dataware housing

1. Enterprises have a crucial need for data warehouses. Discuss.
2. Explain the term strategic information. How are they related to business objectives?
3. Discuss the characteristics of strategic information.
4. How does data warehousing address the information crisis in the enterprise?
5. Discuss the evolution of Decision Support Systems. How are they inadequate at providing strategic information to decision makers?
6. Distinguish between operational and decision-support systems.
7. What are the characteristics and requirements to realize business intelligence at the data warehouse?
8. Define a Data Warehouse. How is it an aggregation of technologies?
9. Why were all the past attempts by IT to provide strategic information failures? List three concreate reasons and explain.
10. Describe five differences between operational systems and informational systems.
11. Why are operational systems not suitable for providing strategic information? Explain with reasons.
12. Discuss six important characteristics of the computing environment necessary to provide strategic information in the enterprise.
13. Describe the types of processing that take place in a data warehouse.
14. A data warehouse is not a product, it is an environment. Support or refute this statement.
15. Enumerate four reasons why data warehousing is the only viable means to resolve the information crisis and to provide strategic information.
16. Explain the defining characteristics of the data content of a data warehouse.
17. Write a short note on data marts.
18. Distinguish between data warehouses and data marts.
19. What are the two approaches in designing data warehouses and data marts?
20. Write a short note on the practical approach to data warehouses and data marts.
21. Enumerate the building blocks of a data warehouse.
22. Write a short note on the source data component.
23. Write a short note on the data staging component.
24. Write a short note on the data storage component.
25. Write a short note on the information delivery component.
26. Explain in brief the metadata and management and control component.
27. What is metadata? Explain its role in the data warehouse?
28. Data integration is more important in a data warehouse than an operational system. Explain.
29. Why does every structure in the data warehouse contain the time element?
30. What is data granularity? How is it applicable to the data warehouse?
31. Enumerate five different functions for data transformation.
32. List six different methods for information delivery.
33. Discuss in brief the significant trends in data warehousing in the following areas:
1. Multiple data types
2. Data visualization
3. Parallel processing
4. Query tools
5. Browser tools
6. Data fusion
7. Agent technology
34. Discuss in brief ERP and data warehouse integration.
35. Write a short note on data warehousing and knowledge management.
36. Write a short note on CRM ready data warehousing.
37. What is active data warehousing? Explain in brief.
38. Write a short on the web-enabled data warehouse.

1977 computer details

1977

January

• Commodore Business Machines first shows a prototype PET computer at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show. [713.32]

February

• Bill Gates and Paul Allen sign a partnership agreement to officially create the Microsoft company. [123]

April

• Commodore Business Machines shows its PET 2001 computer at the West Coast Computer Faire. The PET includes a 6502 CPU, 4 KB RAM, 14 KB ROM, keyboard, display, and tape drive, for US$600. The computer shown is a one-off prototype. [9] [266.182] [346.46] [445.256] [713.30] [747.74] (US$800 [176.54] [190.81]) (March [41]) (June [624.172])
• Apple Computer introduces the Apple II at the West Coast Computer Faire. The computer features a 6502 CPU, 4 KB RAM, 16 KB ROM, keyboard, 8-slot motherboard, game paddles, graphics/text interface to color display, and built-in BASIC, for US$1300. It is the first personal computer with color graphics. [9] [41] [46] [120] [140] [176.54] [203.7] [266.182] [346.47] [593.350] (March [185.114]) (July [716.234])

August

• Radio Shack (a division of Tandy Corp.) announces the TRS-80 microcomputer, with Z80 CPU, 4 KB RAM, 4 KB ROM, keyboard, black-and-white video display, and tape cassette for US$600. [9] [195.49] [202.198] [319.43] [548.413] [862.14] (US$300 [266.198]) (June [41]) (1978 [205.24])

1978

June

• Intel introduces the 4.77 MHz 8086 microprocessor. It uses 16-bit registers, a 16-bit data bus, and 29,000 transistors, using 3-micron technology. Price is US$360. It can access 1 MB of memory. Speed is 0.33 MIPS. Later speeds included 8 MHz (0.66 MIPS) and 10 MHz (0.75 MIPS). [108] [176.74] [177.102] [216.22] [296] [447.144] [465.25] [477.124] [540.64] [62] [690.94] [879.116] (April [346.61]) (1979 [120])

