There is a message from Alpana mam (French) regarding the French paper.

1) Conversion of singular to pleural or pleural to singular,... any one or both can be asked.
2) In case of fill in the blanks, etre or avoir would not be written below the blank.
example : I ____ a pen. In such cases mam would not write below the blank whether to
use etre or avoir....we have to find it out ourselves.
Guys, if you need any help regarding slides or French ...fell free to call me...bye

what is the meaning of Database management? Why is required in

Business system?
Ans : Database managements introduces the concepts, procedures, design,
implementation and management issues of database systems.
The database is the approach to the delivery of business-critical information.
Consequently, a robust management system is required to ensure that data can be
delivered as efficiently as possible, giving the enterprise every opportunity to be
competitive. database management system, Object Store, provides an efficient and highly
effective tool for managing data distribution.
It is required in the system to utilize the

Management of resource
To reduce the time
Human resource (internal entity)

A database management system (DBMS) is computer software that manages

databases. DBMSes may use any of a variety of database models, such as the network
model or relational model. In large systems, a DBMS allows users and other software to
store and retrieve data in a structured way.
A DBMS is a set of software programs that controls the organization, storage,
management, and retrieval of data in a database. DBMS are categorized according to
their data structures or types. It is a set of prewritten programs that are used to store,
update and retrieve a Database. The DBMS accepts requests for data from the application
program and instructs the operating system to transfer the appropriate data. When a
DBMS is used, information systems can be changed much more easily as the
organization's information requirements change. New categories of data can be added to
the database without disruption to the existing system.
Database servers are specially designed computers that hold the actual databases and run
only the DBMS and related software. Database servers are usually multiprocessor

computers, with RAID disk arrays used for stable storage. Connected to one or more
servers via a high-speed channel, hardware database accelerators are also used in large
volume transaction processing environments. DBMSs are found at the heart of most
database applications. Sometimes DBMSs are built around a private multitasking kernel
with built-in networking support although nowadays these functions are left to the
operating system.
DBMS includes of four main parts: Modeling language, data structure, database query
language, and transaction mechanism:

[edit] DBMS Features and capabilities

Features commonly offered by database management systems include:
Query ability
Querying is the process of requesting attribute information from various
perspectives and combinations of factors. Example: "How many 2-door cars in
Texas are green?" A database query language and report writer allow users to
interactively interrogate the database, analyze its data and update it according to
the users privileges on data.
Backup and replication
Copies of attributes need to be made regularly in case primary disks or other
equipment fails. A periodic copy of attributes may also be created for a distant
organization that cannot readily access the original. DBMS usually provide
utilities to facilitate the process of extracting and disseminating attribute sets.
When data is replicated between database servers, so that the information remains
consistent throughout the database system and users cannot tell or even know
which server in the DBMS they are using, the system is said to exhibit replication
transparency.
Rule enforcement
Often one wants to apply rules to attributes so that the attributes are clean and
reliable. For example, we may have a rule that says each car can have only one
engine associated with it (identified by Engine Number). If somebody tries to
associate a second engine with a given car, we want the DBMS to deny such a
request and display an error message. However, with changes in the model
specification such as, in this example, hybrid gas-electric cars, rules may need to
change. Ideally such rules should be able to be added and removed as needed
without significant data layout redesign.
Security
Often it is desirable to limit who can see or change which attributes or groups of
attributes. This may be managed directly by individual, or by the assignment of
individuals and privileges to groups, or (in the most elaborate models) through the
assignment of individuals and groups to roles which are then granted entitlements.
Computation
There are common computations requested on attributes such as counting,
summing, averaging, sorting, grouping, cross-referencing, etc. Rather than have

each computer application implement these from scratch, they can rely on the
DBMS to supply such calculations.
Change and access logging
Often one wants to know who accessed what attributes, what was changed, and
when it was changed. Logging services allow this by keeping a record of access
occurrences and changes.
Automated optimization
If there are frequently occurring usage patterns or requests, some DBMS can
adjust themselves to improve the speed of those interactions. In some cases the
DBMS will merely provide tools to monitor performance, allowing a human
expert to make the necessary adjustments after reviewing the statistics collected.

[edit] Meta-data repository

Metadata is data describing data. For example, a listing that describes what attributes are
allowed to be in data sets is called "meta-information". The meta-data is also known as
data about data.

[edit] Examples of Database Management Systems

Alpha Five
DataEase
Brilliant Database
Oracle database
IBM DB2
Adaptive Server Enterprise
FileMaker
Firebird
Ingres
Informix
Microsoft Access

Microsoft SQL Server

Microsoft Visual FoxPro

MySQL
PostgreSQL
Progress
SQLite
Teradata
CSQL
OpenLink Virtuoso

Daffodil DB

Q. 3) what is computer?
Ans : computer system can be compared with Human resources like brain the computer is
having a C.P.U.
Ex.

Human brain controls each & every part likewise C.P.U. also control every part of
the computer.

The Brain is divided into two parts right brain and left brain whose main function
to control left part and right part of the body respectively. Similarly, C.P.U. is
having A.L.U. (arithmetic logical unit) which handles the components of the
computer and is helped by the system BUS. For eg. If there is a problem with
keyboard the system BUS tells us about the problem.

The information from different parts of the body is send to brain through central
nervous system. In the similar passion Operating System helps to communicate
with system BUS and other function of operating system is to identify the
configuration of computer. It identifies the all input and output devices which are
Keyboard, mouse, monitor, Hard Disk drive, printer, scanner, CD/DVD RW,
Floppy disk drive, pen drive, web cam, speaker and microphone.

Q1 WHAT IS SOFTWARE PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

ANS:- Software Project Management is a sub-discipline of Project management in
which software projects are planned, monitored and controlled.

What is project management?

