The articles is about IBM has improved the Informix Dynamic Server.   According to Kevin Brown, IBM’s Lead Architect for Informix Database, “the new tools allow [customers] to transform their data into Star Schema for efficient warehouse workloads, With this offering, we are providing the necessary tools to make their jobs that much easier” (www.eweek.com).  Prior to this enhancement users would need to create manuscript and trigger to create schemas, schematic or preliminary plan. According to Brian Prince the new feature provides a visual representation of the user’s current database design and can be used to transform data into a star schema without writing a single line of code.  According to brown this converts weeks of effort into just a few hours of work.  Informix Dynamic Server is typically used  for OLTP environment (online transaction processing) and DB2 for a database warehouse the new feature consolidates both tasks into one system.  This was done in efforts to increase customer satisfaction rather that provide an edge on IBM competitors.

This correlates with chapter 6 because as noted the new feature increase productivity or rather simplifies it.  The text explains that databases were implemented in order to access relevant data quickly and efficiently an attribute that today’s developer continues to improve as seen by this article.

By: Brian Prince

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Database/IBM-Adds-Informix-Data-Warhouse-Feature-to-Bolster-Database-Software/

he Article in the New York Times, “ A Page From an Old Playbook” talked about the efforts that have been made at Hewlett-Packard. Recently Mark V. Hurd took over at the company and realized that the technology being used was far from the standards the computer giant should be known for. Mr. Hurd had designed and took over the data industry earlier in his career when he invented a program that established data Warehousing. The book talks about Data Warehousing as a logical collection of information that is gathered from many different operational databases; that support business analysis activities and decision-making tasks. The article quotes Randy Mott, Hewlett-Packard’s chief information officer as saying: “Mark made the assessment that he did not have the information he needed to run the company the way he needed to run it. So the assessment was that, as a company, we were going to have the technology needed to fix that”. Mr. Hurd knew that this program would change how Hewlett-Packard operated its business. Mr. Hurd decided that the company could engineer their own program and use their company as the test to make sure the program worked. The Program was named NeoView, and turned out to be a very successful tool for Hewlett-Packard. Hewlett-Packard decided that with their success they could market this tool to their customers. This put Hurd at battle with his old company.
The article does mention the technology to be expensive. The article also points out that Hewlett-Packard believes that in this economy selling such a pricey system isn’t a huge problem. The company’s stance on the economic problem they face is that business need their technology of data to improve business now more then ever.

New York Times- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/technology/29hewlett.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=data%20warehouse&st=Search

“MySQL Creator Launches Campaign to ‘Save’ Database

I choose this article because I saw it and wanted to know more about this article. The title was catchy. Anyway it says that the creator of MySQL has launched a web based campaign to save the open source database from the “clutches” of Oracle, which is attempting to purchase its current owner, Sun Microsystems. Oracle earlier this year announced plans to buy Sun for $7.4 billion. The reason why this action has taken place before is because of concern about the database market. Oracle owns a healthy share of what’s on the market currently also that European authorities want to conduct an antitrust review. A blogger was quoted in the article by saying, “if users speak up now the European authorities could stop the merger or force Oracle to provide certain concessions and guarantees around MySQL.”  The article goes on about information about the database. MySQL was mainly used for web applications about ten years ago but now has become very functional, scalable and credible. Well in the end it looks as though the merger will go through. Oracle will own MySQL but a promise was also made, 10 commitments to MySQL’s user and developers. These pledges would be valid for the next five years following the close of the merger. This is what put the European authorities over and let the merger coincide. The European authorities feel that the merger will be a satisfactory resolution. I thought this article was interesting. It gave both sides of the story which is nice to see every once and awhile.

Kanaracus, Chris. MySQL Creator Launches Campaign to ‘Save” Database. 14 Dec 2009. PCWorld. 14 Dec 2009. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/184558/mysql_creator_launches_campaign_to_save_database.html

Thursday, October 1, 2009

In the Stephanie Chen’s article, “iPhone apps helps track sex offenders, spot crime,” Chen discusses the innovative use of applications on the iPhone that aid the public in avoiding dangerous situations and being safe. One example, the Offender Locator, is an application that helps to identify sex offenders within a 10-mile radius. The Offender Locator allows for concerned parents to enter an address into the iPhone and a lists of names is displayed on the screen of the sex offenders in the area. A simple click on one of the names will display a photo of the offender complete with full details of the offenses for which they were convicted. Another application being launched this month by Intelius Inc., called Date Check will allow a person to be able to do background check instantly while on a blind date. But according to Lillie Coney, associate director at the Electronic Privacy Information Center, a public interest group warns that crime-fighting apps can spread inaccurate and misleading information(Chen, 2009).