December

• Epson announces the MX-80 dot matrix printer. [9]
• Atari announces the Atari 400 and 800 personal computers, both featuring the 6502 microprocessor. The Atari 800 was code-named "Colleen" during development. [9] [231.83] [252.50] (1979 [624.178])

1979

May

• Software Arts demonstrates VisiCalc at the 4th West Coast Computer Faire. Dan Bricklin and Bob Frankston wrote it during 1978-79, under the company name Software Arts, under contract to Personal Software. [9.202] [80.126] [176.64] [203.9] [218] [266.xv] [346.102] (June [41])

June

• Apple Computer introduces the Apple II Plus, with 48 KB memory, for US$1195. [46] [200.1] [218] [593.350]
• Intel introduces the 4.77 MHz 8088 microprocessor. It was created as a stepping stone to the 8086, as it operates on 16 bits internally, but supports an 8-bit data bus, to use existing 8-bit device-controlling chips. It contains 29,000 transistors, using 3-micron technology, and can address 1 MB of memory. Speed is 0.33 MIPS. A later version operates at 8 MHz, for a speed of 0.75 MIPS. [296] [477.124] [536.502] [540.64] [203.12] [62] [879.116] [900] [947.102] (February [177.102]) (1981 [120])
• Texas Instruments introduces the TI-99/4 personal computer, for an initial price of US$1500. It uses the TI 9940 16-bit microprocessor. [9] [202.209] (late 1979 [714.135]) (US$1150 [246.81])
• MicroPro International releases the WordStar word processor, written by Rob Barnaby. It is made available for Intel 8080A Zilog Z-80 based CP/M-80 systems. [266.153] [346.259] [862.202] [1033.171] (written by Seymour Rubenstein [176.64])

September

• Motorola introduces the 68000 16-bit microprocessor. It uses 68,000 transistors, giving it its name. [176.75] [423.136] (1980 [120])

October 17

• Personal Software releases VisiCalc for the Apple II, for US$99. [46] [140] [218] [266.230] [346.102] [618.70] [1033.171] [1056.327] (November [120]) computer
  

1972 computer details

1972

April

• Intel introduces its 200-KHz 8008 chip, the first commercial 8-bit microprocessor, part of the MCS-8 product family of chips. It accesses 16 KB of memory. The processor was originally developed for Computer Terminal Corporation (later called Datapoint). It uses 3500 transistors, based on 10-micron technology. Speed is 60,000 instructions per second. [9] [106.104] [208.66] [266.13] [296] [62] [556.10] [900] [953.28] [1038.150] [1064.246] (1971 [208.70] [266.xiv])

(month unknown)

• Xerox decides to build a personal computer to be used for research. Project "Alto" begins. [263.58] [266.267] [716.85]
• Canada's Automatic Electronic Systems introduces the world's first programmable word processor with a video screen, the AES 90. The computer system uses magnetic disks for storage, and a custom-built microprocessor. [615.94]

1973

(month unknown)

• Scelbi Computer Consulting Company offers the first computer kit in the U.S. using a microprocessor, the Intel 8008-based Scelbi-8H, for US$565, with 1 KB programmable memory. An additional 15 KB is available for US$2760. [9] [208.66]
• Gary Kildall writes a simple operating system in his PL/M language. He calls it CP/M (Control Program/Monitor). [266.138] (Control Program for Microcomputer [346.50]) (Control Program / Microprocessor [1076.18]) (1974 [443.433])

1974

April

• Intel releases its 2 MHz 8080 chip, an 8-bit microprocessor. It can access 64 KB of memory. It uses 6000 transistors, based on 6-micron technology. Speed is 0.64 MIPS. [9] [41] [108] [176.74] [266.30] [296] [346.19] [879.116] [953.28] (1973 [208.70]) (March [1038.150])

(month unknown)

• Gary Kildall, of Microcomputer Applications Associates, develops the CP/M operating system for Intel 8080-based systems. [9] [176.64] [258.224]

July

• Radio Electronics magazine publishes an article on building a Mark-8 microcomputer, designed by Jonathan Titus, using the Intel 8008. [208.67]

(month unknown)