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to
project activities to meet project requirement.
Project management is the discipline of organizing and managing
resources (e.g. people) in such a way that the project is completed within defined scope,
quality, time and cost constraints. A project is a temporary and one-time endeavor

undertaken to create a unique product or service, which brings about beneficial change or
added value. This property of being a temporary and one-time undertaking contrasts with
processes, or operations, which are permanent or semi-permanent ongoing functional
work to create the same product or service over and over again. The management of these
two systems is often very different and requires varying technical skills and philosophy,
hence requiring the development of project management.
The first challenge of project management is to make sure that a project is delivered
within defined constraints. The second, more ambitious challenge is the optimized
allocation and integration of inputs needed to meet pre-defined objectives. A project is a
carefully defined set of activities that use resources (money, people, materials, energy,
space, provisions, communication, etc.) to meet the pre-defined objectives.
The purpose of Project Planning is to identify the scope of the project, estimate the work
involved, and create a project schedule. Project planning begins with requirements that
define the software to be developed. The project plan is then developed to describe the
tasks that will lead to completion.
Why there is requirement of software management?
Requirements analysis is a term used to describe all the tasks that go into the instigation,
scoping and definition of a new or altered computer system. Requirements analysis is an
important part of the software engineering process; whereby business analysts or
software developer identify the needs or requirements of a client; having identified these
requirements they are then in a position to design a solution.
QUALITY ASSURANCE:Quality assurance covers all activities from design, development, production, installation,
servicing and documentation. This introduced the rules: "fit for purpose" and "do it right
the first time". It includes the regulation of the quality of raw materials, assemblies,
products and components; services related to production; and management, production,
and inspection processes. Quality assurance (QA) is the activity of providing evidence
needed to establish confidence among all concerned, that quality-related activities are
being performed effectively. All those planned or systematic actions necessary to provide
adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality.
QUALITY CONTROL
Quality control is involved in developing systems to ensure products or services are
designed and produced to meet or exceed customer requirements. These systems are often
developed in conjunction with other business and engineering disciplines using a crossfunctional approach.

Difference between software quality assurance

and software quality control :
QUALITY ASSURANCE(QA)

QUALITY CONTROL(QC)

Systematic activities which producer

carries out to assure the satisfaction of
quality required by customers
Quality Assurance is an "objective"

A system of means to practically produce

product or service which satisfy customer
requirements
Quality Control is the activity to
accomplish the objective
QA activities ensure that the process is QC activities focus on finding defects in
defined and appropriate. Methodology and specific deliverables - e.g., are the defined
standards development are examples of QA requirements the right requirements.
activities. A QA review would focus on the
process elements of a project - e.g., are
requirements being defined at the proper
level of detail.
Quality assurance aims to assure that Quality control aims to determine that
quality work and quality deliverables will quality work and quality deliverables did
be built in before work is done
occur after work was done
QA is process oriented
QC is product oriented.
Quality Assurance makes sure you are Quality Control makes sure the results of
doing the right things, the right way.
what you've done are what you expected.

1.)

What is DRP and BCP?

Ans.) DRP(Disaster recovery policy)is the process of regaining
access to the data, hardware and software necessary to
resume critical business operations after a natural or humaninduced disaster.

BCP(Business continuity planning).The more your business

relies on its IT systems, the more is need to consider how unexpected
disruptions might affect your business. These disruptions come in many
forms, from fire or floods to theft. BCP improves your business ability to
react to such disruptions. It describes how you will restart the operations in
order to meet your business critical requirements. Thus, BCP is the process
of planning for the unexpected. An effective plan will provide you with
procedures to minimize the effects pf unexpected disruptions.
2.)

Why do we require DRP?

Ans.) We require DRP to provide us the security so that our business

doesnt suffer from financial losses during the period of disaster and
even to avoid business failure.
3.)

What are the advantages of DRP?

Ans.)The advantages of DRP are:

a.)To come down to a simple risk assessment
b.) Faster, more efficient and less expensive recovery
c.)Reduced insurance costs
d.)Investor confidence-Confidence that you can continue your
business even after the disaster. Improves the ability of manager
e.)Provides you with back-up of information and documents if
the original is destroyed
4.)How to implement DRP?
Ans.)The various steps for the implementation of DRP are as follows:
a.)Understand where gaps exist
b.)Identify weak links in your Disaster recovery plan

c.)Optimize DRP in your existing environments.

d.) Minimize configuration changes
e.)Reduce hardware costs for your replica environments
Q3. What is Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)?Why is it Required?
ANS. Disaster recovery is the process of regaining access to the data, hardware and
software necessary to resume critical business operations after a natural or humaninduced disaster. A disaster recovery plan (DRP) should also include plans for coping
with the unexpected or sudden loss of key personnel, although this is not covered in this
article, the focus of which is data protection.

Disaster recovery planning involves an analysis of business processes and continuity

needs; it may also include a significant focus on disaster prevention. It is required
because the primary objective of a business resumption plan is to enable an organization
to survive a disaster and to re-establish normal business operations. In order to survive,
an organization must ensure that critical operations can resume within a reasonable time
frame. Therefore, the goals of a business resumption plan should be to identify
weaknesses and implement a disaster prevention programmed, minimize the duration of a
serious disruption to business operations, facilitate effective co-ordination of recovery
tasks, and most importantly reduce complexity of the recovery effort.
Business continuity planning and its utility:
ANS. Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is an interdisciplinary peer mentoring
methodology used to create and validate a practiced logistical plan for how an
organization will recover and restore partially or completely interrupted critical

Function(s) within a predetermined time after a disaster or extended disruption. The

logistical plan is called a Business Continuity Plan.
BCP is required because of the following reasons
Some problems will be overlooked, ignored, or work will not be completed on
time.
There will not be enough time or money to fix everything.
Some solutions may not be available or work in time because they were
overlooked, too complex, too costly, or implemented incorrectly.
It is impossible to ensure that other organizations and groups, both internal and
external, will have working systems.
Implementation of DRP and BCP:
ANS .DRP can be implemented in the following way .This plan applies to major, usually
catastrophic, events that deny access to the normal facility for an extended period.
Frequently, DRP refers to an IT-focused plan designed to restore operability of the target
system, application, or computer facility an alternate site after an emergency. The DRP
scope may overlap that of an IT contingency plan; however, the DRP is narrower in scope
and does not address minor disruptions that do not require relocation. Dependent on the
agencys needs, several DRPs may be appended to the BCP.
BCP can be implemented in the following way
It focuses on sustaining an organizations business functions during and after a disruption.
An example of a business function may be a payroll or consumer information process. A
BCP may be written for a specific business process or may address all key business
processes. Information technology (IT) systems are considered in the BCP in terms of
support to the business processes. In some cases, the BCP may not address long-term

recovery of processes and return to normal operations, solely covering interim business
continuity requirements. A disaster recovery plan, business resumption plan, and
occupant emergency plan may be appended to the BCP. Responsibilities and priorities
set in the BCP should be coordinated with those in Continuity of Operations to eliminate
possible conflicts.

