Insights about Green Projects

The article “Green Projects” written by Dave Nielsen, discussed about how a green project could become a very beneficial project to pursue. First, let us define what a green project is, from the term “green” it implies that it is good for the environment; it is eco-friendly. Concatenating it with the term “project” it makes a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim, and that aim is to save Mother Earth.

Here are some words from one of the key thought leaders of having a Green Project, Tom Mochal: The world is going green. We are collectively realizing that we don’t have an unlimited amount of air or water or space to continue to utilize resources like we have in the past. Concerns over global warming merely serve as the central rallying point for an environmentally friendly movement that has been underway since at least the 1970s. On the other hand, most project managers don’t run these kinds of projects. Most of us deal with projects such as installing a new software package or upgrading network infrastructure. How can these projects become more environmentally friendly?

Mochal’s idea is very true. As I could remember in my lower years of being an IT student we were also taught about green computing; that we should pursue IT expertise into helping our environment. Now that I’m in my upper half of my study and having this course Project Management, I have come to realize and remember that as human beings we have the responsibility to take care of the world that’s giving a place to be alive. We were also told by our instructor/facilitator for the said course that it is better to make our class project to be a green project by promoting green computing.

Going back to Nielsen’s article, the provincial government was restricting on where solar farms can be placed. After reading the article, I searched a bit about that news and found that there was another news update about the solar farm in Ontario, Canada. October 21, 2009, a headline was released: Canada's largest solar farm opens in Ontario. That was indeed good news. Upgrading the province’s transmission and distribution systems are key parts of the government’s strategy to create jobs and facilitate economic growth embedded in the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The government predicts that these upgrades will create 20,000 jobs in the province over the next three years. "The government’s announcement today offers every one of us the opportunity to become energy entrepreneurs by ensuring that any clean energy we produce, whether that is wind power, solar energy or biogas, will be able to feed into the electricity grid for a fair and profitable price" said Kristopher Stevens, Executive Director of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association. "Now municipalities, First Nations, farmers and energy co-operatives can become power proponents, reducing greenhouse gases and smog while creating potentially thousands of jobs in their communities."

Security Problems - Multiprogramming and Time-sharing Environment

In a multiprogramming and time-sharing environment, several users share the system simultaneously. This situation can result in various security problems. Name at least two of these problems. Can we ensure the same degree of security in a time-share machine as we have in a dedicated machine? Explain your answer.

First, let us define these terms: multiprogramming and time-sharing environment, and security. Multiprogramming is a form of processing in which a computer holds more than one program in memory and works on them in round-robin fashion that is, by sharing out the processor's time so that each program receives some attention some of the time. This way of working is in contrast to using the processor to run one program at a time. Time-sharing is an approach to interactive computing in which a single computer is used to provide apparently simultaneous interactive general-purpose computing to multiple users by sharing processor time. So basically, time sharing is for multi-user computer systems. Further, time-sharing is the sharing of a computing resource among many users by means of multiprogramming and multi-tasking. A time-sharing environment supports multiple users simultaneously. The term originated in the 1960s when multiple terminals were first connected to a single mainframe, allowing programmers and students simultaneous access to computing resources. Security is making sure that files are not read or modified by unauthorized persons/programs which include technical, administrative, legal, social, psychological and political issues.

For the first question, because the data and resources are shared in the memory, one user can copy another user's program / memory space. This could be very detrimental if, for example, an administrator was running a decryption protocol, and another user stole the decryption program and/or key. If it is possible to copy someone else's file it may also be possible that an unauthorized user might modify data without owner’s permission, overwrite another program’s area in the memory. There are many types of intruders that would be the reason for the security issues one of them is a passive intruder, Passive -- read files without authorization; Active -- malicious, unauthorized changes; Casual prying; Snooping by insiders --personal challenge to break security (also by former insiders); Financial gain -- theft, blackmail; Espionage -- commercial or military; Virus or worm-- program, not a direct person, (usually) trying to do (usually) general damage via replication. Using system resources (CPU, disk space) without proper accounting causes the printer to mix output by sending data while some other user's file is printing; is also a problem that may arise.

As for the second question, probably not, since any protection scheme devised by a human can also be broken -- and the more complex the scheme is, the more difficult it is to be confident of its correct implementation, note that even in the case of dedicated processing, you still have security issues (most notably, physical access issues (repairmen, etc), and sanitizing media upon system decommission. In real computer security (as opposed to what's in your textbook, apparently), the answer to the second question is "No, it's not as secure”. A case can be made that to secure a system, multi-user operation is required, in order to support multiple roles (systems admin, security auditor, and user) - dedicated operations don't provide a suitable audit trail. Also, it's the rare multiprogramming system these days where the operating system is the weak link - even Windows provides enough security that your biggest threat is idiot and malicious users.

Hand held computer for work used by a…

Manager in a supermarket

First we must define what a supermarket manager does. In order to properly cater to the needs of customers, a supermarket must staff an expert, attentive management team. A supermarket manager may assume many different duties, such as supervising employees and store operations, taking inventory and ordering products, performing administrative and human resources work, or engaging in safety inspections and loss prevention. Most managers are very skilled at organizing merchandise, communicating with employees, and providing excellent customer service.

Given with those duties a hand held computer would be very helpful in accomplishing those tasks. For example in the inventory checking, it would be convenient and more accurate if the inventory would be checked using a computerized system. There are many inventory systems nowadays that a supermarket manager can use; so as an ordering system for the supplies of their products. Using that handheld computer, the supermarket manager can track the transactions within his palm’s reach (literally).

Delivery person for a courier service

A delivery person for a courier service operates vehicles to pick up and deliver messages, packages, and mail the customer wants to be delivered. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of services, and committed delivery times, which are optional for most everyday mail services. A local example of this is LBC.

Here are some of the principal responsibilities of the delivery personnel:

• Follows instructions for pick up, transport and delivery of messages, packages, and mail the customer wants to be delivered. 

• Gives basic operating instructions to the customer at the time of delivery of the equipment. 

• Keeps records of pick-up and deliveries and obtains necessary signatures and receipts as requested by supervisors.

Having those duties, a delivery person could use a hand held computer in tracking all the deliverables on his truck. He could also use a finger print scanner to secure the identity of the receiver of his delivery.