Chapter 1 (Computer System Overview)

Question 1

Fetches instructions from memory and executes them

Answer 1

CPU

Question 2

Volatile storage for programs and data

Answer 2

Main memory

Question 3

Allow data to be moved to and from the computer and I/O devices

Answer 3

I/O modules

Question 4

The pathway for data and instructions to move between the processor, memory, and I/O modules

Answer 4

System bus

Question 5

What connects the CPU, I/O Modules, and Main Memory?

Answer 5

System bus

Question 6

A ____ is a processor contained on a single chip

Answer 6

Microprocessor

Question 7

How can each core support two logical processors?

Answer 7

Sharing an execution unit

Question 8

What is a DSP?

Answer 8

Digital Signal Processor

Question 9

What can a DSP process?

Answer 9

Audio or video streams

Question 10

A ____ is a set of instructions to be executed in memory

Answer 10

Program

Question 11

A simplified view of the processor consists of two phases, ____ and ____

Answer 11

Fetch, execute

Question 12

What does a fetch do?

Answer 12

Retrieves an instruction from memory

Question 13

What does the execute step do?

Answer 13

Carries out the instruction

Question 14

An “____” is the processing of a single instruction, involving the fetch cycle and execute cycle

Answer 14

Instruction cycle

Question 15

What is Processor-memory

Answer 15

Transfer data between processor and memory

Question 16

What is Processor-I/O

Answer 16

Data transferred to or from a peripheral device

Question 17

Data processing

Answer 17

Arithmetic or logic operation on data

Question 18

What is control?

Answer 18

Alter sequence of execution (branch instruction)

Question 19

Register commonly used for loading and storing values to memory and doing arithmetic

Answer 19

Accumulator register

Question 20

A mechanism for interrupting the processor’s execution in order to do something else

Answer 20

Interrupt

Question 21

What are some common types of interrupts?

Answer 21

Program
Timer
I/O
Hardware failure

Question 22

____ improve processor utilization by notifying the processor of an event versus making the processor wait

Answer 22

Interrupts

Question 23

What if we didn’t have interrupts?

Answer 23

The processor would have to keep checking to see if an event has occurred

Question 24

What must the processor do before executing the interrupt handler?

Answer 24

Save the system state (the registers) on the stack

Question 25

T/F It is possible for an interrupt to occur while another interrupt is being processed

Answer 25

T

Question 26

Memory on a computer system is composed of a ____

Answer 26

Hierarchy

Question 27

T/F Program execution of instructions and data occurs in clusters

Answer 27

T

Question 28

The ____ is the fraction of memory accesses that are found in the cache

Answer 28

Hit ratio

Question 29

What are some considerations in cache design?

Answer 29

Cache size
Block size
Mapping function
Replacement algorithm
Write policy

Question 30

What does the mapping function do?

Answer 30

Determines where to put a new block

Question 31

What does the replacement algorithm do?

Answer 31

Determines how to replace a block

Question 32

What is the write policy?

Answer 32

When to write a block back to main memory

Question 33

Processor moves data between I/O module and memory

Answer 33

Programmed I/O

Question 34

Processor issues I/O command and then goes on to other processing

Answer 34

Interrupt-driven I/O

Question 35

Processor delegates the I/O transfer to the DMA module

Answer 35

DMA (Direct Memory Access)

Question 36

What are some SMP advantages?

Answer 36

Performance
Availability
Incremental growth
Scaling

Question 37

What does SMP stand for?

Answer 37

Symmetric Multiprocessors

Question 38

One reason for multicores is the…

Answer 38

Limitations of continuing to improve a single processor