MIS: hardware & software

Management information systems are far more sophisticated these days. However, before considering how, why and what to invest in, it would be sensible to consider your IT set-up as a whole first, since this forms the backbone of your entire operation and what your MIS will ultimately rely on to perform. So before taking a look at what MIS systems are available and what they can do for you, we shall look at the IT side. We have come to rely on computers for more and more aspects of our lives, and certainly for most business operations. The graphics arts industry in particular needs especially powerful workstations for image processing, plus high speed networking technologies for fast document transfers. In this section we look at the components that make up an efficient digital print production workflow system the Formula One of information technology, if you like. Workflow efficiency is a delicate balance between optimised hardware (the computers, monitors, cables, storage etc), plus the right and most efficient software. In addition, IT for graphic arts applications has to be able to guarantee high throughput across the networks involved. In order to get anywhere on the digital information highway, you need a vehicle. Depending on how fast you want to travel, and how much load you need to carry, the vehicle, that is the computer, needs to be fit for purpose. Most of the time, personal computers take less load, but servers and workstations used for special tasks such as raster image processing, carry a much heavier data load and need to be configured accordingly. Three main components in a computer affect the speed and power with which it can process data. First, and perhaps most important, is the processor capacity, the central processing unit (CPU) or brain of the computer. Then there is the amount of working memory, which is where data processing tasks take place, the Random Access Memory (RAM). The more RAM your machine has, the more data processing tasks it can manage under instruction from the CPU.

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Finally the amount of general data storage capacity, the computers hard disk, and its speed, will also affect a computers performance since this is where application software and datafiles are stored. For special tasks, such as image rendering onto screen, the capacity of the graphic card will also influence the computers performance, but for most users a standard graphic interface card will suffice. CPU Intel is the worlds dominant semiconductor manufacturer and they offer a range of models. The cheaper ones work at a lower internal speed, or clock frequency. A CPU has two interdependent clock frequencies: the rate at which the CPU and RAM exchange signals, and the rate at which the CPU manages data internally. The higher the frequency, the faster the CPU and therefore the computer. The current state of the art processor technology is the dual core 2 Intel processor, which, as the name indicates, actually has two processors built into a single component. The internal speed is measured in Gigahertz, and a powerful workstation might contain one or more of these dual processors working at around 3 GHz each. But fast processor speed is not much use if the computer doesnt have enough memory in which to run its calculations. Depending on what software is used, and what task is being performed, the working memory, RAM, needs to be able to store all the data plus the software instructions that execute a given task. Otherwise the processor needs to offload data to the long term storage memory, the hard disk, which is a much slower way of performing calculations than doing them in RAM. Modern computers love lots of RAM. Whereas 256 or 512 Megabytes of RAM was plentiful some years ago, 1 or 2 Gigabyte RAM is often needed today, especially when working

with more complex software, performing more demanding tasks, meaning processing more data. The problem is compounded by the fact that we use far more applications, such as browsers, email and webcams, all of which take up RAM. Servers Most computers serve a single operator, but the computers that are used for shared data, the servers, need to have even more processor power, RAM and hard disk capacity. The servers are used to manage network traffic, share data in applications such as MIS for estimates and production planning, RIP systems for image processing and data rasterising, and Digital Asset Management (DAM) systems for sharing images and multimedia content across work groups. Since a server is accessed by many users it also needs especially fast hard disks, as well as multiple network interface cards. If a server has too little RAM, processor power or hard disk and/or network capacity, it gets choked, it stalls bogged down in a morass of data processing instructions. For the individual users this means seemingly interminable waits for data, which can be frustrating as well as costly. Modern servers have clever ways of balancing the workload between its processors and hard disks, but another way to optimise the usage of both single workstations and the server is to work according to the client-server model. This means that some of the data processing is done locally, while most of the data and the most demanding processes are handled by the more powerful server. The trend among programmers is to create the client software as a specialised web browser component that can access the server, and request information (or store new data). A side benefit of using web browser based clients is that it allows different computer

models running different types of operating systems to access a common server. In a mixed environment of Macs, PCs and Unix based computers, it opens up the computing system to provide far greater flexibility. Back-up Since the servers host so much data that is used by so many in the organisation, its necessary to make sure that this data isnt lost or corrupted, if a single hard disk starts to malfunction or there is a power cut. A typical setup for a server is to have five hard disks working together in what is called a RAID system (Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks). Two hard disks share content which is constantly copied to a second pair of hard disk, called mirroring. The fifth disk is ready to step into action automatically if any of the four active disk show symptoms of misbehaviour. The RAID system warns if anything is the matter, and an operator can change a faulty disk on the fly, without needing to shut down the server. On top of this ultra secure hard disk system, extra long term back-up can also be made onto, for example, CDs or mirrored servers at another location. Whats important with data back-up is to test that the back-up media can actually be used to restore a totally crashed server or a stolen server. The horror is to find that what was believed to have been properly backed-up data simply does not restore correctly when it is most needed. It can be difficult for non-technical people to service and support computers and servers on a regular basis, so it is wise to outsource this task to specialised computer companies. However, it is important not to rely entirely on them to evaluate the performance of the computer park. Ultimately, its the users of those computers

and servers who can judge when the performance doesnt live up to expectations, when the systems seem to get sluggish. If and when that happens, its time to find the bottlenecks, and upgrade or replace components that are becoming outdated. Its amazing, but Moores law is still valid. Moore, co-founder of Intel, stated in basic terms that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit (like in a processor) will double every two years. In real terms, this generally means that computer power doubles every other year. Strangely enough Moores prediction has more or less held not only ten years from when he made it in 1965, but still today. So dont hold on too long to outdated hardware in business crucial processes its likely that investments in relevant hardware pay off quickly. Software and operating systems A computer is a calculating machine and the software is the means of instructing the calculations. The former is based on fixed technologies that perform to a set specification, and the latter performs according to how the user wants it to. The most fundamental software needed in the computer is the operating system, which speaks directly to the components in the computer the hard disk, the mouse, the monitor, a connected scanner etc. The operating system can also communicate with application software. The operating system, the OS, oversees the running of the application software a user has installed, each of which is specialised for a certain type of task. We need a word processor for efficient writing and editing of text, a pixel processing software for image retouching and editing, a database software for our MIS-system, to make estimates, plan production, follow up on time used and costs in production. And so

