1. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
1) Describe some reasons why Linux is installed on only a very small fraction of desktop computers. Are there particular categories of products or users who might see Linux as more appealing than conventional operating systems? Do you think Linux's share of the desktop market will increase? Why or why not?
This is a particularly interesting question because it is relatable to me however I have never fully understood the answer entirely. If I had to guess the appeal of Linux comes with security and the fact that it is less prone to crashes. I currently use Linux on 60 percent of the machines I work with and I find it very user friendly and I actually prefer it more than windows in certain applications. To me Linux is the pure form of computing with the ability for command-based navigation, customization and dense file systems. I do see Linux continuing to hold its share of the desktop market because of its simplicity and security.
2) What are some of the benefits of cloud computing? What are some of the drawbacks? Find an article about cloud computing online. Summarize and critique the article in your own words. Be sure to include the url of the article.
I have dabbled with cloud computing enough to have a love | hate relationship with it. I like the fact that it saves space, but I hate not knowing exactly where my stuff is, oh and the fact that my phone is constantly asking for the iCloud password.
I found a website that has 5 advantages and disadvantages of cloud storage and I found it quite helpful. The 5 advantages were Usability, Bandwidth, Accessibility, Disaster Recovery, and Cost Savings. I find that each one of the advantages are similar with usability and accessibility, but cost savings was one I did not think of. The disadvantages are Usability, Bandwidth, Accessibility, Data Security, and Software. This one kind of confused me that a notable advantage could also be a notable disadvantage, I mean which is it ha-ha (NT, 2014).
At the end of the day I am still going to stay away from the cloud, its advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages.
http://bigdata-madesimple.com/5-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-cloud-storage/
3) Describe the hardware and software requirements of your chosen information system. Be sure to consider both the server-side and client-side hardware and software. If you do not have access to specific details about the server-side hardware and software, make reasonable assumptions based on the kind of hardware and software that you believe would be necessary to run your system.
Since I picked the broad topic of Database Management Systems and this week we talked about Linux, I will choose (if I am allowed to) Oracle.
The Hardware requirements for Oracle VM Manager include:
Memory- 6GB
Processor Type- 64 bit
Processor Speed- 1.83 GHz*1
Swap Space- 2.1 GB
Hard Disk Space- 5.5 GB in /u01
2 GB in /tmp
...
1. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.1) Describe some r.docx
1. 1. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
1) Describe some reasons why Linux is installed on only a very
small fraction of desktop computers. Are there particular
categories of products or users who might see Linux as more
appealing than conventional operating systems? Do you think
Linux's share of the desktop market will increase? Why or why
not?
This is a particularly interesting question because it is relatable
to me however I have never fully understood the answer
entirely. If I had to guess the appeal of Linux comes with
security and the fact that it is less prone to crashes. I currently
use Linux on 60 percent of the machines I work with and I find
it very user friendly and I actually prefer it more than windows
in certain applications. To me Linux is the pure form of
computing with the ability for command-based navigation,
customization and dense file systems. I do see Linux
continuing to hold its share of the desktop market because of its
simplicity and security.
2) What are some of the benefits of cloud computing? What are
some of the drawbacks? Find an article about cloud computing
online. Summarize and critique the article in your own words.
Be sure to include the url of the article.
I have dabbled with cloud computing enough to have a love |
hate relationship with it. I like the fact that it saves space, but I
hate not knowing exactly where my stuff is, oh and the fact that
my phone is constantly asking for the iCloud password.
I found a website that has 5 advantages and disadvantages of
cloud storage and I found it quite helpful. The 5 advantages
were Usability, Bandwidth, Accessibility, Disaster Recovery,
and Cost Savings. I find that each one of the advantages are
similar with usability and accessibility, but cost savings was
one I did not think of. The disadvantages are Usability,
Bandwidth, Accessibility, Data Security, and Software. This
2. one kind of confused me that a notable advantage could also be
a notable disadvantage, I mean which is it ha-ha (NT, 2014).
At the end of the day I am still going to stay away from the
cloud, its advantages do not outweigh the disadvantages.
http://bigdata-madesimple.com/5-advantages-and-
disadvantages-of-cloud-storage/
3) Describe the hardware and software requirements of your
chosen information system. Be sure to consider both the server-
side and client-side hardware and software. If you do not have
access to specific details about the server-side hardware and
software, make reasonable assumptions based on the kind of
hardware and software that you believe would be necessary to
run your system.
Since I picked the broad topic of Database Management
Systems and this week we talked about Linux, I will choose (if I
am allowed to) Oracle.
