Database -driven and web-based information systems: Harnessing the Maturity of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in the Design and Implementation of Information System: case study: school of computer studies-KIU
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Date
2006-10
Authors
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Publisher
Kampala International University, School of Computing and Information Technology
Abstract
Many organizations fail to connect business requirements with Information System
development and acquisition. This disconnect is especially troublesome for database
driven and web-based Information Systems because they are pervasive and critical to the
operation of an organization. The resulting Information systems are slow, buggy, hard to
maintain, and awkward to evolve.
This disconnect is compounded further by the complexity of the platform on which the
application is developed and on which it is implemented — a phenomenon that brings
about the distinction between proprietary software and Free and Open Source Software
(FOSS). Proprietary software has dominated the largest percentage of the world market.
It is not possible to change the source code or even get access to it. Once it is developed,
there is very limited customization that can be done on the original product. To acquire
and use it, in most cases, one needs to purchase a licence.
It is this drawback that has changed the trend and has forced many software developers
and designers to embrace the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). This, however,
begs the question: Have Free and Open Source Software(FOSS) matured to a level of
developing effective and efficient Information Systems?
Our research has tried to answer the above question by looking at how an Information
System can be developed using FOSS tools: MySQL, PHP and APACHE. To model the
system at the conceptual level, we have used Object Oriented Modeling Methodology
(ORM). ORM helps us to examine the information in terms of simple elementary facts.
By examining the model in terms of natural concepts, like objects and roles, ORM
provides a conceptual approach to modeling unlike Entity-Relationship(ER) diagrams,
which do not use natural language in its mode and cannot be populated with fact
instances.The research reveals that the developed Information System has the three attributes of an
effective and efficient Information System: namely, reliability, stability and scalability.
Therefore, given a chance, non-proprietary software performs equally well and in some
cases better than the proprietary software
Description
A dissertation submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies in partial fulfillment for the award of the Degree of Master of Science in Computer Science of Kampala International University
Keywords
Web-based, Information systems, KIU