CIS 329 Assignment 1: Preparing for a Company-Wide Migration to Windows 8
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Crescent Manufacturing Inc. (CMI) is a luxury leader in crafted and customized home furnishings. The corporate headquarters and a production facility are located in Texas, with additional manufacturing facilities located in Nebraska and Maryland.

There are 250 employees in the Texas location, 175 in Maryland, and 25 in Nebraska. All locations use Windows 7 as the primary client operating system. The systems at the Maryland location are over five (5) years old. CMI’s Information Technology (IT) department upgraded the computer systems with new hardware within the past year at all other company locations. These upgraded computer systems are capable of running Windows 8. CMI recently upgraded all of its servers to run Windows Server 2012 in an Active-Directory-based environment.

The Operations, Marketing, Administration, IT Support, and Finance departments are located in the Texas location. Nebraska is primarily a manufacturing location that is staffed by production line employees, a line supervisor, and a plant manager. The Maryland office also includes an operations component (i.e., production line employees, line supervisor, and plant manager), a small IT department, and the company’s human resources department.

The current IT support staff comprises a seasoned group of individuals that collectively have over ten (10) years of experience in network administration and working with Microsoft operating systems. Many of the IT staff have recently completed training on the Windows 8 operating system and are well-versed in supporting Windows Server 2008 and 2012. The remainder of the company’s employees has only a basic knowledge of Windows 7 and relies on the company’s help desk to solve a majority of its computer problems. CMI has a team of 50 salespeople who use laptops and tablets while working from their home offices. These employees, who travel extensively with their laptops, must have their systems secured in case of loss or theft. The laptops, purchased over five (5) years ago, run the Windows 7 operating system. The tablets, used only by a subset of the sales staff, are iPads running iOS 7.

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) is concerned about employees installing non-standard company applications downloaded from the Windows Store both while at work and when they have their devices at home. The CIO also wants to ensure that those persons on the IT staff are the only individuals authorized to update Windows Store apps. The CIO has an IT support staff of ten (10) employees and does not want to increase the number of applications that need to be supported via the company’s help desk. The help desk is currently staffed by three (3) employees from 8:00 a.m. − 5:00 p.m. (CST).

Hardware and software compatibility issues experienced during the upgrade to Windows 7 several years earlier resulted in the company going over budget by several thousands of dollars. The CFO stated that the reason for going over budget was directly related to problems with their business critical applications not being fully compatible with Windows 7. The applications are used by the Operations department to track inventory, schedule production runs, handle purchase orders, and track product shipments. Senior management wants to address software compatibility testing prior to moving the entire company to Windows 8. They are also concerned about the time it might take to migrate user settings and applications over to the new Windows 8 operating system, the time to train employees on using the new interface, the overall impact on the company’s help desk, and day-to-day operations.

The CIO and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) want more information before making the decision to upgrade to Windows 8 and have asked you to write a report that addresses their concerns and also includes your recommendations on how best to proceed, should the project be approved.

Write an eight to ten (8-10) page paper in which you:
1. Develop a SWOT analysis on the viability of upgrading to Windows 8 for the organization as a whole.
2. Provide a detailed upgrade plan for the organization, including the sales staff. At a minimum:
1. Identify the number of systems, by location and / or departments that IT must replace with new or compatible hardware.
2. Recommend whether the organization should use a phased-in approach (i.e., upgrades are sequenced by departments and / or locations) or a flash-cut approach (i.e., all at once) in order to upgrade to Windows 8. If a phased-in approach is recommended, identify the departments and / or locations you would upgrade, and describe the preferred upgrade sequence. Support your recommendations.
3. Address the length of time in which the upgrade should occur, and identify the main issues which could impact the specified time frame.
4. Describe one (1) approach that IT could use in order to ensure that they thoroughly test business critical applications.
3. Describe three (3) best practices for securing the laptops and tablets for the sales staff after the upgrade is complete.
4. Examine the pros and cons of configuring AppLocker to standardize the software used by employees across the organization.
5. Explain the process and options available for managing application installations and updates via the Windows Store, and thus addressing the concerns voiced by the CIO.
6. Use at least three (3) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:
• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:
• Demonstrate the ability to install and configure a client operating system, applications, and associated updates as well as designing a client operating system installation strategy.
• Validate and successfully install a computer client operating system.
• Demonstrate the ability to discuss the migration phases and considerations in a client operating system installation to include virtual machines and the cloud infrastructure.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply technology tools to monitor and configure applications and network performance.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in operating system environments.
• Write clearly and concisely about desktop administration and operating system topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

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Distribution Decisions
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Choose an organization: Describe Distribution Channels, Benefits/Costs of intermediaries
Choose a firm that produces tangible products (NOT a retailer) that are ultimately sold to final consumers and is part of a distribution channel involving at least one other independent organization as an intermediary and uses at least two different sales channels (e.g., direct sales, retail).