The article displays an example of lack of high quality information of the applications such as the Offender Locator and Date Checker. Lack of accuracy in the misspellings of names and display of information can mislead users. Lack of timeliness of information can sometimes not display updated address changes of sex offenders or even updated information that shows the offender still on the list when they are not. Creating an application that provides real-time information would be the ultimate goal, but at the moment that is not possible. As some of the applications disclose with their use, “Information may not be accurate or up-to-date.” So information must be taken accordingly as users do not know which information is up to date.

Chen, S. (2009). iPhone apps helps track sex offenders, spot crime. Retrieved September 30, from http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/29/iphone.app.fight.crime/index.html#cnnSTCText

This article is a good example of misusing of databases. It is about the health insurance in America, and it cause patients to cost a lot to cover their insurance. Comparing to the other countries, medical insurance of America is privatized, so it is more effective, but curing illness is also very expensive. On the other hand, in Korea, my home country, medical insurance is nationalized, so the cost is not too high, but it cause a lot of other problems, like inefficiency. This article represents that Ingenix, one of subsidiary of the health insurer United Health group, make doctors to underpay, and drive to increase expenses for patients deliberately. During more than ten years, United Health center gives in the data involved in 100 million American to Ingenix and allows determining the detail cost for caring health. Using this advantage, Ingenix manipulated the data and deceived people to undervalue the medical care costs, making patients burdening to pay more money. The company did not need to pay back proper money, because it is based on wrong databases. In information systems class, we could learn how to use databases and how process data warehouse is. First, it collects a lot of data and classifies the data categories. Next, these information categories integrate each other, and are used in appropriate situations. In Ingenix case, they manipulated databases, so it caused 100 million people to suffer from paying more money. From this view, using a right database is very important to manage something. All companies, even small stores, use the database to sell their products, administer customers’ information, and manage their own work well. I think it is very crucial to use appropriate databases and operate nicely.

Google, who has become arguably the biggest search engine on the Internet, came out with a claim recently stating they were the largest search engine by 3 times any competitor. Though it is hard to prove these numbers since search engines are so discrete with revealing the size of entries in their database. Google claimed to have had 8 billion searches in 2005, and that was the last time they revealed their numbers. The thing that is most impressive about this article is not only how quickly Google has risen in the last eleven years but the sheer size of the databases they must be using to store all this information. If 4 years ago Google reported a web index of 8 billion, they now must be around the 13 million range. The size and amount of databases needed to support all this information must be massive.

In the Northern California City, Mountain View, Google has their headquarters where these databases are stored. I have actually visited this office and was instantly amazed about how large this place was. It is easy to think Internet companies are not that big and do not require that many employees. In the case of google this is not true. They have thousands of employees and dozens of the finest databases money can buy.

Google is a company who really exemplifies the possibilities of databases and the capabilities of computers to store information. The article ,Google Claims Rivals Can’t Hold a Candle to It, by Ben Charny, just shows what I already expected that Google is the largest search engine in the game. It is a wonder if any search engine will come along and top what Google has already done.

Charney, Ben. Google Claims Rivals Can’t Hold a Candle to It. PC Magazine. Sept. 27, 2005. www.pcmag/article2/0,2817,1863891,00.asp

Chapter 6 introduces business students to different types of data storage systems. It distinguishes between transactional databases and information housed in enterprise wide data warehouse systems. Although, they share the same purpose to store large volumes of organized data; organizations use the stored data in different ways. For instance, organizations store their data in data warehouses to make decisions and support their analysis.

I focused on WisdomForce Technologies, a company that offers real-time transactional data integration and data transactional control solutions across different vendors/platforms/versions of widely used database systems. Customers receive “software infrastructure for data replication, extract, change data capture, transformation, movement and management of data from one/many database to one/many database.”

Their software products help CIOs and other decision-makers of data-intensive businesses improve their overall quality, continuous data availability within their IT systems, support better decision-making, overall positive impact on productivity and bottom line.

WisdomForce offers various tools to organizations success in the business world. According to WisdomForce, it allows users to share enterprise business data with other applications, such as OS platforms and database vendors.