Sarbanes- Oxley act in India (SoX)

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (often shortened to SOX) is legislation enacted in
response to the high-profile Enron and WorldCom financial scandals to protect
shareholders and the general public from accounting errors and fraudulent practices in the
enterprise. The act is administered by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC),
which sets deadlines for compliance and publishes rules on requirements. SarbanesOxley is not a set of business practices and does not specify how a business should store
records; rather, it defines which records are to be stored and for how long. The legislation
not only affects the financial side of corporations, but also affects the IT departments
whose job it is to store a corporation's electronic records. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act states
that all business records, including electronic records and electronic messages, must be
saved for "not less than five years." The consequences for non-compliance are fines,
imprisonment, or both. IT departments are increasingly faced with the challenge of
creating and maintaining a corporate records archive in a cost-effective fashion that
satisfies the requirements put forth by the legislation.
Impact of SOX on the corporate IT department
The SEC identifies the COSO framework by name as a methodology for achieving
compliance. The COSO framework defines five components of internal control, which
can help support the requirements as set forth in the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. These
five areas and their impacts for the IT Department are as follows:
Risk Assessment. Before the necessary controls are implemented, IT management must
assess and understand the areas of risk affecting the completeness and validity of the
financial reports. They must examine how the company's systems are being used and the
current level and accuracy of existing documentation. The areas of risk drive the
definition of the other four components of the COSO framework.
Control Environment. The control environment sets the tone of an organization,
influencing the control consciousness of its people. It is the foundation for all other
components of internal control, providing discipline and structure. Control environment
factors include the integrity, ethical values and competence of the entity's people;
management's philosophy and operating style; the way management assigns authority and
responsibility, and organizes and develops its people; and the attention and direction
provided by the board of directors.

Control Activities. Control activities are the policies and procedures that help ensure
management directives are carried out. They help ensure that necessary actions are taken
to address risks to achievement of the entity's objectives. Control activities occur
throughout the organization, at all levels and in all functions. They include a range of
activities as diverse as approvals, authorizations, verifications, reconciliations, reviews of
operating performance, security of assets and segregation of duties. In an IT environment,
control activities typically include IT general controls -- such as controls over program
changes, access to programs, computer operations -- and application controls.
Monitoring. Auditing processes and schedules should be developed to address the highrisk areas within the IT organization. IT personnel should perform frequent internal
audits. In addition, personnel from outside the IT organization should perform audits on a
schedule that is appropriate to the level of risk. Management should clearly understand
and be held responsible for the outcome of these audits.
Information and Communication. Without timely, accurate information, it will be
difficult for IT management to proactively identify and address areas of risk. They will be
unable to react to issues as they occur. IT management must demonstrate to company
management an understanding of what needs to be done to comply with Sarbanes-Oxley
and how to get there.
DISASTER RECOVERY PLAN (DRP)
Disaster recovery is the process of regaining access to the data, hardware and software
necessary to resume critical business operations after a natural or human-induced disaster.
A disaster recovery plan (DRP) should also include plans for coping with the unexpected
or sudden loss of key personnel, although this is not covered in this article, the focus of
which is data protection. Disaster recovery planning involves an analysis of business
processes and continuity needs; it may also include a significant focus on disaster
prevention. It is required because the primary objective of a business resumption plan is
to enable an organization to survive a disaster and to re-establish normal business
operations. In order to survive, an organization must ensure that critical operations can
resume within a reasonable time frame. Therefore, the goals of a business resumption
plan should be to identify weaknesses and implement a disaster prevention programmed,
minimize the duration of a serious disruption to business operations, facilitate effective
co-ordination of recovery tasks, and most importantly reduce complexity of the recovery
effort.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT DRP?
There are following steps for the implementation of DRP:
1.) Understand where gap may exist
2.) Identify weak links in your Disaster recovery plan
3.) Optimize Disaster recovery in your existing environments
4.) Minimize configuration changes
5.) Reduce hardware costs for your replica environments.
ADVANTAGES OF DRP.
A.)To come down to a simple risk assessment.

B.)Faster, more efficient and less expensive recovery

C.)Reduced insurance costs.
D.)Investor confidence-Gives confidence that you can continue your
Business even after the disaster. Improves managers ability.
E.)Provides you with back-up of information and documents if the
Original one is destroyed.
BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING (BCP)AND ITS UTILITY.
Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is an interdisciplinary peer mentoring methodology
used to create and validate a practiced logistical plan for how an organization will recover
and restore partially or completely interrupted critical.
Function(s) within a predetermined time after a disaster or extended disruption. The
logistical plan is called a Business Continuity Plan.
BCP is required because of the following reasons
Some problems will be overlooked, ignored, or work will not be completed on
time.
There will not be enough time or money to fix everything.
Some solutions may not be available or work in time because they were
overlooked, too complex, too costly, or implemented incorrectly.
It is impossible to ensure that other organizations and groups, both internal and
external, will have working systems.
HOW TO IMPLEMENT BCP?
BCP focuses on sustaining an organizations business functions during and after a
disruption. An example of a business function may be a payroll or consumer information
process. A BCP may be written for a specific business process or may address all key
business processes. Information technology (IT) systems are considered in the BCP in
terms of support to the business processes. In some cases, the BCP may not address
long-term recovery of processes and return to normal operations, solely covering interim
business continuity requirements. A disaster recovery plan, business resumption plan,
and occupant emergency plan may be appended to the BCP. Responsibilities and
priorities set in the BCP should be coordinated with those in Continuity of Operations to
eliminate possible conflicts.

1.) What are the necessities of server?

Ans.) Servers are necessary:
1.) When an application is launched for the first time and
doesnt know anybody yet.
2.) When an application cannot find satisfactory neighbours by
itself.
3.) To update data of favourite users whose informations have
changed.
4.) To hold chat rooms data, i.e. to create a room, to connect or
disconnect from it.

2.)What are the different types of servers?