Choose an organization: Describe Distribution Channels, Benefits/Costs of intermediaries
Choose a firm that produces tangible products (NOT a retailer) that are ultimately sold to final consumers and is part of a distribution channel involving at least one other independent organization as an intermediary and uses at least two different sales channels (e.g., direct sales, retail).
1. Describe the organization, its target market, its positioning and its current competitive situation. Also discuss the products that it produces (NOTE: If the company is very large and produces many diverse product lines, narrow focus to just one division or product line of that company).
2. Classify and describe the multi-channel distribution system for the product line and assess the appropriateness of its design in relation to its desired service output levels (e.g., lot size, waiting time, spatial convenience,…).
3. Discuss how the organization benefits by using one or more intermediaries.
4. Describe the costs and potential risks that the firm must encompass by using these intermediaries. Explain how the distribution system does or could operate as either a vertical (VMS) or horizontal (HMS) marketing system and the benefits associated with that system strategy, or why a VMS or HMS doesn’t make sense for the channel.
Please give a great deal of consideration to your selection of the organization and the product that will be used in your case. Your selection must meet the following criteria:
* The organization should produce a physical product that is eventually sold to final consumers.
* The organization must be part of a distribution system that includes a minimum of one intermediary.
The organization must sell its products through two or more channels (e.g., retail, online sales, telephone sales, sales force).
2. Choose an organization that creates products that are sold to other businesses and uses at least two different sales channels (the organization may or may not use any intermediaries).
1. Briefly describe the organization, its target market, its competitive situation, and the products that it produces (NOTE: If the company is very large and produces many diverse product lines, you should narrow your focus to just one division or product line of that company).
2. Classify and describe the multi-channel distribution system for the product line and assess the appropriateness of its design in relation to its desired service output levels (e.g., lot size, waiting time, spatial convenience).
3. Explain how the distribution system does or could operate as an integrated logistics system (i.e., use of information technology to accomplish and/or coordinate such logistical processes as ordering, warehousing, inventory, shipping) and the benefits associated with that system strategy, or why a ILS doesn’t make sense for the organization.
Please give a great deal of consideration to your selection of the organization and the product that will be used in your case. Your selection must meet the following criteria:
• The organization should produce physical product that is eventually sold to businesses (if it sells to both businesses and consumers, just concentrate on the business-to-business channel).
• The organization must sell its products through two or more channels (e.g., online sales, telephone sales, sales force).
3. Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce company while Walmart is the undisputed world’s largest retailer.
The distribution channels that these behemoths employed were distinctly different in the past (clicks vs. bricks) but are now starting to merge.
Amazon is rapidly building a network of distribution centers across the country and many observers believe their ultimate goal is to provide home delivery to consumers the same day that it is ordered.
Walmart is expanding its own e-commerce capabilities and leveraging a world-class supply chain system and enormous retail store presence with the goal of making products ordered online available for pick-up by consumers at the closest Walmart store on the day it is ordered.
• Which approach do you believe will be the most successful?
• Can Amazon really pull off same-day delivery across the nation (not just select urban markets)?
• Will Amazon overtake Walmart as the world’s largest retailer (they still have a long way to go)?
Support your response with research.
4. Most of us purchase the majority of our food products at local supermarkets.
Pick a chain with stores in your local area that you are familiar with and describe it in the terms presented in Chapter 18 of the text.
• Address the following areas:
• Retailer Type (see Table 18.1)
• Service Level
• Target Market- who is the chain trying to attract the most?
• Product Assortment
• Price
• Atmosphere
• Private Label Offerings
Personal Application
Choose any organization with a distribution function.
• Describe the organization’s channel design.
• Does the company utilize Integrated Logistics Systems?
• How would the following Channel Margins learning tool from the Harvard Business School be useful for your organization?

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CIS 305 Unit 4 Discussion: Linux File Sharing Services – A Comparison
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Unit 4 Discussion: Linux File Sharing Services – A Comparison
There are occasions where we need to share information between different clients who are running different operating systems on their computers. Which File Sharing service should be the best software to use on our Linux network? Should we use NFS, CIFS, SMB or some other software application on our Linux servers?
The tasks of the administrator is to make sure these services are installed and configured properly so the files can be shared.
In your discussion post: choose to expand the following list of advantages and disadvantages between Samba and NFS for Linux File Sharing services.

SMB/CIFS Benefits:
– Native Windows Support
– Security (at least perceived) better on open networks

NFS Benefits:
– Can achieve higher transfer speeds
– Typically uses a lot less server CPU power
– Can take advantage of multiple CPU cores per instance.
– Native support for Unix like systems (BSD/Linux/Android/OS X)
• Visit several sites listed below and compile a list of three (3) advantages of using Samba File Sharing over NFS on a Linux server. Try to select different advantages that of your peers have not already posted.
• Describe each of the three advantages and provide a screenshot or description of each. You may need to search the public web using a search engine like Google or Bing to find screenshots of systems with different services. Cite any sources you use in APA format; this includes sources for any screenshots that are not your own.

