1.5 System Software Flashcards
What is System Software ?
software that governs the computer system
What are the four features of System Software ?
-controls the hardware - peripherals
-allows other programs to run
-provides an interface
-maintains the system
What are the two kinds of system software ?
-operating systems
-utilities
What is an OS ?
collection of programs that manages and controls the computer.
What are functions of an OS ?
- controlling hardware
- providing platform + UI
- manages users, files , peripherals, memory
- multitasking
What are the three types of UI ?
- Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- Mobile User Interface (MUI)
- Command Line Interface
What is the feature of GUI ?
- powerful and easy to use
- require a lot of processing power
Where are Mobile UI’s found ?
Smartphones and tablets
What is the feature of CLI ?
- hard to use
- extremely powerful
- little processing power required
What is Multitasking ?
able to run more than one program simultaneously by the CPU allocating a time slice.
What are the 2 requirements of Multitasking ?
- If OS can support it
- enough primary memory for more than 1 program
What is paging ?
memory management where memory is divided into pages.
Do the pages of a program have to be contingous ?
NO
What are peripherals ?
Hardware devices connected to a computer
What is a device driver ?
A program containing instructions on how to control a device
What are advantages of a device driver ?
- any device can be used if driver available
- can be updated
What are features of File management?
create, modify ,copy, rename, sort, search, restore, set rights, duplicate and delete files and folders
What are features of User Management ?
allow individual users to be created/destroyed
set access levels
auditing of files a user creates, accesses, edits and deletes
What is utility software ?
software that maintains the system
What does utility software contain ?
- Encryption Software
- Defragmentation Software
- Data Compression Software
- Backup Software
What is defragmentation ?
takes the fragmented files and rearranges the segments so that they run contiguously
What are the pros of defragmentation ?
Decrease Read/ Write Time
What does Data Compression software do ?
reduces the size of a file stored on secondary storage.
What are the two types of backup ?
- Full
- Incremental
What is an Incremental backup ?
Takes a copy of any new files created since the last backup, or files that have been edited