WisdomForce guarantees instant results to employees, partners, vendors and customers, so they can make faster and better decisions.

WisdomForce offers two different types of products for different needs. One of the products is Database Sync, which features low system overhead, is highly scalable, secure, reliable, and flexible to integrate with third party system and easy to configure. The technology can be applied to various markets data markets to complex security applications and guaranteeing data integrity. On the other hand, FastReader provides lightning fast data unload/load into non-proprietary portable format as well as migration and data compression capabilities and can be deployed across various platforms in large data centers. FastReader features a higher performance if combine with Database Sync.

WisdomForce Technologies, Inc. (2009). Retrieved on Sept. 30, 2009 from http://www.wisdomforce.com/solutions-.html

Virginia Tech families win $11 million settlement from state

A judge in Virginia ruled that $11 million would go to the families of those injured or killed in last year’s Virginia Tech shootings. In the settlement are the families of 24 killed and 18 injured. Compensation also extends to include the opportunity to meet with the governor and Virginia Tech officials to look at legislation and improvements made on the campus to avoid future tragic incidents.

The main reason that the families pursued wrongful death claims and personal injury claims is the sluggishness that the university showed in sharing information with students. The claim was made that if they had shared information sooner with students (thus warning them of potential and in this case real danger), injuries and deaths could have been avoided. Two students were found dead at 7:00 A.M., but students were not warned by e-mail until about 9:30 A.M. The shooter started shooting again around 9:50, not giving many students even a chance to check their e-mails.

I chose this article because a sobering reflection of the need for timely and accurate information in many cases. The textbook touches on the need for businesses to have timely, quality, transactional and analytical information. A university is a business and sometimes may not realize that the students need that information too. With lives at stake, more of an effort should be made to share information. New techniques can be established such as: timely e-mail alerts, social networking cite alerts, texting alerts, and alerts made to the staff as a whole.

CNN (2009) Virginia Tech families win $11 million settlement from state, CNN. Retrieved October 1, 2009, from http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/17 /virginia.tech.settlement/index.html?iref=newssearch

This article from Time.com discussed a new way for doctors to study patients who are considering stomach-reducing surgeries. Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database (BOLD) is a program that tracks patients before and after they undergo the surgeries. Each year more than 200,000 people have these surgeries and until now doctors had no way to study a wide group of patients with different medical histories. BOLD started with 57,000 patients from 371 hospitals around the nation. The patient’s information was entered into a database. Everything from health problems, such as diabetes and high cholesterol, to lifestyles before and after the surgery. Doctors can search for a variety of combinations to help determine if a certain patient is a good candidate for the surgery. They can research previous patients with the same body fat as a current customer and see how their lifestyle had changed after having the surgery. They can also see if similar patients experienced lower blood pressure after the surgery. The possibilities are almost endless. This database will help doctors to determine if patients are good candidates and benefit from the surgery. If not, the doctor can suggest a different method of weight loss to the patient that is not as risky.

I related this article the chapter because it is using databases to turn data into information. Doctors can take the cube of patient information, slice and dice it to give them the information they need to make important decisions. Before this program, doctors would have to sort through thousands of individual files to find common outcomes. This process would be long and ineffective.

Park, A. (2009) Weight-Lost Surgery: Safe, but Does It Work?.retrieved Sept. 26, 2009 from Time Magazine.
Web: HTTP://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1907094,00.html

In a recent article in Business Week entitled: “California unveils prescription database to spot abuse“, the author shares that with a new database online installed, the law enforcement will have a more advanced way of keeping track of what doctors are prescribing to their patients, and what the patients are picking up from the pharmacies. What I did not know before was that with one prescription from their doctor, people actually abuse the use of the prescription and visit multiple doctors to get multiple times the amount of drugs. With the database installed, a patient’s information is stored into the online system and all the drugs that the patient is picking up is recorded and the amount that they are getting whether it be from multiple doctors or not. Each time a prescription is picked up under that name, it is recorded and let known to law enforcements. Thousands of pharmacies and doctors have signed up to join this effort but hundreds are still expected to join. With this new database installed online, law enforcements will be able to crack down on the drug abuse and also do it at a faster rate then before. California is the 26th state to join the online efforts in cracking down the abuse on the online database.

With more and more people being caught for the abuse, we as a state will be able to save ourselves quite some money. “If you took the dollars that were wasted on diverted and abused medicines in this country, it would come to billions of dollars a year”.

