Telecommunications Management What Did Mark

Telecommunications Management

What did Mark Weiser mean by "Ubiquitous Computing?"

For Weiser, ubiquitous computing occurs when technologies weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it. Technologies become invisible as they are embedded in our environment to help users do the tasks they are trying to accomplish.

What is the difference between an Intranet and an Extranet?

The difference between an Intranet and an Extranet is accessibility. An intranet is a set of content shared within a single organization while an extranet is a set of content shared by a group that crosses enterprise boundaries.

What is the IETF and what does it do?

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) develops and promotes Internet standards, cooperating closely with the W3C and ISO/IEC standard bodies and dealing in particular with standards of Internet operating protocols such as TCP/IP and Internet protocol suite. The IETF's mission is simply to make the Internet work better.

4. What is "convergence?"

Convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar tasks. In communications, it can refer to previously separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications) and video that now share resources and interact with each other, synergistically creating new efficiencies.

5. Give an example of technological convergence?

6. An everyday example of convergence is that cable companies are now offering Internet access, landline service and wireless service in addition to selling video.

7. What is the difference between SMTP and MIME?

SMTP and MIME are both email protocols. SMTP is a transport protocol used for sending email. MIME, on the other hand, is a specification for formatting the email message itself, not for transporting the message.

8. What is the difference between a Webcast and a Videoconference?

A videoconference is a live connection between people in separate locations for the purpose of communication, usually involving audio and often text as well as video.

Videoconferencing is an interactive solution for two or more locations to be seen and heard. Each node must have a camera and a microphone so that all participants can take part in the meeting. With webcasting, only one person presents while others view and listen to the presentation. A Webcast use streamlining media to distribute content and is therefore, better suited for delivery to a large audience if there are no requirements for interactivity.

9. Give two problems with Host-based Architectures?

Because all processing is done by the host, this can severely limit network performance. Upgrades become expensive because of the large expenses to scale processing and memory to keep up with increasing demand.

10. Give two problems with Client-based Architectures?

Because data must travel back and forth between server and client, poor network performance can be a problem. In addition, the security of the clients can be difficult to ensure.

11. What is Middleware?

Middleware is computer software that connects software components or applications. The software consists of a set of services that allows multiple processes running on one or more machines to interact.

12. What is a thin client?

A thin client runs programs and accesses data from a server. A think client functions as a regular PC, but lack hard drives and typically do not have extra I/O ports or other unnecessary features.

13. What is the difference between HTTP and HTML?

HTML is a markup language used to structure text and multimedia files and to set up hypertext links between them. HTTP, on the other had, is a protocol that is used to request and deliver files such as Web pages and Web page components. When a browser requests a Web page from a Web server, it uses HTTP.

14. What is the difference between SMTP and MIME?

SMTP and MIME are both email protocols. SMTP is a transport protocol used for sending email. MIME, on the other hand, is a specification for formatting the email message itself, not for transporting the message.

15. What is the difference between Teleconferencing and Webcasting?

A teleconference can be a simple audio conference with one or both ends of the conference sharing a speaker phone. With additional equipment, a teleconference can be an interactive solution where multiple locations can be seen and heard. With webcasting, only one person presents while others view and listen to the presentation. A Webcast use streamlining media to distribute content and is therefore, better suited for delivery to a large audience if there are no requirements for interactivity.

16. What is the Physical Layer?

The Physical Layer is the first and lowest layer in the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking. The Physical Layer consists of the basic hardware transmission technologies of a network which are underneath the logical data structures of the higher level functions in a network.

17. How are digital signals (e.g. On the wire as measured on an oscilloscope) also in a sense analog?

Digital signals are non-continuous signals that change in individual steps while analog signals are continuous electrical signals that vary in time. However, a digital signal which is a discrete time signal is a sampled analog signal as measured on an oscilloscope.

18. Give an example of half duplex communication.

An example of a half-duplex system is a "walkie-talkie" radio, where only one party at a time can transmit messages.