Ch 2: Computers and Networking Flashcards
is typically the largest integrated circuit on the motherboard and its role is to execute specific instructions/machine code dictated by a computer program and orchestrate the movement of data and instructions through the entire computer system; “brain”
Central Processing Unit (CPU) / microprocessor
is principally used to temporarily store data (and results) and applications or programs; in contrast to a CPU, this module has no capability to process instructions; instead it is designed to reliably store large chunks of data and then release these data on command
Memory
A solid-state memory module that can be erased and rewritten for unlimited number of times
Random Access Memory (RAM)
is employed on video graphics cards to store graphical information to improve video display performance
VRAM / video memory
are hardware extensions that allow humans (or other devices) to interact with a computer
Input/Output devices
Examples of input devices include the keyboard, touch screen, mouse, microphone, and camera. Typical output devices include the video display, printer, plotter, and speaker.
the physical data chain built into the motherboard that allows for this efficient data transfer
Data bus
comprised of a non-erasable read only memory (ROM) chip that contains the minimal amount of software necessary to instruct the computer how to access the keyboard, mouse, display, disk drives, and communications ports
Basic Input/Output Systems (BIOS)
programs that help users to perform specific tasks and programming software – programs that aid in the writing of other software. All software consists of individual procedures that command the computer to follow a precisely orchestrated series of instructions. The number of individual instructions specified in any one program varies depending upon the type and complexity of the software – from 10 to 100 million lines of code.
System software (operating software)
replaces typed computer commands with a graphical representation of the task (e.g., moving a file). This is accomplished by creating a visual representation of the computer file system (the desktop), icons, and windows and linking them to the movements of a pointing device such as a mouse or trackball.
graphical user interface (GUI)
enable software to interact with the ubiquitous hardware devices attached to the motherboard and between components on the motherboard itself. In other instances, they allow one software component to safely interact with another piece of software.
Drivers
characterized by serving computers in a small geographic area such as a home or an office.
Local area network (LAN)
A network that is comprised of two or more LANs; it is more commonly used to describe networks with a broad geographic coverage – metropolitan, regional, or national; largest WAN is the public Internet
Wide area network (WAN)
is the piece of computer hardware that provides the capability for a computer to communicate over a network
network interface card (NIC)
a unique number given to every NIC; this number can be used to help route data to and from other computers
MAC
the wiring and signaling schema for the NIC and the cabling between devices on the network.
Ethernet
the devices that connect other devices together on the network; they vary in the degree of functionality by which they manage the data traffic that passes through them; the term is an imprecise term that refers to many types of network devices
Switches
The simplest and most inexpensive of network switches; provides a simple and passive method for all computers connected to it to transmit and receive data to each other.
Hub
Each computer network cable has an individual connection to the hub
Port
The hub creates a shared medium where only one computer can successfully transmit at a time and each computer is responsible for the entire communication process
Host
Provides a level P’s active management of the communication between attached hosts; capable of learning the MAC addresses of the connected host computers and will only send data destined for a specific host through the port associated with a unique MAC address; sport data transmission rates of 10, 100, and 1,000 megabits per second
Bridge
is capable of examining the contents of the data passing through it and is able to discern the identity of the sender and the recipient.
Router
a configurable 32-bit numeric value (e.g., 192.123.456.789) that is used to uniquely identify devices and the networks to which they belong.
IP address
A specific set of rules for communication; comprised of heterogenous group to devices of different make, model, vintage, and performance; the most ubiquitous one Over the Ethernet is the internet protocol suite (IPS) or Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol(TCP/IP)
Network protocols
a software abstraction of protocols and services necessary for the establishment of communication between two computers on a network.
TCP/IP
International organization for software; describes 5 to 7 information layers that link computer software application to the hardware that must perform the actual transmission and receipt of data
OSI
Data transmitted over a network is broken up into multiple small discrete chunks before being sent over the network by the NIC; size is variable and is part of the “negotiations” when establishing a network connection with another computer.
Packets
there are instances where two or more computers attempt to send data along the same segment simultaneously.
Collision
a computer that provides application services or data and a computer or software application that receives those services and data.
Server-client
is a host application that performs the bulk of data processing operations for the user with minimal to no reliance on network resources.
Fat client
an application that relies primarily on the server for processing and focuses principally on conveying input and output between the user and the server.
Thin client
a type of data model that determines the logical
structure of a database and fundamentally determines in which manner data can be stored,
organized, and manipulated; the most popular example of a database model is the
relational model which uses a table-based format
Database model
A database-specific computer language designed to retrieve and manage data in relational database management systems (RDMS); provides a programmatic interface to databases from virtually any development platform
Structured query language (SQL)
A digital database based on te relational model of data
Relational database management systems (RDMS)