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ENCOURAGING AND IMPROVE THE UTILISATION OF DATA MINING IN THE WESTERN REGION MUNICIPALITY
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Data mining is a key area to be considered by any organisation dealing with an important data that may help it to prosper in its operations. The document presents a proposal aimed at improving the use of data mining in the Western Region Municipality (WRM). Data mining is evolving and better technologies and techniques are taking place continuo. For the Western Region Municipality (WRM) to serve its citizens efficiently, it has to embrace new techniques of data mining. This project investigates whether new techniques of data mining can be adapted by the Western Region Municipality (WRM).
The current database is huge and it is growing day in day out, therefore there is need to update the current data mining algorithms. With an updated technology, the Western Region Municipality (WRM) will be able to acquire the relevant knowledge that will help them make strategic decisions which will allow the WRM to succeed in their services. An improved version of data mining will be in a position to handle and analyse large enormous set of data and give the (WRM) officials hidden, unknown and useful knowledge and information.

For the (WRM) to see the vitality of this project, the proposal is presented with detailed sections as to why there is a need to replace the current technology of data mining with a new one. The first section of the proposal indicates the objectives of the project which shows the importance of this project is a must do. This section is followed by a list of key outcomes of the project. This is a list of what will be presented in the report. Benefits of the project are clearly stated as well as the reasons why the student decided to take this project. How the student and Western Region Municipality (WRM) will benefit from the project is discussed in this section showing why the researcher was interested in the project.
Quantitative and qualitative research methods to be used in this project are discussed and reasons given as to why the researcher has chosen to use them. The primary and secondary data sources intended to be used in this research are stated. A project schedule showing all the phases of the project and the activities to be undertaken is also presented.

Given the essentiality of this project, the Western Region Municipality (WRM) should support it as it will benefit them a lot. Good data mining is necessary within the (WRM) as they have huge amount of data to attend to. This means they require a sophisticated data mining algorithm to retrieve information they are interested in. The proposed data mining will help them ensure scalability and performance over the huge volumes of data contained in the (WRM) databases. Furthermore, no one would refuse a technology that is more robust than the one you are using provided its benefits outweigh its limitations. Therefore, Western Region Municipality (WRM) choice to accept the new data mining because it will help them a lot.

Objectives
The points listed below have been formed based on the aim of the study. These listed points will support the author in drawing valid conclusions to the outcome expected from this research.

• To examine and critically evaluate of relevant literature concentrating on the underling concept of data mining and issues surrounding it.
• To identify the key problems associated with implementation of data mining
• To calculate the benefits and boundaries of the data mining system.
• To analyse the drivers and barriers of adopting data mining systems in the Western Region Municipality (WRM).
• To make recommendations and present frameworks on how the process of adopting data mining activities in the state of UAE can be improved.

Project Outcomes :
From the above objectives, the results are expected to be justified. These justifications are presented in forms of deliverable/outcomes which are listed below.

• A report presenting benefits and limitations of data mining.
• A report highlighting the drivers and barriers of adopting data mining in UAE.
• A report showing how modification in the government and non-government organisations can be managed effectively when adopting data mining.

Why are you interested in the project?

This should indicate why the student is interested but also should cover the broader issues of the interest of others.
The first reason why I am interested in this project is to apply the knowledge learned in class concerning data mining in a real life situation. It will assist me in improving my investigative skills, decision making, problem solving and reflection that will include my supervisor facilitation, although I am the one to decide on which direction to take with my project. Secondly, Data mining is evolving and there is need to try new techniques (Kamber, 2011). Its evolvement is directly proportional to Moore’s law which states that computer processing power will be doubling every 18 months (Wang, 2003). Due to this fact, UAE Government should try to keep in pace with new data mining technologies. That is one of the major reasons why I am proposing an improvement of the current data mining used by the Western Region Municipality (WRM). The current technology should be replaced with the latest one to improve the services offered by Western Region Municipality (WRM).
The quantities of data to be manages are growing day in day out, therefore there is need to update the current data mining algorithms. With an updated technology, the Western Region Municipality (WRM) will be able to acquire the relevant knowledge that will help them make strategic decisions which will allow the (WRM) to succeed in their services. An improved version of data mining will be in a position to handle and analyse enormous set of data and give the (WRM) officials hidden, unknown and useful knowledge and information. The proposed data mining will ensure scalability and performance over the huge volumes of data contained in the (WRM) databases (Simoff, 2006).

What are the key questions the project attempts to answer?

This study aims to give answers to key research questions presented below:
• What are the main barriers and drivers to data mining implementation in UAE?
• What are the critical accomplishment factors of data mining implementations in UAE?
• What are the recommendations for refining current methods of adoption of
Data mining in UAE?

What research methods do you intend to use?

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