Computer Laboratory Monitoring System Essay

Introduction Monitoring is the systematic collection and analysis of information as a project progress. It is aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of a project or organization. It is based on targets set and activities planned during the planning phases of work. It helps to keep the works on track and can let management know when things are going wrong. If done properly, it is an invaluable tool for good management, and it provides a useful base of evaluation. It enables in determining whether the available resources are sufficient and are being well used, whether the capacity is sufficient and appropriate and whether doing the planned to do. Under monitoring we look at the process on organization could go through to design a monitoring system (Shapiro, 2008). Monitoring system is now in need by businesses and other industry. The system is introduces because of the arising problems and needs of different industries when it comes to maintenance of their facilities or equipments. With the use of such monitoring system, as explained by CMC industrial Electronics, operational efficiency is ensured. A lot of time delaying errors such as mechanical, human or Symantec errors will be avoided. Efficiency is also the key in allowing the company to evolve and develop. As the saying, being too careful will provide quality service that everyone would want, but it would take up a lot of time. By having a monitoring system to follow, the company is able to save time and provide maximum assistance and satisfaction to all the employees and clients. In education, the computer laboratory is usually monitored, Due to the high number of computers in a lab; technicians are having difficulties in monitoring computers. Institutions implement proper maintenance of computer laboratories with the help of a monitoring system. Iowa State University is an example. There are many computer labs on campus, including both public labs and college department labs. Public labs are accessible to everyone at the university, funded by the student computer fee paid by all students and managed by the Computation Advisory Committee (CAC). Iowa State University  uses monitoring system wherein problem experienced with hardware or software in a computer laboratory can be reported online. Computer laboratory monitoring system helps the instructors and the laboratory administrators to check and monitor all the hardware and software components of each computer inside a certain laboratory. Most of the computer laboratories are usually monitored in a manual way, they uses a logbook to list all their findings in a certain laboratory then an in charge person will confirm all the findings and make a solutions for the problems (Adamson, 2010). A computer laboratory, also known as a computer suite or computer cluster (a term also used for server clusters) is typically a room which contains many networked computers for public use. Computer labs can be found in libraries, schools, government buildings, science labs, community centers, companies with IT departments that requires such a place for their employees to do their jobs, and research centers. They are distinct from Internet cafes in that the usage of the computer lab is typically free for those with access. Printers, scanners, and other peripherals may augment the lab setup. Inside a computer laboratory room, students are able to apply the things they have learned during their lecture classes. A learning procedure called â€Å"Hands-on† is needed so that students can apply all the things that they’ve learned during their lecture. This computer hands-on can open the mind of the students to help them to face the civilization in real world, it’s like an office training where in the instructors are the bosses and the students are the employees, these employees must accomplish a certain task given by their boss. This will serve as their preparation before they are going to the real field in work (Otis, 2010). Nowadays, it is very visible that gadgets are everywhere. People use these gadgets in their daily life. Old man or young man, poor or rich people have their own gadgets specifically a cell phone. Most of the people depend on their phone not only in communicating but in other way just like the applications installed on it. Some of these cell phone applications are used  by the students, and some of these applications are made for school stuffs for their work. School stuff such as class instructors is using an application to do his work easier. According to Bucki (2010), a mobile device is a generic term used to refer to a variety of devices that allow people to access data and information from where ever they are. This includes cell phones and portable devices.According to an article in the website of ITBusinessEdge, an IT Business Edge Site, a mobile phone is a device that can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile phone operator, allowing access to the public telephone network. By contrast, a cordless telephone is used only within the short range of a single, private base station. In addition to telephony, modern mobile phones also support a wide variety of other services such as text messaging, MMS, email, Internet access, short-range wireless communications (infrared, Bluetooth), business applications, gaming and photography. Mobile phones that offer these and more general computing capabilities are referred to as smartphones. In this study, the reseachers are going to develop and design a Colegio de Dagupan Computer Laboratory Monitoring System using Mobile Technology to improve the existing process in monitoring and recording the status of each computer laboratory. Colegio de Dagupan, formerly Computronix College, was first established as a computer-electronics training center offering short term courses in computer programming and repairs. The institution provides different colleges and one of those is the College of Information and Computing Studies. The CHED also awarded the college as one of the Center of Development in Information Technology last 2007. Since the institution offers computer related courses, it provides computer laboratories for the students. Colegio de Dagupan uses the manual way of recording the result in monitoring their computer laboratories. The instructor uses a computer laboratory report form in reporting computer laboratory problem then submits the form to the technician to repair what has been reported however if the technician  can’t solve the problem he will consult the administrator to find solutions and fix the problem accordingly. The technician will submit the report forms to be noted by the administrator then record the data at the logbook. Using their manual process, problems are encountered such as time consuming in requesting computer resource problems, delayed action in fixing computer problems, time-consuming, inefficient and unreliability in preparing technicians report. CdD-CLMS using Mobile Technology is necessary in Colegio de Dagupan in order to have a centralized repository for the problem reports about hardware and software defects and other problems they encounter. It will enable them to monitor the most problems occur, about hardware defects and other peripheral devices inside the computer laboratories and the causes. Assuming that all computer laboratory IT instructors are using android phones for reporting purposes The mobile serves as the main device for creating a report regarding computer laboratory problems and assuming that the router used by the school has a large network coverage. The router serves as a bridge to provide a connection between the Android phone and the server. Conceptual framework In order to organize the way on how and why a project takes place and to understand its activities, prior research will be conducted. The developer has developed a conceptual framework that will be use to map and assess the research findings. The framework shown in Figure 1 identifies the inputs, activities or processes, the output and it shows the expected relationship among these components. The diagram of the framework summarizes how the study resumed to work. The input contains the existing manual process of Colegio de Dagupan in terms of monitoring computer laboratories, the hardware and software requirements in the development of the system and the functional requirements from the stakeholders. The process includes the methodology used which is the RAD Methodology. By the use of this method, the proposed project will yield a faster, reliable and high-quality system that will meet the needs of the clients and users.