CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

          Information systems have become the backbone of most organizations. Banks could not process payments, governments could not collect taxes, hospitals could not treat patients, and supermarkets could not stock their shelves without the support of information systems. In almost every sector—education, finance, government, health care, manufacturing, and businesses large and small—information systems play a prominent role. Every day work, communication, information gathering, and decision making all rely on information technology (IT). When we visit a travel agency to book a trip, a collection of interconnected information systems is used for checking the availability of flights and hotels and for booking them. When we make an electronic payment, we interact with the bank’s information system rather than with personnel of the bank.

Modern supermarkets use IT to track the stock based on incoming shipments and the sales that are recorded at cash registers. Most companies and institutions rely heavily on their information systems. Organizations such as banks, online travel agencies, tax authorities, and electronic bookshops can be seen as IT companies given the central role of their information systems.

          Information Management System (IMS) is a general term for software designed to facilitate the storage, organization and retrieval of information.

IMS is also the name of IBM’s mammoth software program developed in the 1960s to support NASA's Apollo space program. This IMS version was the precursor to IBM's premier hierarchical database management system (DBMS).

Electronic document and records management system (EDRMS) is a type of content management system and refers to the combined technologies of document management and records management systems as an integrated system.

Unlike DB2 (IBM’s relational database software), an IMS database uses segments, or data blocks, as building blocks of the hierarchical model. Within each segment are multiple data pieces, which are known as fields. At the top of the hierarchy, the segment is known as the root segment. Segments of a specific segment are known as child segments. The child segment order represents the order in which each entry is entered in a database.

Hierarchical IMS databases generally come in three forms:

1. Full function database: Derived from the Data Language Interface (DL/I), this database form may have more than one single access method. Overflow Sequential Access Method (OSAM) or Virtual Storage Access Method (VSAM) may be used to store and access database fields.
2. Fast path database: Designed to facilitate an optimum transaction rate. Examples are data entry databases (DEDB) and main storage databases (MSDB).
3. High availability large databases (HALDB): Handles large volumes of data and provides reliable availability for each piece of data in the database.

IMS (Information Management System) is a database and transaction management system that was first introduced by IBM in 1968. Since then, IMS has gone through many changes in adapting to new programming tools and environments. IMS is one of two major legacy database and transaction management subsystems from IBM that run on mainframe MVS (now z/OS) systems. The other is CICS. It is claimed that, historically, application programs that use either (or both) IMS or CICS services have handled and continue to handle most of the world's banking, insurance, and order entry transactions.

1.1     BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

          Paper-based Information management system are rapidly becoming outdated. They are easily lost, are subject to wear and tear, are costly to handle, cannot be transferred electronically, may be difficult to interpret, and are inefficient. These fundamental drawbacks are driving a transition across the globe towards Electronic Health Records (EHRs).

This research work offers a practical solution using cryptography to protect these sensitive electronic records of students in Federal Polytechnic Gboko, Benue State and gives them privacy control over who views their records, details and every other sensitive information in other units of the school.

1.2STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

          Computer science department of Fidei poly is to an extent manually operated and manage records and data. The recording of students admitted and their activities are done manually in a book, which looks/appears rough. Thus, the books or files are exposed to physical damage by ants and pests, accumulation of dust particles; this makes the contents to be lost, misplaced or even altered.

1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

             The purpose of this study is to develop software that can be used in information management system students received with its activities. Also to promote efficient and quality of services to individuals

1. Capture the basic data in the departmental unit of Federal Polytechnic Gboko: where students can view their file.
2. Protect sensitive information at the various department using user login security and triple DES encryption method there by assigning unique decryption key for each user which works when.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

             This study is primarily aimed at computerizing the manual system of information management system as used in the departments of Fidei poly. It will help in a good number of ways to ease the process of retrieving data and records in the system.

This study will also highlight the importance information management system to an organization and business centers too.

1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

             The major objectives of this study is aimed at developing a system for the management of information others include

1. To save time (fast inputting and accessing of records)
2. To enable the management to plan ahead
3. To reduce fatigue of the staff
4. To ensure accuracy in the records of information
5. To ensure safety of the documents/records/data/information, because the system will be password aid to reduce access.
6. To ensure integrity of the records
7. To ensure consistency of accounts and reduction of error due to        damage of information
8. To reduce forgery and loss of information by theft

1.6 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

            The scope of the study covers the polytechnic as a whole and only the management staffs and students of the institution

Though, the scope is in such a way that the study can be carried out in one and only way that is computerizing the student information. This will help to modernized the inherent problems encountered by the managements of this organization

1.7 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

This research work thou is on information management system but it is dependent on human operation and manipulation in other to perform its work effectively.

Also this research work is limited to power supply as it happens to be the only source of energy therefore without power holding the system cannot work.

Finally this research work is constrain and limited to computer literate those who can operate a computer system effectively and its operation therefore a computer illiterate cannot make use of this research work as expected.

1.8           DEFINITION OF TERMS

Automation: This is the use of control system such as computer to control and process data, reducing the need for human intervention

Database: This refers to a large store of related data on a computer that can be access and modified by the user.

Password: This is a secret code that a user must type into a computer to enable him access it or its applications. This is made up of numbers, letter, special character or a combination of any of the above categories.

Record System: The act of using a computer system to store and update information/data sequentially in order to keep file security.

Computerized: To convert a based system to start using a computer system to control, organize and automate something.

Data Entry: This is the standard input device through which the system gets more of the instructions and commands

Research: A careful study of something, especially to discover new facts or information about it.

System: Set of computer component (that is, the assembling of hardware, software and peripherals to function together.)

IMS (Information Management System) is a database and transaction/record management system that was first introduced by IBM in 1968. Since then.

Information: Information (shortened as info or info.) is that which informs, i.e. an answer to a question, as well as that from which knowledge and data can be derived (as data represents values attributed to parameters, and knowledge signifies understanding of real things or abstract concepts)

Information system:A computer Information System (IS) is a system composed of people and computers that processes or interprets information. The term is also sometimes used in more restricted senses to refer to only the software used to run a computerized database or to refer to only a computer system.