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Chapter 6 – Organizing and Managing Sofware and Data

  1. Managing and Controlling Packaged Software
    • The Locus of Control over Software Packages [individual vs. department vs. corporate]
    • Version Control of Software Packages [multiple versions; retraining]
    • Decision Processes for New Versions and Upgrades
      Trade-offs in decision to install new version of software package
      • New features/capabilities
      • Easier/faster to use?
      • Fit with organization/group
      • Learning costs
      • Training/consultation costs
      • Dual processing losses
      • Installation/conversion costs
      • Software costs

    • Organizational Considerations in Package Selection and Upgrades
      1. Training [peer experts]
      2. Cooperative work [backward compatability]
    • Approach to Individual Analysis of Replacement Packages and Upgrades

  2. Organizing Directories
    • Conceptual Basis for Directory Structure [hierarchical search process]
    • A Task-oriented Directory Structure
    • Directory Structures and Software Packages
    • Individual vs. Workgroup and Organizational Directories

  3. Finding Directories and Files
    • Naming Conventions - user-defined keywords [DOS 8.3 names]
      • Names should result in grouping and ordering that will be useful for an individual
      • Names should be meaningful in identifying the contents
      • Names should be designed to facilitate file retrieval rather than reflect file creation
    • Retrieval Methods
      • Sorting and displaying directories by the date the files were last written
      • Sorting on file attributes other than name and date
      • "Viewing a file" without opening it

  4. Maintaining Integrity of Data and Software
    • Undoing and Deleting Mistakes [wastebasket/recycle bin]
    • Backup and Recovery of Data
      1. Save while working
      2. Separate periodic backup at timed intervals to another medium
      3. Save backup at end of session

      • full backup
      • selective backup
      • differential backup - copies all changed files since the last full(selective) backup
      • incremental backup - copies all changed files since last backup

      grandfather - father - son

    • Achiving and Retention
      • Archiving all files for a completed project
      • Archiving all files within a directory older than a certain date
      • Archiving all files that document the progress of a project
    • Individual Data Security
      • A simple, easily-remembered password to allow access to the system {available to other authorized supervisors]
      • Hidden directories and files for moderately sensitive data
      • A moderately difficult, random password, plus encryption for highly sensitive files.
    • Protection from Viruses

  5. Sharing Data Among Applications
    1. Is part or all of the data being copied?
    2. Are the two sets of data of the same type (text, worksheet, etc.)
    3. How will the copied data be changed in the file receiving it?
    4. Is the data being copied at a point in time, or should subsequent changes in the data being copied also be made in the application receiving the copy?

    • File Appending [same type of data] and Importing [different types of data]
    • Pasting
    • Embedding [data is moved into file as a separate object - OLE - Object Linking and Embedding]
    • Linking [link to orginal data is established]

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