Tài liệu Activity 8.1: Selecting Data Access Technologies pdf

Activity 8.1: Selecting Data Access
Technologies
The process of identifying and selecting a data access technology is based on
careful consideration of several factors, including the capabilities of each data
access method.
In the two exercises in this activity, you will identify the potential data stores to
be used within the Ferguson and Bardell, Inc. system and the factors that need
to be considered when choosing the system’s data access technology.
Objectives
After completing this activity, you will be able to:
!
List the primary considerations for choosing a data access technology.
!
Evaluate potential data access issues and choose the appropriate data access
method for a given scenario.

Before You Begin
This activity is completed individually with a class discussion following each
exercise.
Time to complete this activity: 30 minutes
Scenario
Ferguson and Bardell, Inc.’s new time-entry system is used to keep track of
hourly schedules for employees. Consultants enter timesheet information that is
stored in Microsoft SQL Server
™
version 7.0 and accessed using both a Web
interface and a custom application. Ferguson and Bardell, Inc.’s 620 traveling
consultants enter time on a weekly basis, with an average of four time entries
per day. Ultimately, this data is fed into the AS/400, DB2 accounting system
and the proprietary invoicing system. A reporting system pulls client

information, accounts receivable, and accounts payable data from an AS/400,
DB2 database and invoicing data from a proprietary database that supports only
ODBC connections, and stores the information for customized reports in SQL
Server version 6.5. Managers and administrative assistants, who use Microsoft
®

Windows NT
®
Workstation, run reports.
48 Activity 8.1: Selecting Data Access Technologies



The consultants have laptops and can use either the Web-based system or the
custom application over the Internet to view and update information. The Web-
based application is used mainly for lookups and quick entry of information.
The custom application maintains a subset of data on the consultants’ laptops so
that they can enter and update information offline and then update it when they
reconnect to the Internet. The custom application supports both 16- and 32-bit
clients.
Exercise 1:
Identifying Data Access Considerations
In this exercise, you will identify and group the factors to be considered for
accessing data in a set of scenarios.
!
Identify data access considerations
1. Read this exercise’s scenario for additional information.
2. Identify the data stores and list them in the first column of the following
table.
3. For each data store, list the data access considerations that have the greatest

effect in determining a data access design.


Data store Considerations













When you have completed this exercise, you will discuss your answers
with the class.
Activity 8.1: Selecting Data Access Technologies 49



Exercise 2:
Selecting Data Access Technologies
In this exercise, you will select the appropriate data access technologies for the
scenario outlined in this activity, taking into account both the scenario details
and the data access considerations previously defined.
!
Identify data access technologies

1. Examine the considerations identified in the previous exercise.
2. Identify candidate data access technologies for each data store identified in
the previous exercise.
3. Record your answers in the following table.

Data store Data access technology














When you have completed this exercise, you will discuss your answers
with the class.


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