Ans.) The simplest form of servers are:
a.) Disk server: This server allows certain users to have access to
specific data or be able to store or maintain data on the server.
b.)File server: In this type of server, the client requests for files or
file records over a network to the file server.
The advanced form of servers are:
a.)Database server: In this type of server, client passes
SQL(Structured Query Language) requests as messages to the
server and the results of the query are returned over the network.
b.)Transaction server: In transaction server, the clients invoke
remote procedures that reside on servers which also contain an SQL
database engine.
c.)Applicaton server: Application servers are not necessarily
database centred but are used to serve user needs, such as
downloading capabilities or regulating an electronic mail process

Server is an adjective in the term server operating system. A server

operating system is intended, enabled, or better able to run server
applications. The differences between the server version and the
"workstation" version of an operating system vary. Sometimes (as in the
case of Windows 2000 and Windows 2000 Server), the primary difference is
the removal of arbitrary license-dependent limits on the number of network
file share connections accepted. Some server editions include additional
server applications bundled with the operating system. Some server
applications (e.g. Microsoft IIS) impose arbitrary limits on the number of
HTTP connections they will accept, depending on whether they are running
under a server operating system or not.
A server computer (often called server for short) is a computer system that
has been designated for running a specific server application or applications.
A computer that is designated for only one server application is often named

for that application. For example, when Apache HTTP Server (software) is a
company's web server, the computer running it is also called the web server.
Server applications can be divided among server computers over an extreme
range, depending upon the workload. Under light loading, every server
application can run concurrently on a single computer. Under heavy loading,
multiple server computers may be required for each application. Under
medium loading, it is common to use one server computer per server
application, in order to limit the amount of damage caused by failure of any
single server computer or security breach of any single server application.
Any server computer can also be used as a workstation, but it is avoided in
practice, again to contain risk.
Server or server computer is also a designation for computer models
intended for use running server applications, often under heavy workloads,
unattended, for extended time. While any "workstation" computer can run
server operating systems and server applications, a server computer usually
has special features intended to make it more suitable. Distinctions often
include faster processor and memory, more RAM, larger hard drives, higher
reliability, redundant power supplies, redundant hard drives (RAID),
compact size and shape, modular design (e.g., blade servers often used in
server farms), rack or cabinet mountability, serial console redirection, etc.
The name server or server appliance also applies to network-connected
computer appliances or "appliance hardware" that provides specific services
onto the network. Though the appliance is a server computer, loaded with a
server operating system and a server application, the user need not configure
any of it. It is a black box that does a specific job. The simplest servers are
most often sold as appliances, for example switches, routers, gateways, print
servers, net modems.
A server is defined as a multi-user computer that provides a service (e.g.
database access, file transfer, remote access) or resources (e.g. file space)
over a network connection.
o
o
o
o

Application server a server dedicated to running certain

software applications
Communications server, carrier-grade computing platform for
communications networks
Database server provides database services
Proxy server Provides database IT server in services

o
o
o
o
o
o
o

Fax server provides fax services for clients

File server provides file services
Game server a server that video game clients connect to in
order to play online together
Standalone server an emulator for client-server (web-based)
programs
Web server a server that HTTP clients connect to in order to
send commands and receive responses along with data contents
Client-server a software architecture that separates "server"
functions from "client" functions
Peer-to-peer a network of computers running as both clients and
servers.

The Client Server Architecture

The Internet revolves around the client-server architecture. Your computer runs
software called the client and it interacts with another software known as the server
located at a remote computer. The client is usually a browser such as Internet
Explorer, Netscape Navigator or Mozilla. Browsers interact with the server using a
set of instructions called protocols. These protocols help in the accurate transfer of
data through requests from a browser and responses from the server. There are
many protocols available on the Internet. The World Wide Web, which is a part of the
Internet, brings all these protocols under one roof. You can, thus, use HTTP, FTP,
Telnet, email etc. from one platform - your web browser

Client-server is a computing architecture which separates a client from a

server, and is almost always implemented over a computer network. Each
client or server connected to a network can also be referred to as a node. The
most basic type of client-server architecture employs only two types of
nodes: clients and servers. This type of architecture is sometimes referred to
as two-tier. It allows devices to share files and resources.
Each instance of the client software can send data requests to one or more
connected servers. In turn, the servers can accept these requests, process
them, and return the requested information to the client. Although this
concept can be applied for a variety of reasons to many different kinds of
applications, the architecture remains fundamentally the same.

These days, clients are most often web browsers, although that has not
always been the case. Servers typically include web servers, database servers
and mail servers. Online gaming is usually client-server too. In the specific
case of MMORPG, the servers are typically operated by the company selling
the game; for other games one of the players will act as the host by setting
his game in server mode.
The interaction between client and server is often described using sequence
diagrams. Sequence diagrams are standardized in the Unified Modeling
Language.
Characteristics
Characteristics of a client
Initiates requests
Waits for and receives replies
Usually connects to a small number of servers at one time
Typically interacts directly with end-users using a graphical user
interface
Characteristics of a server
Passive (slave)
Waits for requests from clients
Upon receipt of requests, processes them and then serves replies
Usually accepts connections from a large number of clients
Typically does not interact directly with end-users

Data warehouse is a repository of an organization's electronically stored data. Data

warehouses are designed to facilitate reporting and analysis[1].
This classic definition of the data warehouse focuses on data storage. However, the
means to retrieve and analyze data, to extract, transform and load data, and to manage the
data dictionary are also considered essential components of a data warehousing system.
Many references to data warehousing use this broader context. Thus, an expanded
definition for data warehousing includes business intelligence tools, tools to extract,
transform, and load data into the repository, and tools to manage and retrieve metadata.

In contrast to data warehouses are operational systems which perform day-to-day

transaction processing.
"Datawarehousing"
The process of transforming data into information and making it available to the user in a
timely enough manner to make a difference is known as data warehousing.

Benefits of data warehousing

Some of the benefits that a data warehouse provides are as follows: [9][10]

A data warehouse provides a common data model for all data of interest
regardless of the data's source. This makes it easier to report and analyze
information than it would be if multiple data models were used to retrieve
information such as sales invoices, order receipts, general ledger charges, etc.
Prior to loading data into the data warehouse, inconsistencies are identified and
resolved. This greatly simplifies reporting and analysis.
Information in the data warehouse is under the control of data warehouse users so
that, even if the source system data is purged over time, the information in the
warehouse can be stored safely for extended periods of time.
Because they are separate from operational systems, data warehouses provide
retrieval of data without slowing down operational systems.
Data warehouses can work in conjunction with and, hence, enhance the value of
operational business applications, notably customer relationship management
(CRM) systems.
Data warehouses facilitate decision support system applications such as trend
reports (e.g., the items with the most sales in a particular area within the last two
years), exception reports, and reports that show actual performance versus goals.

<APPLICATIONS> 1. Finance -credit card analysis 2. Insurance- fraud analysis 3.

