2. IT Concepts and Terminology Flashcards
4 basic things that any computing device does:
- Obtaining input (data); 2. Storing Data 3. Processing Data 4. Providing Output (in order for the computer to be useful to us)
Obtaining input is when
when we provide information (data) to the device. Can be user input, from other computers, from stored data, sensors, etc.
Storing data
One of 2 things a computer can do with input. Can be local, drive, cloud, etc
Processing data
One of 2 things a computer can do with input. Analyzing, performing calculations/operations on the data (mostly done by the CPU)
Providing output
Reports back the results of the processing - screen output, instructions for another device on how it should perform, etc.
Data =
bits of information - raw facts that systems process, generate, and collect
Information =
data that has been processed and analyzed (and put in context)
Data-driven business decision (3 stages)
Data capture and collection, Data correlation/analysis, Reporting
Copyrights
automatically granted once the work is created (life + 70 years, then public domain)
Trademarks
Must register first (renew every 10 years, invalid after 5 years of non-use)
Patents must meet 3 criteria
Novel, useful, non-obvious (last 20 years from filing date)
A bit is
The basic unit of storage, a single value of either 0 or 1 (2 possible values).
Adding a new bit
doubles the number of possible values we can store
A petabyte is
1,000 terabytes (1,000 trillion bytes)
Networks transmit data by
sending pulses that represent 1s and 0s. When there is a signal present that is a 1, and when the signal is absent that is a 0.
Wired networks use
pulses of electricity over coper wires
Wireless networks use
radio waves to transmit radio signal pulses
fiberoptic networks use
stands of glass to transmit pulses of light
4 similar terms to describe network capacity
speed, throughput, capacity and bandwidth
Computer clocks are measured (CPUs)
in multiples of Hz
in decimal notation, each additional digit increased the number of values that can be stored by
a factor of 10
Hexidecimal notations works with multiples of
16
Each hexidecimal digit can store
16 possible values, from 0-15
The standard code in English that describes what numeric value to use for each alphanumeric character and symbol
ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) - one byte per character
Standard code for other languages that can represent 1,000s of different characters
Unicode - uses either 8 or 16 bits of data
Each data object used by an application has
an associated data type that tells the computer how to handle the data it encounters
The most basic data type is the
Boolean object/data type - single bit 1 (true) or 0 (false) - boolean values AKA ‘flags’
Integer values store
whole numbers
Float values store
decimal numbers (more precision but takes up more memory)
String values store
multiple characters strung together (word, sentence, or paragraph -and ZIP codes!)
char values store
a single character - consumes a single byte in the ASCII-ian coding system)
8 problem solving steps:
- Identify the problem (what the user is experiencing); 2. Conduct research (Google - Error message?); 3. Establish a Theory of Probably Cause (make an educated guess & question obvious assumptions); 4. Test the Theory (True - move forward, False - return to previous step); 5. Establish a Plan of Action; 6. Implement the Solution or Escalate the Problem; 7. Verify System Functionality/Preventive Measures; 8. Document/Report Findings