• Motorola introduces its 6800 chip, an early 8-bit microprocessor used in microcomputers and industrial and automotive control devices. The 6800 was designed by Chuck Peddle and Charlie Melear. [556.11] [1038.150]

December

• Popular Electronics publishes an article in its January 1975 issue by MITS announcing the Altair 8800 computer for US$439 in kit form. It uses the Intel 8080 processor. The Altair pictured on the cover of the magazine is actually a mock-up, as an actual computer was not available. [9] [106.104] [123] [185.109] [192.3] [208.67] [218] [205.18] (US$397 [266.35] [346.19] [353.190] [415.15])

1975

February

• Paul Allen meets with Ed Roberts to demonstrate the newly written BASIC interpreter for the Altair. Despite never having touched an Altair before, the BASIC works flawlessly. [346.24] [346.257] [606.17]
• Bill Gates and Paul Allen license their newly written BASIC to MITS, their first customer. This is the first computer language program written for a personal computer. [123] [176.122] [389.28]

March

• Fred Moore and Gordon French hold the first meeting of a new microcomputer hobbyist's club in French's garage, in Menlo Park, California. 32 people meet, including Bob Albrect, Steve Dompier, Lee Felsenstein, Bob Marsh, Tom Pittman, Marty Spergel, Alan Baum, and Steven Wozniak. Bob Albrect shows off an Altair, and Steve Dompier reports on MITS, and how they had 4000 orders for the Altair. [185.110] [266.104] [301.55] [346.18] [353.200] [346.257] [930.31] (April [208.67] 266.39)

April

• Bill Gates and Paul Allen found Micro-Soft (the hyphen is later dropped). [41] (July [346.26]) (August [346.257])
• MITS delivers the first generally-available Altair 8800, sold for US$375 with 1 KB memory. [208.67] (256 bytes [266.38])

June

• MOS Technology announces the MC6501 processor for US$20 and the MC6502 for US$25. [9] [261.304] (Fall [824])

(month unknown)

• Gordon Moore revises his 1965 prediction about transistor density, from doubling every 12 months to doubling every 18 months. This becomes known as Moore's Law. [1000.20]

July

• Dick Heiser opens Arrow Head Computer Company, subtitled "The Computer Store", in Los Angeles, selling assembled Altair computers, boards, peripherals, and magazines. This is the first retail computer store in the USA. [266.185] [684.41]

(month unknown)

• IMSAI announces the IMSAI 8080 microcomputer. [346.32] [647.95]

September

• The first issue of BYTE magazine is published. [9] [266.159]

1966-1971 computer details

1966

May

• Steven Gray founds the Amateur Computer Society, and begins publishing the ACS Newsletter. Some consider this to be the birth-date of personal computing. [208.64]

1968

(month unknown)

• Douglas C. Engelbart, of the Stanford Research Institute, demonstrates his system of keyboard, keypad, mouse, and windows at the Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco's Civic Center. He demonstrates use of a word processor, a hypertext system, and remote collaborative work with colleagues. [180.42] [185.98] [716.88] [753]

1969

(month unknown)

• Intel's Marcian (Ted) Hoff and Stan Mazor design a 4-bit CPU chip set architecture that could receive instructions and perform simple functions on data. The CPU becomes the 4004 microprocessor. [266.12] [556.9] [1038.146]
• Intel announces a 1 kilobit RAM chip, which has a significantly larger capacity than any previously produced memory chip. [9]

1971

(month unknown)

• The National Radio Institute introduces the first computer kit, for US$503. [208.66]

November

• In major trade publications including Electronic News, Intel officially introduces the MCS-4 (Microcomputer System 4-bit) microcomputer system. It is comprised of the 4001 ROM chip, 4002 RAM chip, 4003 shift register chip, and the 4004 microprocessor. Clock speed of the CPU is 108 kHz. Performance is 60,000 operations per second. It uses 2300 transistors, based on 10-micron technology. It can address 640 bytes. Initial price is US$200. Documentation manuals were written by Adam Osborne. The die for the chip measures 3x4 mm. The chip is introduced to the public in Las Vegas by Wayne Pickette. [9] [176.74] [202.165] [296] [393.6] [62] [773] [900] [953.28] [266.14] [393.6] (750 kHz [556.11]) (1972 [339.86]) computer