Computer systems and services

Imagine a fully developed IT system where all important information on an individual person s health-related aspects are stored, easy searchable and safely available for communication and systematic support for decisions and also follow up of interventions, by the patient and health care providers. Of course there are several potential drawbacks to this but from a patient health care perspective the benefits are clear. In UK a large scale IT project Connecting for Health are supposed to support the UK-NHS in providing better, safer care, by delivering computer systems and services that improve how patient information is stored and accessed (NHS 2004). This could be one way to start up. However the patient perspective on, communication, learning, responsibility, knowledge, follow-up on effects etcetera must be supported. 

The design, development, and system build phases need to deliver computer systems and services in a manner that facilitates effective and efficient system validation, operation, maintenance, modification, and upgrade. This applies to both stand-alone and embedded process control computer systems (see Sec. VI). 

Performance qualification involves performing a number of production runs (traditionally, at least three) that are considered to be representative batch sizes for the operation. These are to be conducted using pharmaceutical product and utilizing the computer system and services of production operatives as stipulated in the URS and plant SOPs. 

The evaluation should also examine the ease of calibration and self-docu-mentation of both the computer system and associated measurement and control instrumentation, along with the availability of replacement parts and service support for the expected lifetime of the system application. 

The procedural controls applicable for the preventive maintenance and repair of the hardware provide a mechanism for anticipating problems and, as a consequence, possible loss of data. Modem hardware usually requires minimum maintenance because electronic circuit boards, for example, are usually easily replaced and cleaning may be limited to dust removal. Diagnostic software is usually available from the supplier to check the performance of the computer system and to isolate defective integrated circuits. Maintenance procedures should be included in the organization s standard operating procedures. The availability of spare parts and access to qualified service personnel are important for the smooth operation of the maintenance program. 

Suppliers of computer systems and associated services must be managed to assure that the software, hardware, and/or related services they supply are fit for purpose. Enhancements and modifications to computer systems and associated documentation must be implemented under change control and, where appropriate, configuration management. Changes affecting the validated status of a computer system must be approved before they are implemented. 

The maturity of suppliers in developing software needs to be assessed to determine the level of assnrance that they can provide contracted computer systems, services, and/or documents to meet the pharmacentical and healthcare companies requirements. These requirements include compliance with regnlatory expectations. Regardless of origin, computer systems and their software should... 

The vulnerability of computer services to computer viruses is not easily managed. Besides deploying antivirus software the only other defense is to stop unauthorized software and data being loaded on computer systems and to build firewalls around networked applications. This is a prospective approach that assumes existing computer services are free from computer viruses. However, this approach cannot entirely remove the threat of computer viruses from computer services. The source of authorized software and data may itself be unknowingly infected with a computer virus. Novel viruses can also break through network firewalls. It is therefore prudent to check software and data related to computer services that are used within an organization. 

In the early 1990s, with the popularity of and easy access to personal computers and the Internet, a paradigm shift occurred in the thermal management of electronics. The issue was speed. Mass access to electronics and higher consumer expectations for speed and miniaturization forced many companies to provide higher speed systems and services. Speed requirements necessitated... 

For a guide to commercial and non-commercial search services, one can consult the Encyclopedia of Information Systems and Services. This book provides extensive listings of Search Services, Data Base Producers and Publishers, On-line Vendors, Computer Service Companies, Computerized Retrieval Systems and Research Consultants located throughout the United States. Edited by Anthony Kruzas, the Encyclopedia of Information Systems and Services is published by the Gale Research Company, Detroit, Michigan. 

UPS batteries and power converters to replace interrupted power for the computer systems and counting room instruments. The batteries are continually charged by the regular service system. During power loss, they support orderly shutdown of computers and instruments with preservation of accumulated data and instructions for calculations. An individual system is recommended for each piece of equipment instead of a large hard-wired system to avoid catastrophic data loss if the hard-wired system fails. 

Resource availability is an issue of main concern in the area of computer systems and networks. A lot of research effort has been paid on providing higher levels of resource availability especially as far as communication networks or website services are concerned. Increased resource availability comprises an important motivation for clients to join a service feature and hence is used by the providers in order to make their service attractive. 

In meta-computing systems each service provider in the collaborative federation performs its services in an orchestrated workflow. Once the collaboration is complete, the federation dissolves and the providers disperse and seek other federations to join. The approach is service centric in which a service is defined as an independent self-sustaining entity— remote service provider—performing a specific network activity. These service providers have to be managed by a relevant operating system with commands for expressing interactions of providers in federations. 

General Electric NDE Systems and Services has been subcontracted to provide acoustic microscopy and computed tomography inspection services, including necessary development in these two areas, for the program. A kick-off meeting for their work has been scheduled for April 3, 1990,... 

The Web also achieved the first metamorphosis of the Internet from a session-based, file-oriented service to more of a publishing medium, where an author could add a layer of value, interpretation, and context to a particular model, and which would allow many readers to acquire not merely the data, but its context, and associated tools in an interoperable environment. This data was not forced to reside on a single computer system, and could be choreographed from a variety of source.s, thus encouraging... 

The key company of the new NDT- centre is HAPEG (Hattinger Priif- und Entwicklungs-gesellschaft), which operates a Computed Tomography system and offers service measurements on test samples of their customers [1]. The basic set up and technical details of this CT-system are presented in this paper. Details of the extension towards 3D visualisation, 3D-Tomography and the software involved are presented in a different paper [2]. 

IBM, a leader in information technologies, produces computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. It employs over 300,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. Business Innovation Services (BIS) is the consulting and systems integration arm of IBM Global Services. The organization is the... 

Software producers must fulfill the requirements for development, testing, and documentation. When the user is confident that these requirements have been met, and the system functions adequately to fulfill his or her needs, the user must perform validation prior to placing the software in service. An analytical laboratory is an example of an end-user that conducts testing prior to software/computer system installation. 

For these and other reasons, the policy of disseminating the CIS via networked PDP-10 computers was adopted at the outset and has proved to be quite successful. A typical American network of this sort has something under 100 nodes — i.e. local telephone call access is available in about 100 locations. These are mainly in the U.S., but a substantial number will be found in Europe. Further, some computer networks are now themselves interfaced to the Telex network, thus making their computer systems available worldwide. Irrespective of one s location, the cost of access is somewhere between 7 and 15 per hour, depending upon the transmission speed used and also on the time of day. Networks typically offer 110, 300 and 1200 baud service and the response time of the system is usually negligibly small. 

When outside agencies are used to provide a computer service, there should be a formal agreement including a clear statement of the responsibilities of that outside agency [13]. When the release of batches for sale or supply is carried out using a computerized system, the system should allow only a qualified person (QP) to release the batches and it should clearly identify and record the person releasing the batches. This is possible by giving the QP an operational level in the computer system that allows it to release batches. No other person should have the same operational level authorization as the QP. 

This latter case, in fact, is so complex as to be beyond the scope of this section. This section will instead be concentrated on that middle ground between a simple integrator and a medium-to-large size computer system that is, a system which will service a few (two or more) laboratories with six or more chromatographs between them. This is a realistic situation faced by many chromatographers and one that can be met in a practical fashion by the abundance of hardware available. The alternatives will be discussed in sufficient depth to begin their evaluation in the situation where such hardware is appropriate, whether measured by economic or technical requirements. 

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