Information system infrastructure
BASIC INFORMATION
TEXT/MATERIALS
Stallings, W., & Case, T. (2013). Business Data Communications: Infrastructure, Networking and Security
(7th ed.). Prentice Hall. ISBN: 978-0-13-302389-3.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is an advanced course covering information systems infrastructure. The areas covered include architecture,
operating platforms, database systems, data storage, networking, wired and wireless transmission, e-commerce,
cloud computing, virtual servers, and mobile computing.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
Examine how business utilizes telecommunications networks and information systems architecture.
Analyze the design and uses of information technology infrastructure.
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of competing solutions.
Examine the knowledge needed to design and implement a comprehensive information system for an
organization.
Illustrate and discuss current advances in IT infrastructure.
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ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION
There will be 12 quizzes, 4 case studies, 6 discussion forums, and 1 research paper:
Quiz (12) 25%
Case Study (4) 25%
Discussion (6) 25%
Research Paper (1) 25%
Total 100%
NOTE: All assignments must be completed by the due time on the due date and are not accepted late.
GRADING SCALE
Grade A B C D F
Percentage 100 – 90% 89 – 80% 79 – 70% 69 – 60% Below 60%
COURSE POLICIES
ATTENDANCE POLICY
According to the Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs, attendance begins for all students on the first day
of class. This includes students who register “late”.
The University attendance policy will be followed. The policy states that a student who has missed the equivalent
of one week (1) of class periods for any reason receives a warning. Any student who misses equivalent of two
weeks of class periods (2) for any reason is automatically withdrawn administratively (WA) from the class and is
calculated in the grade point average (GPA) as if it were an F.
Attendance for online classes is figured the same way as the face-to-face classes, using missed assignment
due dates as absences. For a graduate term class, which is 8 weeks in length, if a student misses 1 week of
assignment due dates, a warning will be sent. Any student who misses 2 assignment due dates will be
automatically withdrawn from the class with a grade of WA.
Please see the Student Handbook for a complete explanation of the university policy. There are no excused or
unexcused absences according to the policy.
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APPEALS POLICY
To appeal a grade on an assignment you must send an e-mail to your instructor’s e-mail address using your official
CU student e-mail within five days of the grade having been posted. Overdue appeals will not be considered.
INCOMPLETE POLICY
Students will not be given an incomplete grade in the course without sound reason and documented evidence. In
any case, for a student to receive an incomplete he or she must be passing and must have completed a significant
portion of the course (at least 70% of the work).
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY
Students are expected to be academically honest. This is not only a matter of academic integrity, but of Christian
principle. Students assume full responsibility for the content and integrity of the academic work they submit. The
guiding principle of academic integrity shall be that a student’s submitted assignment must be the student’s own
work. A student is guilty of dishonesty when he/she:
- Represents the work of others as his/her own.
- Shares his work with another for the purpose of enabling the other student to submit the work as his/her
own.
- Uses or obtains unauthorized assistance in any academic work.
- Gives unauthorized assistance to other students.
- Modifies, without instructor approval, an exam, paper, record, or report for obtaining additional credit.
- Misrepresents the content of submitted work.
For this class, it is permissible to assist classmates in general discussions of topics. General advice and interaction
are encouraged. Each person, however, must develop his or her own solutions to the assigned projects,
assignments, and tasks. A student may not use or copy (by any means) another’s work (or portions of it) and
represent it as his/her own. If this occurs all concerned parties will receive a grade of zero on the
assignment. If you need help on an assignment, contact your instructor.
DISABILITIES POLICY
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled in this course are
entitled to “reasonable accommodations.” Please notify the instructor during the first week of class. If you have a
documented disability, you must provide the instructor with the paper from Disability Services. Campbellsville
University is committed to reasonable accommodations for students who have documented physical and learning
disabilities, as well as medical and emotional conditions. If you have a documented disability or condition of this
nature, you may be eligible for disability services. Documentation must be from a licensed professional and current
in terms of assessment. Please contact the Coordinator of Disability Services at 270-789-5192 to inquire about
services.
CAMPUS SECURITY AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Technical: Trevor McWhorter, Distance Learning, 270-789-5352 or tgmcwhorter@campbellsville.edu
Security: (270) 403-3611 – Cell
(270) 789-5555 – Office
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COURSE ASSIGNMENTS
Course Work Due Date
Discussion 1 10/29 Sunday
Quiz 1 10/29 Sunday
Quiz 2 10/29 Sunday
Discussion 2 11/5 Sunday
Quiz 3 11/5 Sunday
Quiz 4 11/5 Sunday
Case Study 1 11/5 Sunday
Discussion 3 11/12 Sunday
Quiz 5 11/12Sunday
Quiz 6 11/12 Sunday
Case Study 2 11/12 Sunday
Discussion 4 11/19 Sunday
Quiz 7 11/19 Sunday
Quiz 8 11/19 Sunday
Case Study 3 11/19 Sunday
Discussion 5 11/26 Sunday
Quiz 9 11/26 Sunday
Quiz 10 11/26 Sunday
Case Study 4 11/26 Sunday
Discussion 6 12/3 Sunday
Quiz 11 12/3 Sunday
Quiz 12 12/3 Sunday
Research Paper 12/10 Sunday
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RESEARCH PAPER
Select a topic from the following list on which you would like to conduct an in-depth investigation:
Information systems infrastructure: evolution and trends
Strategic importance of cloud computing in business organizations
Big data and its business impacts
Managerial issues of a networked organization
Emerging enterprise network applications
Mobile computing and its business implications
Note: The above topics are also the basis of the discussion questions. You may use up to three resources found by
yourself or your peers as resources for the paper.
