management information systems, considerably smaller systems, and project planning software running on microcomputers are all examples of support systems. A management can evaluate a decision's success or failure and whether further decisions are necessary based on feedback regarding how business operations were impacted.

2. Write short notes on the following: 4X 5=20

a) Secondary memory of computer

Ans) Memory in a computer refers to the physical components that are used to store programmes or data temporarily or permanently. It’s a collection of registers. Primary memory is very volatile and has a finite amount of storage space. As a result, having a second type of memory with a bigger storage capacity- from which programs and data are not lost whenever the computer is turned off is critical.

Secondary memory is the term for this form of memory. Programs and data are stored in secondary memory. Auxiliary memory is another name for it. It differs from primary memory in that it is non-volatile and not directly accessible by the CPU. Secondary storage devices, often known as external storage devices, have substantially more storage space and are less expensive than primary memory. Secondary memory is mainly used for different purposes. The primary purpose of using it is Permanent storage, Large storage and Portable.

b) Word Processing

Ans) Word Processing software is designed to enable the user to prepare typed documents. Thus, in contrast to data processing where the focus is generally on numerical data, in word processing the main concern is with text. In the early days of computing a disparaging remark that computer professionals employed to refer to an application system which did very little computing was to say that the system used the computer as an ‘expensive typewriter.’ In order to prepare a document using a word-processing package, it has initially to be typed into  the computer’s memory from the keyboard. The main productivity improvement comes from the ease and rapidity with which the document can be modified. Only when the finished version is ready it is necessary to put it on paper. Where there are several drafts of a letter or report, or where extensive text from past reports is to be used the productivity gains can be very large.

c) Hacking

Ans) A commonly used hacking definition is the act of compromising digital devices and networks through unauthorized access to an account or computer system. Hacking is not always a malicious act, but it is most commonly associated with illegal activity and data theft by cyber criminals. Hacking refers to the misuse of devices like computers, smartphones, tablets, and networks to cause damage to or corrupt systems, gather information on users, steal data and documents, or disrupt data-related activity.

A traditional view of hackers is a lone rogue programmer who is highly skilled in coding and modifying computer software and hardware systems. But this narrow view does not cover the true technical nature of hacking. Hackers are increasingly growing in sophistication, using stealthy attack methods designed to go completely unnoticed by cybersecurity software and IT teams. They are also highly skilled in creating attack vectors that trick users into opening malicious attachments or links and freely giving up their sensitive personal data. As a result, modern-day hacking involves far more than just an angry kid in their bedroom. It is a multibillion-dollar industry with extremely sophisticated and successful techniques.

d) Scope of Data

Ans) The following angles can be used to examine the data's scope:

Utility of Data: Data are really useful for expanding our knowledge. Without making use of pre-existing data, no investigation, experiment, or other type of study is feasible. No research project is complete without producing fresh data. Without the proper use of data, no decision-making system can function, and no issue can be resolved. Without sufficient data, no planning is possible. Without enough information, research findings or inferences made from a study are automatically deemed invalid..

Size of Data: The subject of the study, the data parts, and the population of the data—which includes documents, data banks, and field survey methods—all come together to make up the size of the data. Data are what science already has in existence.

Scientific evidence, according to an Aslib declaration, consists of:

The characteristics and traits of a single entity.

The average values of a property across various entities.

Modifications of a single entity's property under various circumstances.

Entity categorisation based on characteristics.

Relations that are quantifiable between two or more entities.

Period of Data: Any research problem requiring data collecting must include the time period. Whether the data period is current or cumulative should be made crystal clear. In science, interpretations and conclusions are typically developed while taking the entire text of the subject into consideration. However, the cumulative period is not taken into consideration for data collecting in social science and humanities.