Transport- logistic management 4. Telecommunications- call record analysis

Disadvantages of data warehouses

There are also disadvantages to using a data warehouse. Some of them are:

Over their life, data warehouses can have high costs. The data warehouse is
usually not static. Maintenance costs are high.
Data warehouses can get outdated relatively quickly. There is a cost of delivering
suboptimal information to the organization.
There is often a fine line between data warehouses and operational systems.
Duplicate, expensive functionality may be developed. Or, functionality may be
developed in the data warehouse that, in retrospect, should have been developed
in the operational systems and vice versa..

Business intelligence (BI) refers to skills, knowledge, technologies, applications and

practices used to help a business to acquire a better understanding of the market behavior
and business context. For this purpose it employs collection, integration, analysis,
interpretation and presentation of business information. In simplified meaning it may
refer to the collected information itself or the explicit knowledge developed from the
information. The purpose of business intelligence--a term that dates at least to 1958--is to
support better business decision making.[1] Thus, BI system is also described as a decision
support system (DSS):[2]
BI is sometimes used interchangeably with briefing books, report and query tools and executive
information systems. In general, business intelligence systems are data-driven DSS.

BI systems provide historical, current, and predictive views of business operations, most
often using data that has been gathered into a data warehouse or a data mart and
occasionally working from operational data. Software elements support the use of this
information by assisting in the extraction, analysis, and reporting of information.
Applications tackle sales, production, financial, and many other sources of business data
for purposes that include, notably, business performance management. Information may
be gathered on comparable companies to produce benchmarks.

Electronic commerce
Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the
buying and selling of products or services over electronic systems such as the Internet
and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown
extraordinarily since the spread of the Internet. A wide variety of commerce is conducted
in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply
chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data
interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection
systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at
some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of
technologies such as e-mail as well.
A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted entirely electronically for virtual
items such as access to premium content on a website, but most electronic commerce
involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are sometimes
known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all big retailers
have electronic commerce presence on the World Wide Web.
Electronic commerce that is conducted between businesses is referred to as business-tobusiness or B2B. B2B can be open to all interested parties (e.g. commodity exchange) or
limited to specific, pre-qualified participants (private electronic market). Electronic
commerce that is conducted between businesses and consumers, on the other hand, is
referred to as business-to-consumer or B2C. This is the type of electronic commerce
conducted by companies such as Amazon.com.

Electronic commerce is generally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also

consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financing and payment aspects of the
business transactions.

Business applications
Some common applications related to electronic commerce are the following:

E-mails and Messaging

Content Management Systems
Documents, spreadsheets, database
Accounting and finance systems
Orders and shipment information
Enterprise and client information reporting
Domestic and international payment systems
Newsgroup
On-line Shopping
Messaging
Conferencing
Online Banking

Electronic Business, commonly referred to as "eBusiness" or "e-Business", may be

defined as the utilization of information and communication technologies (ICT) in
support of all the activities of business. Commerce constitutes the exchange of products
and services between businesses, groups and individuals and hence can be seen as one of
the essential activities of any business. Hence, electronic commerce or eCommerce
focuses on the use of ICT to enable the external activities and relationships of the
business with individuals, groups and other businesses [1].
Louis Gerstner, the former CEO of IBM, in his book, Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?
attributes the term "e-Business" to IBM's marketing and Internet teams in 1996.
Electronic business methods enable companies to link their internal and external data
processing systems more efficiently and flexibly, to work more closely with suppliers and
partners, and to better satisfy the needs and expectations of their customers.
In practice, e-business is more than just e-commerce. While e-business refers to more
strategic focus with an emphasis on the functions that occur using electronic capabilities,
e-commerce is a subset of an overall e-business strategy. E-commerce seeks to add
revenue streams using the World Wide Web or the Internet to build and enhance
relationships with clients and partners and to improve efficiency using the Empty Vessel
strategy. Often, e-commerce involves the application of knowledge management systems.
E-business involves business processes spanning the entire value chain: electronic
purchasing and supply chain management, processing orders electronically, handling
customer service, and cooperating with business partners. Special technical standards for

e-business facilitate the exchange of data between companies. E-business software

solutions allow the integration of intra and inter firm business processes. E-business can
be conducted using the Web, the Internet, intranets, extranets, or some combination of
these.
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is an enterprise-wide information system designed
to coordinate all the resources, information, and activities needed to complete business
processes such as order fulfillment or billing.[1]
An ERP system supports most of the business system that maintains in a single database
the data needed for a variety of business functions such as Manufacturing, Supply Chain
Management, Financials, Projects, Human Resources and Customer Relationship
Management.
An ERP system is based on a common database and a modular software design. The
common database can allow every department of a business to store and retrieve
information in real-time. The information should be reliable, accessible, and easily
shared. The modular software design should mean a business can select the modules they
need, mix and match modules from different vendors, and add new modules of their own
to improve business performance.
Ideally, the data for the various business functions are integrated. In practice the ERP
system may comprise a set of discrete applications, each maintaining a discrete data store
within one physical database.
Some organizations typically those with sufficient in-house IT skills to integrate
multiple software products choose to implement only portions of an ERP system and
develop an external interface to other ERP or stand-alone systems for their other
application needs. For example, one may choose to use human resource management
system from one vendor, and the financial systems from another, and perform the
integration between the systems themselves.
This is very common in the retail sector[citation needed], where even a mid-sized retailer will
have a discrete Point-of-Sale (POS) product and financials application, then a series of
specialized applications to handle business requirements such as warehouse management,
staff rostering, merchandising and logistics.
Ideally, ERP delivers a single database that contains all data for the software modules,
which would include:
Manufacturing
Engineering, Bills of Material, Scheduling, Capacity, Workflow Management,
Quality Control, Cost Management, Manufacturing Process, Manufacturing
Projects, Manufacturing Flow
Supply Chain Management

