SEMESTER ONE EXAMINATIONS 2013

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DUBLIN CITY UNIVERSITY

SEMESTER ONE EXAMINATIONS 2013

MODULE:

Information Technology Architectures

(Code &Title)

CA349

COURSE:

B.Sc. in Enterprise Computing

YEAR OF STUDY:

3 EXAMINERS:

Dr. Declan O'Sullivan

Dr.

Nora

Power

Dr. Mark Roantree (5636)

TIME ALLOWED:

2 hours

INSTRUCTIONS:

Answer question 1 and 2 other questions.

Requirements for this paper Please mark (X) as appropriate

Log Tables Graph Paper Dictionaries Statistical Tables Thermodynamic Tables Actuarial Tables

MCQ only – Do not publish on Web

PLEASE DO NOT TURN OVER THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO The use of programmable or text storing calculators is expressly forbidden.

Please note that where a candidate answers more than the required number of questions, the examiner will mark all questions attempted and then select the highest scoring ones.

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Question 1 (Enterprise SOA) [Total marks: 40] Aer Lingus have a large IT system used to manage their information technology needs for

most parts of the organisation. This would include operational tasks such as purchasing stationary and uniforms, administration tasks such as accounting, payroll and human resource management and higher level systems such as forecasting and business intelligence. In recent years, they have extracted their booking system and moved it online to compete with other airlines. A gateway is used to connect this component to the main system.

The success of the online service has made the company realise that a modular approach to information technology offers far more flexibility and is likely to reduce costs. Assume your company have been hired to redesign their large monolithic system into a service oriented architecture.

(a) Begin by providing details of the four requirements for an Enterprise Software Architecture. In each case, provide details on how Aer Lingus can benefit from each one.

[16 marks] (b) Given the general understanding that services are building blocks, outline the different

types of services (there are 5, with one being a special case) and provide examples of each in terms of the newly designed architecture for Aer Lingus.

[13 marks] (c) Create a Service Classification Matrix where you list 3 service types and briefly

describe them under the categories of Implementation Complexity, Reusability and Frequency of change (a 3x3 matrix). It is important that you provide a sample service in each case.

[11 marks]

Question 2 (Cloud Services) [Total marks: 30]

MindMyLovedOne.Com is a company that provides monitoring of elderly people living alone. Using a system of motion detectors in the house, the system registers movement in all rooms inside the house. Through an online portal, they allow family members access to ensure that everything appears normal by observing the most recent movements, how long their family member stayed in certain rooms, at what time of the day these movements occurred etc. They also keep a history of all trips in the database going back 12 months. This allows their system to detect if any unusual events occurred.

(a) Outline a strategy with the six phases necessary to get the migration correct. In each case, clearly state the goal of each phase. Also, provide some detail of what each phase will mean in the specific case of MindMyLovedOne.Com. Note that Phase 1 should have a more detailed description.

[17 marks] (b) In terms of moving applications, there are two strategies covered in your course.

Briefly describe them and be clear on which would best suit MindMyLovedOne’s migration.

[9 marks] (c) Assuming the company decides against a move to the Cloud, outline a disaster

recovery strategy for MindMyLovedOne that uses the Cloud. Explain why you chose this option.

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Question 3 (Cloud Computing) [Total marks: 30] GoFast.com provide a very low cost service for all athletes and fun runners. It operates online and allows users to upload details of all runs and exercises and if they record it, the output from their heart rate monitors. (Note: this requires a USB connection to download from the heart rate monitor before uploading). These can be compared with all previous runs or activities, or against other runners in the demographics of your choosing.

GoFast are currently running a traditional IT setup on-premises and are considering a move to the Cloud. In parts a) and b), they have questions to be answered.

(a) “Our data-center is virtualized so we already have the Cloud”

What does this mean? Is it true? Explain your answer using GoFast services as examples. [7 marks] (b) “The Cloud means there's no role left for our IT people”.

What does this mean? Is it true? Use a GoFast example in your answer.

[5 marks] (c) What is the definition of software as a service (SaaS)? Is GoFast providing a SaaS?

Explain your answer.

[5 marks] (d) Assume that they were using a SaaS, what effort is required in providing a SaaS and

what benefits does the consumer get with SaaS technology? You should try to identify 6 benefits.

[7 marks] (e) What is meant by hardware as a service? How is it more commonly known today

with Cloud providers?

[6 marks]

Question 4 (SOA Fundamentals) [Total marks: 30]

DCU has created a new modular approach to their degrees where students on a 4-year under-graduate programme pick and choose the modules they take each semester. They have 6 years (ie. 12 semesters) in which to complete the degree and can take up to six modules per

semester with the only condition being that modules that require a pre-requisite must be taken in order. In other words, Java Programming 1 must be completed before Java Programming 2. Registration was originally a large (single) online service and you are required to redesign the architecture so that it now represents a more modular approach. In simple terms: there will now be a number of smaller services each performing a simple task.

a) Begin your answer to this question by identifying any five services within the Registration process and the order in which they might be used for a particular task.

[8 marks] b) What is meant by Orchestration in Service Oriented Architectures? Provide a simple

diagram as part of your answer using some of the services specified in part a).

[6 marks] c) Provide an illustration using Web Services Business Process Execution Language

(WS-BPEL) showing orchestration for your new Registration architecture. In your illustration, clearly show 6 of the key constructs in WS-BPEL which help to provide meaning for your architecture.

[12 marks] d) What is meant by choreography? How does it differ from orchestration?

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NOTES FOR EXTERNAL EXAMINERS

In the final week of the semester, the students will be given the following excerpts from the exam in order to help them prepare. They are not intended to give any hint as to which parts of the course will come up, but they allow the students to consider the different functions (and problems) that these organisations will face in their IT systems. The students will be told to Google the companies to find out what they do (most are obvious).

Question 1

10 marks for bookwork

15 marks for student’s own application Segment given out pre-exam:

Aer Lingus have a large IT system used to manage their information technology needs for most parts of the organisation. This would include operational tasks such as purchasing stationary and uniforms, administration tasks such as accounting, payroll and human resource management and higher level systems such as forecasting and business intelligence. In recent years, they have extracted their booking system and moved it online to compete with other airlines. A gateway is used to connect this component to the main system.

Question 2

MindMyLovedOne.Com is a company that provides monitoring of elderly people living alone. Using a system of motion detectors in the house, the system registers movement in all rooms inside the house. Through an online portal, they allow family members access to ensure that everything appears normal by observing the most recent movements, how long their family member stayed in certain rooms, at what time of the day these movements occurred etc. They also keep a history of all trips in the database going back 12 months. This allows their system to detect if any unusual events occurred.

Question 3

GoFast.com provide a very low cost online service for all athletes and fun runners. It allows them to upload details of all runs and exercises and if they record it, the output from their heart rate monitors. (Note: this requires a USB connection to download from the heart rate monitor before uploading). These can be compared with all previous runs or activities, or against other runners in the demographics of your choosing.

Question 4

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DCU has created a new modular approach to their degrees where students on a 4-year under-graduate programme pick and choose the modules they take each semester. They have 6 years (ie. 12 semesters) in which to complete the degree and can take up to six modules per

semester with the only condition being that modules that require a pre-requisite must be taken in order. In other words, Java Programming 1 must be completed before Java Programming 2.