This link to this article can be found here.

The article talks about finding about key risk factors for breast cancer through databases. Databases will be able to find the key factors for having breast cancer by guiding you through the available evidence that accurately points out your association with breast cancer.

The database that is being develope is a joint project of Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the Environmental Factors and Breast Cancer Science Review project. The database includes information on 216 chemicals, diet, smoking, physical activity and weight that may be a key factor in the development of breast cancer. The database also contains an estimated 80,000 chemicals for commercial use in the United States and fewer than 100 chemical compounds have been known as human carcinogens.

In this week’s chapter we talk about how databases and information with business intelligence is important in the business world. This is a prime example of a database warehouse. The database warehouse is a logical collection of information which suports business analysis and decisions. This is in the health industry but as we know this a business concept. Storing information into a database warehouse in order to determine the next factor which is deciding whether or not you have breast cancer. It is a simple concept that is widely used in many industries but is much needed. Databases help you draw a conclusion to situations and further a better plan for solving it.

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/618891.html

I found this article very interesting because it talked about the U.S. Governments inability or unwillingness to have an operable searchable database.  Working for the state of California I found the same issues to be true in that the state acted as if it could not develop an ease running database that would allow its employees to readily do their jobs.  We’ve already learnt that data is so exponential that we must have Information Technology to helps us make sense of the data. 
The article which I found on Wired.com is interesting because it relates to what I have read in chapter six about t he need for a data warehouse having a logical collection of information. A data mart contains a subset of data warehouse information.  If the government warehouse for which I worked would have had such a model my job as a Material Distribution Manager would have been a dream.  It’s so unfair for employees, managers and any outside customer’s to have to deal with poorly designed and piecemeal electronic warehouses. 
My main problem was that the state failed to use an accurate ease-to-use system and it caused the backorders to increase and money to be spent elsewhere. When you deal with a large warehouse databases it important to know what merchandise is needed for internal customers, employees such as gloves needed to work on the hot asphalt. Your budget must be accurate so that you know what you can afford to purchase and how you must prioritize in spending.  Another point is that you must know what outdated items that are left in your warehouse that you must write-off at the end of the fiscal year.  Finally if a database is an accurate and clean database in regards to customer names, addresses and billing invoices it saves the finance department money.
(http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2007/03/government_spen/)

IBM is a very popular and great company. IBM has about 50,000 employees. When an employee quits their passwords and accessibility to the software gets shut down. At times when an employee quits it will not show up to the next day. IBM considers this an escape which they are now trying to prevent and crackdown on. IBM tries really hard to allow certain people certain types of access to different parts of their software. It is strictly on a need to know basis.

Being that IBM is a huge corporation they need to be able to keep things safe and out of harms way from angry employees who either quit or were fired. If IBM did not have a database that was kept secure from all past employees anyone out for vengeance against this company can access private files. This is why it is good to have a good secured information database and to keep on top of who is getting laid off or quitting. IBM’s identity manager is what helps them out in the long run. It helps carry over their product offerings to help keep things more precise.

I chose this article because we are talking about databases and information stored in databases. If IBM did not have a secure database anyone could have access or gain accessibility to all their information, which if we think about is not a good thing. IBM has become really good at protecting its intellectual property. I believe IBM has learned how to keep their information databases protected and up to date.

Brodkin, Jon. Network World; 10/6/2008, Vol. 25 Issue 39, p10-10, 2/3p, IBM Protects Key Technologies. 1 Oct 2009, Website: http://web.ebscohost.com.hmlproxy.lib.csufresno.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=7&hid=111&sid=d7c3bb06-8027-4d30-b217-9d69c0bbd802%40sessionmgr104

In this article, it talks about Wal-Mart’s decision to use GreenerPackage.com as the starting point for all of the packaging matierial suppliers wishing to be added to Wal-Mart’s Packaging Scorecard Modeling software. This will make data available to GreenerPackage.com visitors, as well as Wal-Mart’s current primary Packaging Scorecard software provider, ECRM. GreenerPackage.com will house data such as supplier sustainability, company information, the packaging materials used by the company, as well as any environmental claims associated with their packaging. By merging the GreenerPackage.com and Packaging Scorecard systems together, companies can now compare packages accross multitle environmental metrics. They can then see suggestions on packaging and even compare with other companies. This is also a great emplementation because it requires a review from a third party to make sure the information being shared accross the datebase is legitamate. For example, if a user or company wanted to claim that its package was biodegradable, a lab test from a third party would be required with submission to prove that the packaging material meets the requirements of the testing outlined in ASTM D6400 or D6868. Or, if you wanted to make the claim of recyclability, than the type of material being used would be tested. Also, there will be no links provided to the web sites or online sources of any packaging supplier who has not gone through the document review process. This assures all claims legitimate. Wal-Mart believes that it is really important to make sure that they are continuing to drive waste and inefficiencies out of the business, which is why more sustainable packaging plays a key role, and is a goal for them as a company.