3. What do you understand by MIS. Explain the role of MIS at each Managerial level .20

Ans) Few ideas have ever been as ambiguous as a MIS, both in terms of definition and application. According to many experts, a MIS is just the computerization of office activities. That is untrue. Others believe that one day, a manager or executive may be able to just push a few buttons to access an all-knowing, expert computer system that will offer solutions and judgments for challenging issues. This view might only ever exist in dreams. The managed operating systems are connected by information sharing through a MIS.

An MIS is more than a collection of concepts or ideas. It is an operational system that carries out a number of tasks to generate outputs that are beneficial to an organization's management and operating staff. The MIS offers an information system in addition to the "sources" of information that managers have always had. Realizing that a systems approach to managing is required to compete in today's world is crucial. Prior to designing and utilising a MIS, a systems approach to management must be adopted. The computer is not the MIS itself or its primary emphasis; it is merely one of its components or tools. The management team must actively participate in the MIS design process. Although preferred, computer technical expertise is not a requirement for the management to carry out their duties in the MIS design.

Role of MIS at Various Management Levels

The top level, middle level, and bottom level, or the strategic, tactical, and operational levels, respectively, can also be considered as the three hierarchical levels into which management is divided. Although boundaries are not always distinct and unambiguous, it is usually possible to identify specific organisational levels that are characterised by traditional pyramidal systems.

The company's goals, plans, and objectives were defined by top management, along with a budgetary framework for the various sections to function within. These elements are spread and distributed to middle management. Particularly if each department operates according to a cost or profit centre idea, they are converted into precise revenue, cost, and profit goals. Until agreement is reached, these are examined, analysed, and adjusted in conformity with the overall plans and policies. The operational management is subsequently given the precise timetables and benchmarks by middle management

As a result, we make operational judgments at the lower level, tactical ones in the middle, and strategic decisions at the top. Junior-level decisions and problems tend to be highly deterministic and structured, and they can be programmed.

However, as we advance in complexity, situations become hazy, ambiguous, and unstructured, forcing us to make non-programmed decisions. We discover that since the invention of computers, we have conducted routine EDP-type activities in order to make judgments that are fundamentally pre-programmed and made at the operating level. Perhaps with the quick developments in electronics, communication, and computing, we will make significant progress in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) and develop knowledge-based expert systems that can handle complex non-programmed decision-making situations at the strategic level.

Although the traditional pyramidal structure is usually acceptable, the reality rarely (if ever!) matches this clean, militaristic configuration in today's complicated organisations. The strategy and control tend to be further removed from the resources, which are geographically dispersed and organizationally different, under the circumstances that modern management must deal with. Systems of people and data handling technology that can distort, delay, magnify, and dampen communications are present between the decision-maker and the resources. Interest groups outside of the company, including those in the government, consumers, labour representatives, and other national and international organisations, communicate information.

4. What do you understand by Network Topology? What are the types of Network Topologies ? 20

Ans) A network topology is the physical and logical arrangement of nodes and connections in a network. Nodes usually include devices such as switches, routers and software with switch and router features. Network topologies are often represented as a graph. Network topologies describe the arrangement of networks and the relative location of traffic flows.. With a well-defined and planned-out network topology, an organization can more easily locate faults and fix issues, improving its data transfer efficiency. Network geometry can be defined as the physical topology and the logical topology. The type of network topology differs depending on how the network needs to be arranged.

Types of Network Topology

Mesh Topology: In a mesh topology, every device is connected to another device via a particular channel. In Mesh Topology, the protocols used are AHCP (Ad Hoc Configuration Protocols), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), etc.

Star Topology: In star topology, all the devices are connected to a single hub through a cable. This hub is the central node, and all other nodes are connected to the central node. The hub can be passive in nature i.e., not an intelligent hub such as broadcasting devices, at the same time the hub can be intelligent known as an active hub. Active hubs have repeaters in them. Coaxial cables or RJ-45 cables are used to connect the computers. In Star Topology, many popular Ethernet LAN protocols are used as CD(Collision Detection), CSMA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access), etc.

