Chapter 1 - Computer Systems Flashcards
Dedicated systems
Dedicated systems perform a single function or set of functions
Computer system
A computer system is a collection of hardware and software that works together to achieve some data processing task
General-purpose systems
General-purpose systems are designed to perform multiple tasks and so can be used for a wide variety of purposes
Control systems
Control systems control machinery, rather than produce an output
Embedded systems
Embedded systems are part of a larger system and are usually control systems or potable devices
Management information systems
Management information systems bring together information from all parts of an organisation and typically produce regular reports
Expert systems
Expert systems are designed to behave like human experts. They have a knowledge base, an inference engine and an interface e.g. medical diagnosis, fault identification
Standards
Standards refer to conventions and rules. They are usually defined by a responsible organisation
Data integrity
Data integrity refers to data being accurate and consistent - data reflects real-world reality and is fit for purpose
De facto
De facto standards develop because of common usage
De jure
De jure standards are de facto standards that have become universally accepted so they have to be adhered to e.g. PDF, ASCII
Industry standards
Industry standards are set by recognised non-commercial organisations
Propriety standards
Propriety standards are owned by an organisation and may be used to reduce competition from rival products. Often kept as a valued trade secret
Data protection
Laws intended to protect individuals when data about them is stored on a computer
Open standards
Open standards are publicly available and produced collaboratively - not dominated by one group or made for profit
System boundary
The way a system is separated from the outside world (often called interfaces)
Why are computer systems important? (4)
1) Quality in manufacturing
2) Cheaper manufacturing
3) Faster access to information - decision making
4) New ways of communicating
What are the advantages of embedded systems? (3)
1) Smaller
2) Use less power
3) Easier to repair (smaller parts)
What are the advantages of relying on expert systems? (3)
1) Saves time + money - no human
2) Stores more info
3) Easily updated
What are the disadvantages of relying on expert systems? (3)
1) Difficult to communicate
2) Lacks ‘human touch’
3) Hardware / software problems
What are the advantages of basing decisions on management information systems? (3)
1) Helps sort out a lot of data
2) Faster + more accurate analysis
3) Fact based decisions
What are the disadvantages of basing decisions on management information systems? (3)
1) Need tech knowledge
2) Factors that can’t be quantified
3) Leaves out human elements e.g. emotions
Why is system reliability important? (4)
1) Life or death - aircraft
2) Record keeping - data loss
3) Privacy
4) Expensive errors
How can data integrity be compromised and maximised? (4)
1) Human errors - validation
2) Transmission errors - error detection
3) Viruses - controlling access
4) Natural disasters - back up
Why are standards important? (5)
1) Enables equipment to work together (interoperability)
2) Learning new systems easier
3) Ensure fair access to markets
4) Increases competition - cheaper
5) Ensures minimum quality
What are the disadvantages of open source software? (3)
1) Malware easily created / spread
2) No guarantees of quality
3) Tech knowledge needed
What does the Data Protection Act include? (4)
1) Allow people to view data held about them
2) Data not used inappropriately
3) Data adequately protected
4) Data collected for specific purpose
What is the problem with computer waste?
Toxic materials e.g. lead put in landfill, plastics burnt producing dangerous chemicals
How can you reduce the energy used by computers? (4)
1) Virtual servers - less physical so less air con
2) Solid state rather than rotating disk
3) Automatic standby
4) Laying out equipment efficiently - cooling