Mohan, Anne M. “Walmart joins GreenerPackage.com in new product database.” Greener Package. 4 May 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2009. .

It administrators jump though all sorts of hoops to ensure data in a database is secure. User names and passwords are often use. Access levels determine which users can access certain information. Access controls regulate the abilities to manipulate data by giving some users the ability to delete information while other users have read-only access to the same information. Databases may even be encrypted either in whole or in part. Regulations such as HIPPA determine who should be able to access patient data in a database and how that information can be sued. Now the judiciary branch of the government has stepped in. When a certain record in a database is subpoenaed the other records’ privacy are protected and not subject to the “in plain sight rule.” The in plain sight rule says that any information/evidence obtained by an investigator is submissible in court if it was in plain sight. This is often the case when a search warrant is obtained for a residence and drugs are left on a coffee table. Recently investigators obtained search warrants and subpoenas for 10 MLB players however over 100 were records were taken. The appeals court ruled that allowing such seizure of information could be disastrous to privacy and violate the fourth amendment. The appeals judges gave the example of google. The seizure of gmail’s servers to search for incriminating evidence for a few user accounts could jeopardize the privacy of millions of users. While this information is most relevant to lawyers, IT administrators should take note as it may impact how and where they store information in databases.
Cnn.com. (2009). Feds seizure of baseball players drug tests ruled illegal. Retrieved September , 30 2009 From http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/26/steroids.ruling/index.html

Paper record filing might be a thing of the past very soon. A new database for doctors and hospitals will be implemented and maybe mandatory by the government.
The new database will allow for hospitals like the VA’s to have patient’s records immediately. Medical records will not be available only within the health facility or even within the state; records will be available through a national database. The “big deal” about this is that patients no longer will have to wait hours or even days to be able to have proper care. Currently many health clinics would either have to have the information faxed or even mailed which could take a few days to receive.
In order for facilities to receive part of the $17 billion in stimulus funding they will have to share records within the database. The government has even said that they might begin penalizing providers who are not using this database by 2014. In the mean time providers will have to adapt to a universal language in order to be able to communicate with different providers. What I mean by language is that many providers have adapted different abbreviations or codes that other providers would not recognize. The Database would be useless if the language used is not understood.
Personally I have seen how difficult it is to receive quick health care when a new doctor does not have my medical records. It is frustrating for both the patient and the doctor and it might even lead to a life or death situation. I believe a database for medical records would be a great idea, but penalizing providers for not using might also be a bad idea. If providers begin to use it with out the proper training or language, miss communication may occur and that would be dangerous.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/tech/D9B1MNT02.htm

“Google wave to be released to 100,000 testers Wednesday”
Google is coming out with a new application that combines the most popular internet functions into one. The new application combines e mail, chat, blogging, photo sharing, and Wiki documents in something they call “The Google Wave”. The app was created by two brothers, Jen and Lars Rasmussen. The wave is an e mail like function that can be updated and edited simultaneously between different users. The user is able to see what the other people in the conversation are saying as it is being typed. Everything is in real time. If someone joins the conversation late, they can be updated on what has been said.
On Wednesday the new application will be sent out to 100,000 testers to get feedback on the program. They have already noted some glitches but they hope to have it all ironed out after the testing. The creators have a lot of confidence in their new application and they think it will make both email and instant messaging look stale.
I don’t really see how this will be any different from an email. I need to see it and use it before I can make the judgment if it is actually beneficial. I am pretty simple minded on the internet and e mail works great for me but that is the way technology apps on the internet are going. People like to communicate on the internet and creating advancements in the programs is what people want so I think Jen and Lars can really be on to something. It can potentially be a huge step forward for Google and if it catches, Google can continue their massive growth.

Sutter, J. 2009. CNN News. “Wave to be released to 100,000 testers Wednesday”.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/29/google.wave.beta/index.html