The Hardware requirements for Oracle VM Manager include:
Memory- 6GB
Processor Type- 64 bit
Processor Speed- 1.83 GHz*1
Swap Space- 2.1 GB
Hard Disk Space- 5.5 GB in /u01
2 GB in /tmp
500 MB in /var
500 MB in /usr
The software Requirements include:
Operating Systems
Network
Web Browsers
Environment Configuration Script
Prerequisite Packages
Firewall Configuration
Installation Ports, Passwords, and Database Information
Oracle User
/u01 Directory
(Docs.oracle, n.d.)
3. Cheers,
Michael Bridges
References
Docs.oracle. (n.d.). Minimum Hardware and Software
Requirements. Retrieved from docs.oracle.com:
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E35328_01/E35330/html/vmiug-
manager-requirements.html
NT, B. (2014, July 14). 5 Advantages and Disadvantages of
Cloud Storage. Retrieved from bigdata-madesimple.com:
http://bigdata-madesimple.com/5-advantages-and-
disadvantages-of-cloud-storage/
2. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
1) Describe some reasons why Linux is installed on only a very
small fraction of desktop computers. Are there particular
categories of products or users who might see Linux as more
appealing than conventional operating systems? Do you think
Linux's share of the desktop market will increase? Why or why
not?
Although Linux is found on an incredible amount of devices
worldwide, it is not commonly installed on desktop computers.
There may be several reasons for this. One reason many cite as
a reason Linux isn't installed on many desktop computers is that
it is more difficult to install onto a computer than Windows or
MacOs (Gallaugher, n.d.). It seems that there is much more
support in easily installing Windows and MacOs than there is
installing Linux to most consumer desktop users. Additionally,
Linux is not as supported by the community for consumers when
compared to the other two big operating systems. If a person
runs into an issue with Linux, answers for the fix are often
4. geared toward more tech-savvy people than they might be for
similar issues in Windows or MacOs. However, today's world is
moving more and more towards a technology centered world.
More people are learning about computers and becoming
computer literate without the stigma of being deemed a geek or
social abnormality. This is increasing the confidence in people
to exercise their capabilities in computing and may lead to a
larger user base of Linux. As people learn more about the
technology found throughout the world, they may broaden their
horizons into using more obscure consumer operating systems. I
think with this in mind, Linux might gain more popularity as
more and more consumers are learning new uses for the
operating system.
2) What are some of the benefits of cloud computing? What are
some of the drawbacks? Find an article about cloud computing
online. Summarize and critique the article in your own words.
Be sure to include the url of the article.
Cloud computing is a very interesting idea and I think it's
taken off quite well. Being able to utilize software as needed by
timed licenses rather than permanent licenses has helped reduce
the cost of many services. For example, I remember Adobe
products such as Photoshop being incredibly expensive when
one would buy the permanent license to use the software.
Before switching to cloud software, Photoshop cost more than
$700 to buy permanently (Adobe Creative Cloud, n.d.).
Compare this to the monthly subscription to Photoshop at $10
per month and it would take nearly seven years before adding
up to the same cost. When you think about how often
professionals would have to buy new versions of Photoshop
before, it seems like a good deal to be able to pay monthly for
the service. In addition, being able to pay monthly subscriptions
for these types of services allows users to pay for the service
while they need it, then stop using it without feeling that they
wasted their money.
Tristram Warkentin of IBM wrote an article in 2014 about
5. cloud computing and explained that software as a service in the
cloud is allowing people to connect together. Facebook is an
example of a cloud service which has connected individuals all
around the world to one another. Personally, I have a very close
friend from France that I am friends with on Facebook. If it
weren't for their service, I don't think I would stay in contact
with this friend. But because of cloud computing, I've been able
to maintain contact with him to the point where he
accommodated my wife and myself on our honeymoon to Paris.
Beyond my own personal experiences with cloud computing, the
article explains that cloud applications are beneficial to users as
they allow connecting from any device at any time, provided
internet access is available. Without a stable connection to the
internet however, cloud computing can fail. If a person saves an
important document online without a local copy on their
machine, they wouldn't be able to access that document if they
lost internet connection. This could cause issues for those who
relay too much on cloud services without backups in these kinds
of scenarios.
3) Describe the hardware and software requirements of your
chosen information system. Be sure to consider both the server-
side and client-side hardware and software. If you do not have
access to specific details about the server-side hardware and
software, make reasonable assumptions based on the kind of
hardware and software that you believe would be necessary to
run your system.
