Service Request SR-RM-022 Part 2
BSA/375

Service Request sr-rm-022 Part 2 Riordan Manufacturing is a research and development company that specializes in the production of polymer materials. The company is currently “employing 550 people with projected annual earnings of $46 million. The company is wholly owned by Riordan Industries, a Fortune 1000 enterprise with revenues in excess of $1 billion.” (University of Phoenix, 2013) Hugh McCauley, the COO of the company, wants to develop a new application for the human resource department in order to keep up with changing technology. He would like to have a system that integrates all of the existing HR tools the company uses into a single, modern information systems application. This project will need to consist of several different stages in order for it to potentially be successful and will require an analyst to ensure all key points of the project are met. One of the first areas we need to look at when transitioning from analysis to design is the application software. “Software application architecture is the process of defining a structured solution that meets all of the technical and operational requirements, while optimizing common quality attributes such as performance, security, and manageability.” (Microsoft, 2014) Taking into account the requirements of the new design, a thin client-server architecture, where the server performs the application logic, makes the most sense to use. One of biggest benefits to a thin client-server architecture is that it is low cost and easy to maintain. Another great benefit to a thin client-server is that it is portable, which the company would greatly benefit from. Also, the client-server architecture supports a variety of clients and servers, making it more compatible with different brands of operating systems. Finally, this architecture can be adjusted to accommodate an increase or decrease in server processing which will prevent a bottleneck or an unnecessary amount of server process power. Since the company wants this system to be able to handle all of the HR data, a thin client-server is the best option to go with. In the HR department there is a vast amount of sensitive information being stored, accessed, and distributed to various people and places. This information needs to be protected from falling into the wrong hands which is why security measures need to be in place to prevent such a thing from happening. The first line of security for this HR system would be the client-server architecture itself. Since all of the software will be consolidated in one designated place, this allows the company to focus security on one spot rather than having to divide security coverage to multiple locations. Another great security tool to implement for this system is authenticators. Anyone wanting to access information will have to provide information or code that authenticates their credentials so the system recognizes the individual as someone who is allowed to access sensitive information. Another great benefit to authenticators is that malware has a very difficult time breaking through authenticators. One other security measure to implement is limiting access. “Limiting access is one HRIS security measure. Employees who work with computerized personnel records cannot perform the same functions as their peers. Plus, security administrators can trace system changes to individual system users.” (Bonnie Swain Schindly, 2014) Someone working in the finance department should not have access to the same information as someone in the employee records department and vice versa. This applies to every department because there is no reason for an employee to have access to information that is not part of their job details. These security measures are not full proof, as is the case with any security system, but they will at least provide a great deal of difficulty to anyone wishing to hack into the system. In a client-server architecture each object has a different function. The client device handles the presentation logic. The server, on the other hand, takes care of data access logic and data storage. Here is an example of what this looks like:

Data Access Logic & Data Storage
Data Access Logic & Data Storage
Server
Server
Presentation Logic
Presentation Logic
Client Device
Client Device

Architecture in software design has a lot of similarities to building architecture. One of the biggest similarities is that if the framework is not adequate enough to sustain everything that will be on top of it, the whole building/system could potentially collapse. Take the time to adaquetly plan and create a strong architecture design so that the software can operate over a long period of time. If the design is weak then the company will have to spend more time and money in the days to come to have another design made and implemented.
References

University of Phoenix. (2013). Riordan manufacturing intranet. Retrieved from University of Phoenix, BSA375 website

Chapter 1: What is Software Architecture? (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee658098.aspx

Schindly, B. (2010, September 10). Security Measures Used in an HRIS System. Retrieved November 18, 2014, from http://www.ehow.com/list_6980316_security-measures-used-hris-system.html