Computing Library – serie

Seeking to define a new approach to data management at the enterprise level, this work takes the reader beyond information management to information control, where the methods of data capture and manipulation supersede data quantity. Using the metadata approach ensures long-term, universal control of all data characteristics and improves the effectiveness of IT as a corporate function by minimizing the potential for errors, and improving communication and understanding between IT and other disciplines. By describing how to establish metadata management within an organization, this volume provides examples of data structure architectures, and reviews issues associated with metadata management in relation to the Internet and data warehousing. It offers to help the reader to control the factors that make data useable throughout an organization and manage data so that it becomes a valuable corporate asset. The book examines real-world business departments that can benefit from this approach and ways in which sets of metadata can be both autonomous and overlapping.

An introduction to developments in database systems design presented from an applications point of view. Featuring contributions from experts in the field, it pays special attention to issues raised by new trends in database design, and how these developments affect the programmer and database administrator.

This text helps the reader generate clear, effective documentation that is tailored to the information requirements of the end-user. Written for technical writers and their managers, quality assurance experts, and software engineers, the book describes a user-centered information design method (UCID) that should help ensure documentation conveys significant information for the user. The UCID shows how to: integrate the four major information components of a software system - user interface labels, messages, online and printed documentation; make sure these elements work together to improve usability; deploy iterative design and prototyping procedures that minimize flaws and save time and money; and guide technical writers effectively.

This detailed volume and accompanying CD-ROM focus on the set electronic transaction (SET) system and review the fundamentals through to practical instruction on how to develop and implement the entire SET system. Topics addressed include: electronic commerce and the various payment and security systems that have led to online credit card commerce; cryptographic extensions utilized by the SET system; and the technical details behind SET, from purchase initiation, through certificate management, to data transport protocols. Actual programming examples and computer code to construct and roll out the SET system are also included. The book should be of interest to business executives as well as engineers.

An examination of configuration management (CM) from a "business value" perspective. It discusses why a company's e-business and e-commerce - encompassing Web content, Web applications, back-office applications, code and data - simply will not survive or thrive without CM. The book provides an overview of CM technology, reveals "best practice" techniques for selecting and deploying automated CM solutions, explores nine key challenges facing e-commerce, and provides guidelines for avoiding pitfalls that can quickly derail an e-business.

This volume offers a systematic approach to creating and positioning reusable software components and products. The Domain Analysis methodology described in the book shows how to use commonality and variability analysis in studying the market, co-ordinating with competitors, engineering new products, and minimizing risks. Software engineers and network designers should learn how to analyze and define a "space of variability" on which new products can be based and positioned. Additionally, the book helps readers to understand how software products compare, how to market software reuse products, how to co-ordinate release of a product to profit from a competitor's release and pool groups of users, and how to maximize long-term marketing plans for your product. Real-world case studies illustrate applications of the methodologies described in the book, including "Sherlock", a method that binds domain analysis to market analysis and planning.

This resource provides a thorough, up-to-date understanding of knowledge management (KM) and details the techniques needed to identify, manage, control the flow, store, and share access to information. Utilizing real-world case studies and in-depth discussions, the book is designed to help the reader develop a strategy for implementing programs to take advantage of the power of knowledge, create systems to make knowledge readily available throughout an organization, and prepare directory systems that provide a source for locating and interacting with knowledge workers and automating the sharing of knowledge. From leveraging intangible knowledge assets, enterprise data warehousing, and data quality, to the three-level model for managing knowledge, the network economy, and groupware tools, the authors cover critical KM topics and show how knowledge management is a key strategic tool. Moreover, the book shows how to formulate an effective knowledge management policy that addresses technological, organizational and process elements.

Presenting the state of the art in component-based software testing, this cutting-edge resource offers you an in-depth understanding of the current issues, challenges, needs and solutions in this critical area. The book discusses the very latest advances in component-based testing and quality assurance in an accessible tutorial format, making the material easy to comprehend and benefit from no matter what your professional level. The book clearly explains what component-based software testing is, why it is important, and how it differs from traditional software testing. From an introduction to software components, testing component-based software and validation methods for software components, to performance testing and measurement, standards and certification and verification of quality for component-based systems, you get a revealing snapshot of the key developments in this area, including important research findings. This volume also serves as a textbook for related courses at the advanced undergraduate or graduate level.

ISO 9001 is known throughout the world as the gold standard for quality process improvement, but quality assurances experts are also discovering the power of CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration). This text explores how these two models can be used together to improve process quality by quantum leaps. It shows how organizations can streamline their quality process improvement programmes by capitalizing on the similarities both models share while minimizing their differences. The authors demonstrate that organizations can save valuable resources and money as they improve quality by moving towards both ISO 9001:2000 and CMMI compliance certification.

This textbook sets out to provide professionals with an in-depth understanding of the software-testing people and process issues that are critical for delivering high-quality software on time and within budget. The authors aim to give those involved in building and maintaining complex, mission-critical software systems a flexible, risk-based process to improve their software-testing capabilities. Whether an organization currently has a well-defined testing process or almost no process, this resource provides insights into better ways to test software. This guide is written for: software-test managers; testers; developers; quality-assurance managers; and software configuration managers.

Robin Goldsmith here explains why it is crucial to distinguish between business and technical requirements when developing new software, and provides a methodology for ensuring that business needs are met.