Determining Databases and Data Communications
Scenario one
The use of a database system has become an integral part of our daily lives, such that one is rarely conscious when using the data system. As a marketing assistance with a very significant position in the organization, it is important to know the happenings in the organization and be able to follow up the tracks of the transactions that take place. A database would prove more convenient in the tracking of the transactions when compared to an excel systems. It is important to evaluate the circumstances that need excel or a database system to be used. The database will be able to show all the related logical data while enabling one to design the database to meet the required specifications (Weissman, Moellenhoff & Wong, 2013).
It is important to note that both access and excel provide information tracking, being able to settle on a very convenient form of information storage is one of the most important aspects that an organization needs to identify. An access system is advantageous as it is able to create data structures as well as normalization that can be done through various tables that can be created. A database system is able to provide the chances for scalability. This can be done at a no cost, hence enabling upcoming information to be added into the system (Curley &Patashnik, 2011). The access database is able to enhance data integrity as well as referential integrity. The database system comes with various security measures to all the members where every member of the organization has varied access to the system. This is able to monitor and regulate the manipulation of the information that has been entered in the system, hence ensuring data security. An access system offers the provision of queries as well as the provision of reports from the queries. This makes the accessibility of the information that has been in the database system. One would then necessarily have to look at the whole information in the system to retrieve single information. A database system would also be advantageous due to the fact that information can be automated with the use of macros and the VBA modules, hence making access of the information fasts and reliable (Curley &Patashnik, 2011).
On the contrary, despite the fact that there are various advantages that comes with the access database system, one has to note that the maintenance of the system is costly and the organization needs to take into account the maintenance expenses. For the sake of transparency measure in the organization, it would be advisable to have an enterprise database where all the members have different user capacities. This would be beneficial in the track keeping for all the members of the organization while avoiding a central centred source of information. A decision support system would be helpful in the organization; this would be beneficial in that the entire members in the organization would be able to voice their opinions on matters that concern the organization.
In the creation of an access database in this case scenario, there would be a table that would have different components that will create the tables. There will be tables that would encompass shippers, where there will have to be the shipper’s identification numbers in the records and equipment identification number as well. For every equipment identification number, which has been entered in the equipment table, there has to be a linked shipper responsible for its shipment. Therefore, a relationship will have to exist between the equipment and the shipper’s identification. Creating a relationship of the two tables that are being linked up by the shipper’s identification in both the shippers table and the shipper’s identification on the equipment table will create ease on the access of the two tables.
Given the various advantages that access database system has over the excel data storage system; the database would then be more convenient in the storage of the information in the organization. In addition, a database system is not easily corruptible while providing access to all the members of the organization.
Scenario Two
A local area network, LAN, can be defined as a network that is installed in a local area, such as a building, office or an education centre. Places, such as Anglo American would preferably use the local area network. A local area network is capable of servicing a building with many rooms. The computers in the building are connected to a single cable or through the Wi-Fi connection. The LAN is then capable of defiantly facilitating the transfer of files in the local network in a quick way. On the other hand, Wide area network, WAN, is a network that is capable of covering a generally wider area like a country or a town. A wide area network is even capable of covering the whole world (Weissman, Moellenhoff, & Wong, 2013).
Putting up a LAN network would be advantageous given the fact that it is cheaper than WAN. LAN needs to be put in a generally smaller region and as such would be affordable for the organization that has only seven employees. A WAN network would need a large coverage and as such would be expensive in the set ups. A LAN network is also faster than WAN, given the statistics that an Ethernet cable running on a LAN is capable of 1000Mbps, while the average speed of the WAN is estimated at 155Mbps. WAN is mainly suitable when connecting regions that are many kilometres away, unlike the LAN that can only be used in the local regions, such as an office or buildings (Leavitt, 2010). Given the case scenario of an office of seven employees, the use of LAN would be the best suitable network connectivity (Leavitt, 2010).
The office would need a wireless connection given that there are other members who would like to work from their homes. A wireless connection would help all the members who would like to work in the office without any restriction given that all the members of the organization need to be connected to the Internet for their works. There would be a need for VPN because the network would be shared among various computers over some distance given that some of the members will be working from their homes. A hacker is then able to get into the networked system and corrupt the information that is shared among the members of the network. A security measure will be convenient for the networked system in the organization (Weissman, Moellenhoff, & Wong, 2013).
Comparison between LAN and WAN in a Microsoft excel
| LAN | WAN | |
| definition | It is a network that covers a small region | It is a network that covers a large region |
| speed | 1000Mbps | 150Mbps |
| Information transfer rates | Larger transfer rate | Small data transfer rates |
| Region example | An a campus network system | The Internet |
| Set up expenses | It is not very expensive to set up a small number of devices on the network | The network system has a remote system on the set up, setting up other devices other the system would be expensive |
| Management expenses | Management is easier because it covers a small distance | It would need a huge maintainace expenses because of the wide region coverage (Leavitt,201) |
| bandwidth | Has a high bandwidth transmission | Low bandwidth transmission |
References
Curley, R., &Patashnik, E. (2011). U.S. Patent No. 7,937,470. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Weissman, C., Moellenhoff, D., & Wong, S. (2013). U.S. Patent No. 8,543,566. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Leavitt, N. (2010). Will NoSQL databases live up to their promise? Computer, 43 (2), 12-14.