Bus Topology: Bus topology is a network type in which every computer and network device is connected to a single cable. It is bi-directional. It is a multi-point connection and a non-robust topology because if the backbone fails the topology crashes. In Bus Topology, various MAC (Media Access Control) protocols are followed by LAN ethernet connections like TDMA, Pure Aloha, CDMA, Slotted Aloha, etc.

Ring Topology: In this topology, it forms a ring connecting devices with exactly two neighbouring devices. A number of repeaters are used for Ring topology with a large number of nodes, because if someone wants to send some data to the last node in the ring topology with 100 nodes, then the data will have to pass through 99 nodes to reach the 100th node. Hence to prevent data loss repeaters are used in the network.

The data flows in one direction, i.e.., it is unidirectional, but it can be made bidirectional by having 2 connections between each Network Node, it is called Dual Ring Topology. In-Ring Topology, the Token Ring Passing protocol is used by the workstations to transmit the data.

Tree Topology: This topology is the variation of the Star topology. This topology has a hierarchical flow of data. In Tree Topology, protocols like DHCP and SAC (Standard Automatic Configuration ) are used.

Hybrid Topology: This topological technology is the combination of all the various types of topologies we have studied above. It is used when the nodes are free to take any form. It means these can be individuals such as Ring or Star topology or can be a combination of various types of topologies seen above. Each individual topology uses the protocol that has been discussed earlier.

5. What is meant by Computer Virus and Perverse Software? What are the characteristics of a Computer virus? 20

Ans) Computer Virus: A computer virus is a type of computer program that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and inserting its own code. If this replication succeeds, the affected areas are then said to be "infected" with a computer virus, a metaphor derived from biological viruses.

Computer viruses generally require a host program. The virus writes its own code into the host program. When the program runs, the written virus program is executed first, causing infection and damage. A computer worm does not need a host program, as it is an independent program or code chunk. Therefore, it is not restricted by the host program, but can run independently and actively carry out attacks.

Perverse Software: Perverse means contrary to what is acceptable and expect able. A perverse software is a program which causes trouble in the execution of other programmes by spoiling it in part or full. You might be thinking if it is so dangerous why should one use it. But these malicious software’s are not purchased or downloaded by the users choice. These are destructive software meant for damaging the data or applications by some anti-social elements and enter in the system without the consent of the owner. Malware can harm the system badly by damaging the useful data and application software, even it does not spare the operating system of the computer.

Characteristics of Computer Viruses

Polymorphic computer viruses: Some computer viruses can take many forms. Certain varieties are characterized by their ability to transform their code, and precisely because they are polymorphs (also called mutants) they are much more difficult to detect and eliminate.

These types of computer viruses encrypt or encode themselves in a different way, using different algorithms and encryption keys each time they infect a system. This makes it impossible for antivirus software to find them using string or signature searches because they are different each time.

Residents and non-residents computer viruses: Some computer viruses remain permanently in the computer’s memory. Computer viruses can be resident or non-resident in the memory of the computer , that is, they may or may not remain permanently in the memory of the computer. Non-resident viruses are characterized in that the virus code is executed only when a given file is opened.

Stealth virus: Stealth viruses attach themselves to certain files on your computer, attacking and quickly spreading throughout your computer. They have a great ability to camouflage themselves and not be discovered.

Integrated work of viruses: Certain viruses can attract others, making their activity more lethal . They will even help each other to hide and assist each other when contaminating a specific unit of the device.

Silent activity done by viruses on computer: There are computer viruses that do not show signs of infiltrating the computer. Certain computer viruses can hide the changes they make inside the computer , that is, the system will not show signs of virus infiltration. This feature can make detection even more difficult.

Resistance to formatting: In a few cases, computer viruses can remain on the system even though the hard drive has been formatted . This type of virus is characterized by having the ability to infect very specific portions of the computer, either in the CMOS or in the MBR (main boot record).

Chameleon computer viruses: Chameleons are a similar variety to Trojans. They pretend to be commercial programs that the user usually trusts, but the reality is that their objective and function is to cause some kind of damage to the computer.