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on. Since the OS is using a hardware specific language in its communication with the computer, the software normally needs to be able to function in cooperation with that particular OS. Which operating system is suitable for what tasks, and if software actually needs to be custom written for a certain OS, is among the things we will explore in this chapter. UNIX, Vista and Mac OS Leopard For decades the UNIX operating system has been the preferred OS on servers and heavy duty workstations. This is because Unix was designed so that multiple operators could use the same computing resource simultaneously. It has been hugely successful because of its elegance, efficiency and realtime resource sharing. However, Windows and the Mac OS dominate the personal computers market, because they are more accessible and easier to use, both for operators and for programmers. Advances in computing and new demands from users push both software vendors and creators of operating systems to constantly revise and enhance their operating systems and application software. Microsoft has recently shipped a substantial upgrade of its OS, with the introduction of Windows Vista. Apple, on the other hand, is about to launch a less dramatic update of the Mac OS, version 10.5, called Leopard. Most observers would probably agree that based on just a quick look, Windows Vista and Mac OS Leopard, look very much the same today. These two operating systems seem to have reached a mature state, with similar functionality, look and feel, but anyone responsible for computer support, system service and upgrades, knows that there are, of course, differences under the surface. There are good reasons why servers normally run on some types of

UNIX OS. Typically this is because the UNIX OS is known for its stability and robustness it doesnt lock up the computer, just because a single process or software fails to complete a task. The operator can just end that failed task, and restart the process, while the computer (the server) happily continues to serve the users with the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of processes, running in parallel. On a desktop computer, be it a Mac or Windows based machine, its annoying, but seldom a catastrophic, if you need to restart (reboot) the computer. On a server on the other hand, this would be close to catastrophic because it affects many users, especially if it happens frequently. Linux There are many flavours of Unix, and one that has got quite a lot of attention is Linux. In the beginning, Linux was developed as a simple and cheap (free) version of UNIX, but today Linux can be obtained as a commercial version from several vendors who have taken the core code and optimised it for a specific application. For example, the network solution vendor Novell has done this. Surprisingly Microsoft has announced that they will both sell and support the Novell version of Linux, and part of the reason for this is probably that Windows isnt based on UNIX. Some developers and programmers doubt that a Windows based server will be fast or stable enough to be used for strategic and vital applications. Some graphic arts systems companies also use Linux as their preferred operating system in commercial products. Dalim, Helios and Xinet, just to mention a few, have in common the fact that the end user doesnt need to touch Linux particularly, at least not knowingly.

In a networked workflow, with many people working on different computer platforms, it has become a problem to achieve cross platform connectivity and synchronising the software used to work equally well regardless of the operating systems involved. There are different approaches to this problem, and one of the most commonly used is to create what is called a Client software, tailored for a particular OS, to work with the server application, typically installed on a UNIX based server. So even if the operators actually work on a Windows based PC, or an Apple Macintosh, they can still access and perform the tasks that the UNIX based application, be it an MIS system, an editorial system or a digital asset management system, has to offer. Java Another approach to achieve cross platform functionality is to write the Client software modules in Java, a programming language designed for distributed computing environments, and supported on Windows OS, Mac OS and all common versions of UNIX. Using Java programming has become so popular that Microsoft has brought their own version to market, called .NET. Java was originally developed by Sun, but has been released as an Open Source standard, meaning that like Linux, Java is free. Many programmers use it as the foundation for specific products that they either share for free, or sell. This robust software development community is actively involved in the development of Linux, suggesting enhancements and improvements to the language. Microsoft on the other hand suggests that programmers simply learn the .NET programming technology to build clientserver solutions. All in all these types of solutions should make it easier to achieve

a smooth workflow across computer platforms, and that to the end user the experience has the same, or very similar, look and feel when working on a given task, regardless of what operating system is actually running on the computer. Cross platform connectivity Yet another trend in computing is the strive for cross platform connectivity, and by simply making the web browser the client software that works with the server application. Besides offering cross platform functionality, this also makes it possible to work with an application remotely, via the Internet, from wherever you happen to be. A small but important development for achieving cross platform and multi lingual workflow solutions is the expanded character sets using Unicode and the Open Type font technology. While older character sets were limited to 256 characters, a font supporting Unicode can contain more than 65 000 characters. Combined with the cross platform functionality of Open Type fonts which work in Mac OS, Windows OS and Unix OS environments its easier than ever to pass documents around the workflow, without compromising their integrity. So deciding what operating system to use for a certain application is less crucial than it used to be, but still worth considering since there is always training needed to use the applications to the fullest. Even if the operating systems may look and feel almost the same, below the surface there are, of course, differences. The cost of retraining staff used to one OS should not be underestimated, and also the time it takes to train new staff to learn how to operate a software suite, such as Quark XPress or Adobe Photoshop, as well as becoming familiar with the tasks in the OS. The goal of creating truly intuitive and easy to use user interfaces in both the software clients and in the OS is still far from being fully realised.

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