Research paper basics:
8-10 pages in length
APA formatted
Minimum six (6) sources – at least two (2) from peer reviewed journals
Include an abstract, introduction, and conclusion
See rubric for more detailed grading criteria
Submitted through Turnitin – must be original work – similarity score of 30 or less to be graded
Some good questions to ask yourself before turning in your research paper:
Is the paper of optimal length?
Is the paper well organized?
Is the paper clear and concise?
Is the title appropriate?
Does the abstract summarize well?
Are individual ideas assimilated well?
Are wording, punctuation, etc. correct?
Is the paper well motivated?
Is interesting problem/issue addressed?
Is knowledge of the area demonstrated?
Have all key reference been cited?
Are conclusions valid and appropriate?
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RESEARCH PAPER GRADING RUBRIC
Criteria/Categories Indicators/Levels
Score 5 4 3-2 1
Abstract and
Introduction
_____ x 5 =
/25 Introduction
should be clear
with a preview of
the main points
Good
introductory
statement, but
the preview of
the main points
is lacking
Introductory
statement is
vague and main
points are
unclear
Issue not clear
and preview of
the main points
is incomplete
Main Points and
Sub Points
______ x 20 =
/100 Main points are
clearly stated and
developed;
specific
examples/support
ing points are
appropriate and
clearly
developed;
smooth
transitions and
well organized.
Main points are
clearly stated
but
development of
examples/suppo
rting points are
lacking; smooth
transitions
between points.
Main points are
not clear.
Audience has
difficulty
following
presentation
because student
jumps around.
Examples/supp
orting points are
appropriate but
need
elaboration or
are not well
thought out.
Main points are
not clear,
Audience
cannot
understand
presentation
because there is
no sequence of
information.
Examples/supp
orting points are
inappropriate
for issue.
Conclusion
_____ x 5 =
/25 Well-thought out
concluding
statement that
summarizes main
points well.
Well-thought
out concluding
statement but
does not
summarize
main points
well.
Does not have a
well-thought
out concluding
statement, but
summarizes
main points
well.
Has neither a
well-thought
out concluding
statement nor
summarizes
main points
well.
Spelling,
grammar and
punctuation
_____ x 6 =
/30 No more than
two errors in
any of these
categories
combined
No more than
eight errors in
any of these
categories
combined
Eight to twenty
errors in these
categories
combined.
More than
twenty errors in
these categories
combined.
/30 No more than
two errors in any
of these
categories
combined
No more than
eight errors in
any of these
categories
combined
Eight to twenty
errors in these
categories
combined.
More than
twenty errors in
these categories
combined.
Summary
_____ x 4 =
/20 Very interesting
question.
Evidence that
student has put a
great amount of
thought into the
subject.
A rather
interesting and
challenging
work, but
student doesn’t
show much
excitement in
the subject
matter.
Satisfactory
work, but does
not engage the
reader
Lack of writing
skills seen by
the quality of
work. The
concept was
clearly not well
thought out.
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HELPFUL RESOURCES
The Agile Architecture Revolution: How Cloud Computing, REST-Based SOA, and Mobile
Computing are Changing Enterprise IT, 2013, Jason Bloomberg, Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN: 978-1-118-
40977-0.
The Architecture of Computer Hardware and System Software: An Information Technology
Approach, 5th edition, 2013, Irv Englander. Wiley & Sons, Inc., ISBN: 978-1-118-80310-3.
Building a Windows IT Infrastructure in the Cloud, 1st edition, 2012, David K. Rensin, O’Reilly Media,
Inc., ISBN: 978-1-449-33358-4.
Business Data Communications and Networking, 11th edition, 2012. Jerry Fitzgerald. Wiley & Sons,
Inc., ISBN: 978-1-118-08683-4.
Business Intelligence: A Managerial Perspective on Analytics, 3rd edition, 2014, Ramesh Sharda,
Dursun Delen, Efraim Turban, and David King. Pearson Education, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-12-385126-0.
Cloud Computing: Theory and Practice, 2013, Dan C. Marinescu. Elsevier, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-12-
404627-6
Data Architecture, 2011, Charles Tupper, Elsevier, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-12-385126-0.
Green Communications: Principles, Concepts, and Practice, 2015, Konstantinos Samdanis, Peter Rost,
Andreas Maeder (Editor), Michela Meo, and Christos Verikoukis (Editors). Wiley& Sons, Inc., ISBN: 978-
1-118-75926-4.
The Executive’s Guide to Information Technology, 2nd edition, 2007, John Baschab, and Jon Plot. Wiley
& Sons, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-470-09521-8.
Mobile Design and Development, 1st edition, 2009, Brian Fling. O’Reilly Media, Inc., ISBN: 978-0-596-
15544-5.