Order to cash, Inventory, Order Entry, Purchasing, Product Configurator, Supply

Chain Planning, Supplier Scheduling, Inspection of goods, Claim Processing,
Commission Calculation
Financials
General Ledger, Cash Management, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable,
Fixed Assets
Projects
Costing, Billing, Time and Expense, Activity Management
Human Resources
Human Resources, Payroll, Training, Time & Attendance, Rostering, Benefits
Customer Relationship Management
Sales and Marketing, Commissions, Service, Customer Contact and Call Center
support
Data Warehouse
and various Self-Service interfaces for Customers, Suppliers, and Employees
Access control ; user privilege as per authority levels for process execution
Customization; to meet the extension ,addition, change in process flow
Enterprise Resource Planning is a term originally derived from manufacturing resource
planning (MRP II) that followed material requirements planning (MRP).[3] MRP evolved
into ERP when "routings" became a major part of the software architecture and a
company's capacity planning activity also became a part of the standard software activity.
[citation needed]
ERP systems typically handle the manufacturing, logistics, distribution,
inventory, shipping, invoicing, and accounting for a company. Enterprise Resource
Planning or ERP software can aid in the control of many business activities, like sales,
marketing, delivery, billing, production, inventory management, quality management,
and human resource management.
ERP systems saw a large boost in sales in the 1990s as companies faced the Y2K problem
in their legacy systems. Many companies took this opportunity to replace their legacy
information systems with ERP systems. This rapid growth in sales was followed by a
slump in 1999, at which time most companies had already implemented their Y2K
solution.[4]
ERPs are often incorrectly called back office systems indicating that customers and the
general public are not directly involved. This is contrasted with front office systems like
customer relationship management (CRM) systems that deal directly with the customers,
or the eBusiness systems such as eCommerce, eGovernment, eTelecom, and eFinance, or
supplier relationship management (SRM) systems.
ERPs are cross-functional and enterprise wide. All functional departments that are
involved in operations or production are integrated in one system. In addition to
manufacturing, warehousing, logistics, and information technology, this would include
accounting, human resources, marketing, and strategic management.

ERP II means open ERP architecture of components. The older, monolithic ERP systems
became component oriented.[citation needed]
EAS Enterprise Application Suite is a new name for formerly developed ERP systems
which include (almost) all segments of business, using ordinary Internet browsers as thin
clients.[citation needed]
Supply chain management (SCM) is the management of a network of interconnected
businesses involved in the ultimate provision of product and service packages required by
end customers (Harland, 1996). Supply Chain Management spans all movement and
storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-oforigin to point-of-consumption (supply chain).
Supply chain execution is managing and coordinating the movement of materials,
information and funds across the supply chain. The flow is bi-directional.

[edit] Activities/functions
Supply chain management is a cross-functional approach to manage the movement of raw
materials into an organization, certain aspects of the internal processing of materials into
finished goods, and then the movement of finished goods out of the organization toward
the end-consumer. As organizations strive to focus on core competencies and becoming
more flexible, they have reduced their ownership of raw materials sources and
distribution channels. These functions are increasingly being outsourced to other entities
that can perform the activities better or more cost effectively. The effect is to increase the
number of organizations involved in satisfying customer demand, while reducing
management control of daily logistics operations. Less control and more supply chain
partners led to the creation of supply chain management concepts. The purpose of supply
chain management is to improve trust and collaboration among supply chain partners,
thus improving inventory visibility and improving inventory velocity.
Several models have been proposed for understanding the activities required to manage
material movements across organizational and functional boundaries. SCOR is a supply
chain management model promoted by the Supply Chain Management Council. Another
model is the SCM Model proposed by the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF). Supply
chain activities can be grouped into strategic, tactical, and operational levels of activities.

[edit] Developments in Supply Chain Management

Six major movements can be observed in the evolution of supply chain management
studies: Creation, Integration, and Globalization (Lavassani et al., 2008a), Specialization
Phases One and Two, and SCM 2.0.
1. Creation Era

2. Integration Era
3. Globalization Era.
4. Specialization Era -- Phase One -- Outsourced Manufacturing and Distribution
5. Specialization Era -- Phase Two -- Supply Chain Management as a Service
6. Supply Chain Management 2.0 (SCM 2.0)

[edit] Supply chain business process integration

Successful SCM requires a change from managing individual functions to integrating
activities into key supply chain processes. An example scenario: the purchasing
department places orders as requirements become appropriate. Marketing, responding to
customer demand, communicates with several distributors and retailers as it attempts to
satisfy this demand. Shared information between supply chain partners can only be fully
leveraged through process integration.
Supply chain business process integration involves collaborative work between buyers
and suppliers, joint product development, common systems and shared information. ting
a process approach to the business. The key supply chain processes stated by Lambert
(2004) [5] are:

Customer relationship management

Customer service management
Demand management
Order fulfillment
Manufacturing flow management
Supplier relationship management
Product development and commercialization
Returns management

One could suggest other key critical supply business processes combining these processes
stated by Lambert such as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.

Customer service management

Procurement
Product development and commercialization
Manufacturing flow management/support
Physical distribution
Outsourcing/partnerships
Performance measurement

a) Customer service management process

Customer Relationship Management concerns the relationship between the organization

and its customers. Customer service provides the source of customer information. It also
provides the customer with real-time information on promising dates and product
availability through interfaces with the company's production and distribution operations.
Successful organizations use following steps to build customer relationships:

determine mutually satisfying goals between organization and customers

establish and maintain customer rapport
produce positive feelings in the organization and the customers

b) Procurement process
Strategic plans are developed with suppliers to support the manufacturing flow
management process and development of new products. In firms where operations extend
globally, sourcing should be managed on a global basis. The desired outcome is a winwin relationship, where both parties benefit, and reduction times in the design cycle and
product development are achieved. Also, the purchasing function develops rapid
communication systems, such as electronic data interchange (EDI) and Internet linkages
to transfer possible requirements more rapidly. Activities related to obtaining products
and materials from outside suppliers requires performing resource planning, supply
sourcing, negotiation, order placement, inbound transportation, storage, handling and
quality assurance, many of which include the responsibility to coordinate with suppliers
in scheduling, supply continuity, hedging, and research into new sources or programmes.
c) Product development and commercialization
Here, customers and suppliers must be united into the product development process, thus
to reduce time to market. As product life cycles shorten, the appropriate products must be
developed and successfully launched in ever shorter time-schedules to remain
competitive. According to Lambert and Cooper (2000), managers of the product
development and commercialization process must:
1. coordinate with customer relationship management to identify customerarticulated needs;
2. select materials and suppliers in conjunction with procurement, and
3. develop production technology in manufacturing flow to manufacture and
integrate into the best supply chain flow for the product/market combination.
d) Manufacturing flow management process
The manufacturing process is produced and supplies products to the distribution channels
based on past forecasts. Manufacturing processes must be flexible to respond to market
changes, and must accommodate mass customization. Orders are processes operating on
a just-in-time (JIT) basis in minimum lot sizes. Also, changes in the manufacturing flow
process lead to shorter cycle times, meaning improved responsiveness and efficiency of
demand to customers. Activities related to planning, scheduling and supporting