In a Fleet Management System, hardware requirements start
with the machines themselves. All haulage vehicles, loaders,
shovels, and dozers must be provided and interfaced with the
system. Onboard vehicle control units interface with actuators
and over CAN or drive-by-wire to be able to control
autonomous vehicles. Radios and GPS antennas are important to
the system to be able to accurately track vehicle locations and
report those back to the operator. From the control room, most
FMS operations are run on Windows machines. Normal
6. enterprise desktops are fine for this task, as long as they meet
processing and memory requirements of the FMS. In my
familiarity with the system, this would be at least a 2.5 GHZ
processor and 8 GB of RAM. A stable network connection is
required in order to be able to communicate between vehicles
and operators. If the network would go down, information and
possibly control of the vehicles would be lost. FMS is usually
accompanied by dedicated management software which
integrates the control machine to the onboard control unit on
each vehicle. The software is necessary to track goals and give
assignments to manned or autonomous haulage vehicles.
References
Gallaugher, John (n.d.). Information Systems: A Manager's
Guide to Harnessing Technology Version 1.3. Flat World
Knowledge, Inc.
Adobe Creative Cloud and Photoshop CC (n.d.). GCF Learn
Free. Retrieved from
https://www.gcflearnfree.org/photoshopbasics/buying-
photoshop/1/
Warkentin, Tristram (2014). What is software as a service
(SaaS)? Cloud Computing News. IBM. Retrieved from
https://www.ibm.com/blogs/cloud-computing/2014/03/18/what-
is-software-as-a-service-saas/
3. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
Hello Class,
This week we are discussing the Apache and Microsoft Internet
Information Services (IIS) servers. To secure a web server is
not just one security measure fits all. There are many ways to
secure a web server.
Apache has been around for some time and according to
Upguard as of February 2014 Apache comprised of 42 percent
of all the web servers being used. Apache is an open source web
server that is freely distributed, because of that the users have
the power to edit the code to best fit their needs. One of the
7. ways to secure the Apache server is by disabling the
TraceEnable (Kumar, 2018). With the trace on can allow a
hacker to potentially access the server’s cookies and steal the
information. By disabling that feature it will make it harder for
some vulnerability to be taken advantage of.
The IIS platform offers similar features to the Apache servers;
however, it is a very different server system. When installing
IIS it is good security practice to move the Inetpub folder to a
different location so that the web content is separate from the
operating system (Darmanin, Reilink, Darmanin & Reilink,
2018). Another good option is to deny in the options menu the
“verbs” from the HTTP. By denying the verbs, it will be
beneficial as it will withhold information to an attacker that
gets accessed to the server.
There is not a perfect way of securing a network or server, there
will always be threats that are looking for vulnerabilities to take
advantage of. The best way to take care of this is to ensure that
the servers are updated with all the updated security patches
available for the system that is used by the company.
References
Media, S., Computing, C., HTTP, A., Test, S., & Kumar, C.
(2018). 10 Best Practices To Secure and Harden Your Apache
Web Server. Geek Flare. Retrieved 4 April 2018,
from https://geekflare.com/10-best-practices-to-secure-and-
harden-your-apache-web-server/
IIS vs Apache. (2018). Upguard.com. Retrieved 4 April 2018,
from https://www.upguard.com/articles/iis-apache
Darmanin, G., Reilink, J., Darmanin, G., & Reilink, J. (2018). 8
tips to secure IIS installations - Acunetix. Acunetix. Retrieved 4
April 2018, from https://www.acunetix.com/blog/articles/8-tips-
secure-iis-installation/
4. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
Two of the most popular web servers are Apache and Microsoft
IIS. Discuss some of the tools and techniques used to secure
8. these web servers.
Apache
As an open source web server software, it is extremely popular
and very fast! One of the best tips for securing apache would be
to ensure security on the operating system it is running on some
of the vulnerabilities on the host OS could correlate into
exploits on the web server. Additionally, with any type of
server, it is critical only to run services and features that are
truly critical and needed at the time. If other services are
needed later, they can be used then. Finally, it is critical even
though there are less with the Apache systems patches should be
installed correction any known vulnerabilities (Wong, 2013).
Microsoft IIS
If apache is the most popular and to some degree the most
secure then Microsoft IIS is a close second, one of the biggest
problems with any professional Microsoft product is that by
making it easier for administrators it often makes it easier to
exploit. Staying on top of patches and keeping it secure might
be more difficult. Exploits are common with Microsoft products
but so are quick patches service packs are critical for security in
this scenario. Additionally, Microsoft offers a free tool called
IIS lockdown tool that can help secure systems. “The tool
disables unused script mappings, which were the root cause of
both the Nimda and Code Red worms” (Kotex, 2003).
Both options are great choices it does seem that apache will
have some advantages but what you gain might be lost for ease
of use additionally I did find that in some test apache was
actually faster but many of the precautions between the two for
improving security remained similar.