manufacturing operations, such as work-in-process storage, handling, transportation, and

time phasing of components, inventory at manufacturing sites and maximum flexibility in
the coordination of geographic and final assemblies postponement of physical
distribution operations.
e) Physical distribution
This concerns movement of a finished product/service to customers. In physical
distribution, the customer is the final destination of a marketing channel, and the
availability of the product/service is a vital part of each channel participant's marketing
effort. It is also through the physical distribution process that the time and space of
customer service become an integral part of marketing, thus it links a marketing channel
with its customers (e.g. links manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers).
f) Outsourcing/partnerships
This is not just outsourcing the procurement of materials and components, but also
outsourcing of services that traditionally have been provided in-house. The logic of this
trend is that the company will increasingly focus on those activities in the value chain
where it has a distinctive advantage and everything else it will outsource. This movement
has been particularly evident in logistics where the provision of transport, warehousing
and inventory control is increasingly subcontracted to specialists or logistics partners.
Also, to manage and control this network of partners and suppliers requires a blend of
both central and local involvement. Hence, strategic decisions need to be taken centrally
with the monitoring and control of supplier performance and day-to-day liaison with
logistics partners being best managed at a local level.
g) Performance measurement
Experts found a strong relationship from the largest arcs of supplier and customer
integration to market share and profitability. By taking advantage of supplier capabilities
and emphasizing a long-term supply chain perspective in customer relationships can be
both correlated with firm performance. As logistics competency becomes a more critical
factor in creating and maintaining competitive advantage, logistics measurement becomes
increasingly important because the difference between profitable and unprofitable
operations becomes more narrow. A.T. Kearney Consultants (1985) noted that firms
engaging in comprehensive performance measurement realized improvements in overall
productivity. According to experts internal measures are generally collected and analyzed
by the firm including
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Cost
Customer Service
Productivity measures
Asset measurement, and
Quality.

External performance measurement is examined through customer perception measures

and "best practice" benchmarking, and includes 1) customer perception measurement,
and 2) best practice benchmarking. Components of Supply Chain Management are 1.
Standardization 2. Postponement 3. Customization

[edit] Theories of Supply Chain Management

Currently there exists a gap in the literature available in the area of supply chain
management studies, on providing theoretical support for explaining the existence and the
boundaries of supply chain management. Few authors such as Halldorsson, et al. (2003),
Ketchen and Hult (2006) and Lavassani, et al. (2008b) had tried to provide theoretical
foundations for different areas related to supply chain with employing organizational
theories. These theories includes:

Resource-based view (RBV)

Transaction Cost Analysis (TCA)
Knowledge-based view (KBV)
Strategic Choice Theory (SCT)
Agency theory (AT)
Institutional theory (InT)
Systems Theory (ST)
Network Perspective (NP)

[edit] Components of Supply Chain Management

Integration
The management components of SCM
The SCM components are the third element of the four-square circulation framework.
The level of integration and management of a business process link is a function of the
number and level, ranging from low to high, of components added to the link (Ellram and
Cooper, 1990; Houlihan, 1985). Consequently, adding more management components or
increasing the level of each component can increase the level of integration of the
business process link. The literature on business process reengineering,[6] buyer-supplier
relationships,[7] and SCM[8] suggests various possible components that must receive
managerial attention when managing supply relationships. Lambert and Cooper (2000)
identified the following components which are:

Planning and control

Work structure
Organization structure
Product flow facility structure
Information flow facility structure
Management methods

Power and leadership structure

Risk and reward structure
Culture and attitude

on.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a term applied to processes
implemented by a company to handle its contact with its customers. CRM software is
used to support these processes, storing information on current and prospective
customers. Information in the system can be accessed and entered by employees in
different departments, such as sales, marketing, customer service, training, professional
development, performance management, human resource development, and
compensation. Details on any customer contacts can also be stored in the system. The
rationale behind this approach is to improve services provided directly to customers and
to use the information in the system for targeted marketing
While the term is generally used to refer to a software-based approach to handling
customer relationships, most CRM software vendors stress that a successful CRM
strategy requires a holistic approach. CRM initiatives often fail because implementation
was limited to software installation without providing the appropriate motivations for
employees to learn, provide input, and take full advantage of the information systems. [1]
A blog (a contraction of the term "Web log") is a Web site, usually maintained by an
individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material
such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological
order. "Blog" as a can also be used verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more
personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs,
Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments
in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily
textual, although some focus on art (artlog), photographs (photoblog), sketches
(sketchblog), videos (vlog), music (MP3 blog), audio (podcasting), which are part of a
wider network of social media. Micro-blogging is another type of blogging, one which
consists of blogs with very short posts. As of December 2007, blog search engine
Technorati was tracking more than 112 million blogs.[1] With the advent of video
blogging, the word blog has taken on an even looser meaning that of any bit of media
wherein the subject expresses his opinion or simply talks about something

Types

There are many different types of blogs, differing not only in the type of content, but also
in the way that content is delivered or written.

Personal Blogs
The personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the
traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog
posts, even if their blog is never read by anyone but them. Blogs often become
more than a way to just communicate; they become a way to reflect on life or
works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental quality. Few personal blogs rise to
fame and the mainstream, but some personal blogs quickly garner an extensive
following. A type of personal blog is referred to as "microblogging," which is
extremely detailed blogging as it seeks to capture a moment in time. Sites, such as
Twitter, allow bloggers to share thoughts and feelings instantaneously with
friends and family and is much faster than e-mailing or writing. This form of
social media lends to an online generation already too busy to keep in touch.[2]
Corporate Blogs
A blog can be private, as in most cases, or it can be for business purposes. Blogs,
either used internally to enhance the communication and culture in a corporation
or externally for marketing, branding or public relations purposes are called
corporate blogs.
Question Blogging
is a type of blog that answers questions. Questions can be submitted in the form
of a submittal form, or through email or other means such as telephone or VOIP.
Qlogs can be used to display shownotes from podcasts[3] or the means of
conveying information through the internet. Many question logs use syndication
such as RSS as a means of conveying answers to questions.
By Media Type
A blog comprising videos is called a vlog, one comprising links is called a
linklog, a site containing a portfolio of sketches is called a sketchblog or one
comprising photos is called a photoblog.[4] Blogs with shorter posts and mixed
media types are called tumblelogs.
A rare type of blog hosted on the Gopher Protocol is known as a Phlog.[citation needed]
By Device
Blogs can also be defined by which type of device is used to compose it. A blog
written by a mobile device like a mobile phone or PDA could be called a moblog.
[5]
One early blog was Wearable Wireless Webcam, an online shared diary of a
person's personal life combining text, video, and pictures transmitted live from a
wearable computer and EyeTap device to a web site. This practice of semiautomated blogging with live video together with text was referred to as
sousveillance. Such journals have been used as evidence in legal matters.[citation
needed]

By Genre
Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs,
house blogs,[6] [7] fashion blogs, project blogs, education blogs, niche blogs,
classical music blogs, quizzing blogs and legal blogs (often referred to as a
blawgs) or dreamlogs. While not a legitimate type of blog, one used for the sole
purpose of spamming is known as a Splog.

Community and Cataloging

The Blogosphere
The collective community of all blogs is known as the blogosphere. Since all
blogs are on the internet by definition, they may be seen as interconnected and
socially networked. Discussions "in the blogosphere" have been used by the
media as a gauge of public opinion on various issues. A collection of local blogs is
sometimes referred to as a bloghood.[8]
Blog Search Engines
Several blog search engines are used to search blog contents, such as Bloglines,
BlogScope, and Technorati. Technorati, which is among the most popular blog
search engines, provides current information on both popular searches and tags
used to categorize blog postings [9]. Research community is working on going
beyond simple keyword search, by inventing new ways to navigate through huge
amounts of information present in the blogosphere, as demonstrated by projects
like BlogScope.[citation needed]
Blogging Communities and Directories
Several online communities exist that connect people to blogs and bloggers to
other bloggers, including BlogCatalog and MyBlogLog. [10]
Blogging and Advertising
It is common for blogs to feature advertisements either to financially benefit the
blogger or to promote the blogger's favorite causes. The popularity of blogs has
also given rise to "fake blogs" in which a company will create a fictional blog as a
marketing tool to promote a product. [11]

Popularity
Researchers have analyzed the dynamics of how blogs become popular. There are
essentially two measures of this: popularity through citations, as well as popularity
through affiliation (i.e. blogroll). The basic conclusion from studies of the structure of
blogs is that while it takes time for a blog to become popular through blogrolls,
permalinks can boost popularity more quickly, and are perhaps more indicative of
popularity and authority than blogrolls, since they denote that people are actually reading
the blog's content and deem it valuable or noteworthy in specific cases.[12]
The blogdex project was launched by researchers in the MIT Media Lab to crawl the Web
and gather data from thousands of blogs in order to investigate their social properties. It
gathered this information for over 4 years, and autonomously tracked the most contagious
information spreading in the blog community, ranking it by recency and popularity. It can
therefore be considered the first instantiation of a memetracker. The project is no longer
active, but a similar function is now served by tailrank.com.
Blogs are given rankings by Technorati based on the number of incoming links and Alexa
Internet based on the Web hits of Alexa Toolbar users. In August 2006, Technorati found
that the most linked-to blog on the internet was that of Chinese actress Xu Jinglei.[13]
Chinese media Xinhua reported that this blog received more than 50 million page views,
claiming it to be the most popular blog in the world.[14] Technorati rated Boing Boing to
be the most-read group-written blog.[13]

Gartner forecasts that blogging will peak in 2007, leveling off when the number of
writers who maintain a personal Web site reaches 100 million. Gartner analysts expect
that the novelty value of the medium will wear off as most people who are interested in
the phenomenon have checked it out, and new bloggers will offset the number of writers
who abandon their creation out of boredom. The firm estimates that there are more than
200 million former bloggers who have ceased posting to their online diaries, creating an
exponential rise in the amount of "dotsam" and "netsam" that is to say, unwanted
objects on the Web (analogous to flotsam and jetsam).

Political Dangers
Blogging can sometimes have unforeseen consequences in politically sensitive areas.
Blogs are much harder to control than broadcast or even print media. As a result,
totalitarian and authoritarian regimes often seek to suppress blogs and/or to punish those
who maintain them.
In Singapore, two ethnic Chinese were imprisoned under the countrys anti-sedition law
for posting anti-Muslim remarks in their blogs.[43]
Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer was charged with insulting the Egyptian president Hosni
Mubarak and an Islamic institution through his online blog. It is the first time in the
history of Egypt that a blogger was prosecuted. After a brief trial session that took place
in Alexandria, the blogger was found guilty and sentenced to prison terms of three years
for insulting Islam and inciting sedition, and one year for insulting Mubarak.[44]
Egyptian blogger Abdel Monem Mahmoud was arrested in April 2007 for antigovernment writings in his blog. Monem is a member of the banned Muslim
Brotherhood.
After expressing opinions in his personal blog about the state of the Sudanese armed
forces, Jan Pronk, United Nations Special Representative for the Sudan, was given three
days notice to leave Sudan. The Sudanese army had demanded his deportation.[45][46][47]

Personal Safety
One consequence of blogging is the possibility of attacks or threats against the blogger,
sometimes without apparent reason. Kathy Sierra, author of the innocuous blog Creating
Passionate Users, was the target of such vicious threats and misogynistic insults that she
canceled her keynote speech at a technology conference in San Diego, fearing for her
safety.[48] While a blogger's anonymity is often tenuous, Internet trolls who would attack a
blogger with threats or insults can be emboldened by anonymity. Sierra and supporters
initiated an online discussion aimed at countering abusive online behavior[49] and
developed a blogger's code of conduct.

Therapeutic Benefits
Scientists have long known the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal
experiences. Blogs provide another convenient avenue for writing about personal
experiences. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell
activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients and even speeds healing after surgery.[50]
[dubious discuss]

Early blogs were simply manually updated components of common Web sites. However,
the evolution of tools to facilitate the production and maintenance of Web articles posted
in reverse chronological order made the publishing process feasible to a much larger, less
technical, population. Ultimately, this resulted in the distinct class of online publishing
that produces blogs we recognize today. For instance, the use of some sort of browserbased software is now a typical aspect of "blogging". Blogs can be hosted by dedicated
blog hosting services, or they can be run using blog software, such as WordPress,
Movable Type, Blogger or LiveJournal, or on regular web hosting services.