Kotek, B. (2003, October 06). Lock IT Down: Use these tools to
tighten security in IIS. Retrieved April 04, 2018, from
https://www.techrepublic.com/article/lock-it-down-use-these-
tools-to-tighten-security-in-iis/
Wong, A. (2013, December 11). Cyber Security. Retrieved April
04, 2018, from https://commons.lbl.gov/display/cpp/Securing
9. Apache Web Servers
5. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
1. I have always looked at “diploma mills” as a big negative.
They are the lazy ones’ way of obtaining a degree without
putting forth the effort or ambition which it takes to accomplish
receiving a four year or two-year degree. Life can be tough
sometimes, leaving us with limited time to do for ourselves, so
there is a level of interest and intrigue when it comes to paying
for a two or four-year degree. It seems like the easier way of
accomplishing a college degree. In the long run it may cause
problems, due to the non-legitimacy of what one has paid for.
Some people think that receiving a degree from a diploma mill
is okay because many times after receiving a college degree,
one does not utilize many of the skills which have been
learned. The big thing that many fail to realize is that it takes a
dedicated, ambitious and focused individual to work for and
received an accredited college degree. Many times,
corporations look at that simple task, in and of itself. This is
especially true for people who earn their degree later in life
while holding a full-time job and maintaining a family as well.
This shows a true desire for success. A diploma mill is an
institution of higher education operating without supervision of
a state or professional agency and granting diplomas which are
either fraudulent or because of the lack of proper standards
worthless (2009).
2. The following
site; https://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills/di
ploma-mills.html which is a government site talks about the ill
legitimacy of diploma mill sites. Their focus is to take
individuals money and provide them with a pretty piece of paper
which mirrors a college degree from a visual perspective but not
from a legitimate accrediting institution. I agree with the points
10. and facts discussed on this site. Nothing discussed surprises
me. Another
site; http://www.counterfeitdegrees.com/law/threat.htm that I
found informative discusses how authentic furthering education
institutions may get a bad rap from the existence of diploma
mills. Online scams like diploma mills pose a multi-pronged
danger: they defraud unwitting individuals of money in
exchange for worthless degrees, weaken the foundation of
higher education, and pose a significant threat to legitimate,
online educational institutions (2017). It really is a shame that
legitimate educational institutions need to be concerned with
their reputations due to fake diplomas received from diploma
mills.
Diploma Mills and Accreditation - Diploma Mills.
(2009). https://www2.ed.gov/students/prep/college/diplomamills
/diploma-mills.html
The Threat to Legal, Online Diplomas.
(2017). http://www.counterfeitdegrees.com/law/threat.htm
6. Respond to discussion, minimum 150 words.
1) What is the impact of diploma mills on legitimate
educational institutions? How does one check the credentials of
learning institutions to verify legitimacy? What should one look
for when selecting an institution of higher learning?
Before going into this topic we must first determine what
exactly a "diploma Mill" is. So what is a diploma mill? “A
diploma mill, also known as a degree mill, is a phony university
that sells college diplomas and transcripts—the actual pieces of
paper—rather than the educational experience. Diploma mills
are scam colleges that literally crank out fake diplomas to
anyone who pays the requested "tuition."” (10 Way’s to Spot a
Diploma Mill, 2013). Diploma Mills are starting to jeopardize
traditional colleges and traditional schooling. Whether an
11. individual knows if the school is a diploma mill or not they are
still taking an education away from that student and in all
seriousness are taking people off the Market of traditional
Colleges. I think the easiest way to determine if a school is a
diploma mill would be to find out if it is a accredited
institution. I don't mean take the schools word for it, I mean do
your research. You can also follow this government website and
it will have a database of all accredited
schools https://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. When picking a
School for higher education one must find if the school is
legitimate, first and foremost. And from there I think it depends
on the individual and the University, kinda like a relationship,
you need to find a good fit for yourself.
2) Provide the URL of at least two sites that discuss the impact
of the Internet on any one of the concepts discussed this week
and provide a brief review of the information contained there.
Did you learn anything new? Were you surprised by any of the
information presented on the site?
https://www.geteducated.com/college-degree-mills/161-college-
degree-or-diploma-mill
https://consumerist.com/2015/05/18/10-things-we-learned-
about-the-worlds-largest-diploma-mill/
Before this weeks forum I had never really heard of Diploma
Mills, it makes sense that they would exist, and it seems like
any other scam, they prey on the weak and uninformed. One
thing that really surprised me is how far some of these websites
go to trick individuals. They have been found to hire actors to
promote their school as well as using stock photos. I kind of
feel bad for someone that would be tricked by this but at the
same time I wouldn't. I would hope an individual would do their
research before paying a school thousands of dollars.
Thanks,
Mike
Reference: