Chapter 4.1 (A) Types of Software Flashcards
What are the 2 types of software
system
application
General features of system software
» provides a human computer interface (HCI)
» control and manage the operation of computer hardware
» controls the allocation and usage of hardware resources.
» provides a platform on which other software can run
» required to allow hardware and software to run without problems
General features of application software
» used to perform various applications (apps) on a computer
» allows a user to perform specific tasks using the computer’s resources
» may be a single program (for example, NotePad) or a suite of programs (for example, Microsoft Office)
» user can execute the software as and when they require
Common application softwares
Word processor
Spreadsheet
Database
Control and Measuring software
Apps
Photo editing software
Video editing software
Manipulation software
2 types of System software
Utility
OS
What is utility software
Helps keep computing device secure and in good working order
Common utility software
» virus checkers (anti-virus software)
» defragmentation software
» disk contents analysis and repair
» file compression and file management
» back-up software
» security
» screensavers
What is an anti-virus software
when does it run
software that quarantines and deletes files or programs infected by a computer virus; the software can run in the background or be initiated by the user
What is malware
programs that are installed on a user’s computer with the aim of deleting, corrupting or manipulating data illegally
Common features of anti-virus software
»Check software or files before they are run or loaded on a computer
»Compares a possible virus against a database of known viruses
»heuristic checking
»quarantine
What is heuristic checking
checking software for behaviour that could indicate a possible virus
What happens when files are in quarantine
why are they put into quarantine
Programs that are identified by anti-virus software as being infected by a virus and then are isolated in order to be deleted later.
To help avoid a false-positive.
What is defragmentation
a process that reorganises sectors on an HDD by rearranging blocks of data so that they are contiguous
How does defragmentation help
Considerably reducing HDD head movements which speeds up data access and retrieval
What is a back-up
Copies of files onto another storage media in case the original file becomes corrupted or is deleted
What does a back-up software do
» allow a schedule to be made
» Interval Back ups
» Full Back ups
» restore data from back-up
» create a restore point
What is a restore point
a kind of ‘time machine’ where your computer can be restored to its state at this earlier point in time
What are the 3 versions of a file that should be present for total security
1 - the current (working) version stored on the internal HDD or SSD
2 - a locally backed up copy of the file (stored on a portable SSD, for example)
3 - a remote back-up version stored well away from the computer (for example, using cloud storage).
functions of a security software
» manages access control and user accounts
» links into other utility software, such as virus checkers and spyware checkers
» protects network interfaces - eg firewalls
» uses encryption and decryption to ensure any intercepted data is meaningless without a decryption key
» oversees the updating of software (does the update request come from a legitimate source)
What is a screensaver
software that supplies a still or moving image on a monitor if a computer has been inactive for a period of time
How can screensavers give an additional layer of security
Helps secure an idle computer. After a certain duration of not being used, the computer will log out automatically. A screen saver will be loaded to indicate computer is locked
What background tasks can screensavers activate
why?
Indicates computer is idle and not being used
» virus scans
» distributed computing applications – these allow apps to use the computer’s resources only when it is idle
What is a device driver
software that communicates with the operating system and translates data into a format understood by the device
What are descriptors
which device drivers have these
is it unique
a collection of information about a device plugged into a USB port; this can be vendor ID (VID),
product ID (PID) or serial number
All USB device drivers have these
Yes it is unique.
What is an OS
operating system – Software that allows applications to interface with hardware
Functions of an OS
Interrupt handling routines
Memory management
Hardware peripheral management (including drivers)
Managing files
Management of user accounts
Platform for running of application software
Multitasking
Human computer interface (HCI)
Security (manages log on, passwords)
What is an HCI. Full form and definiton
2 types
Full forms of them
HCI - Human computer interface – an interface supplied by the operating system to ‘hide’ the complexities of the software and hardware from the human user
2 Forms -
CLI - Command Line Interface
GUI - Graphical User Interface
What is a CLI
Communication with the computer by typing in commands
Advantages of CLI
direct communication with computer
Not restricted to a number of pre-determined options
Can alter computer configuration settings
Quicker to execute and more efficient.
Small amount of computer memory
Disadvantages of CLI
Learn a number of commands to carry out basic operations
Typing commands takes time and can be error-prone
What is GUI
graphical user interface (GUI) – Uses icons to represent apps and tasks which the user can select or launch by clicking on a mouse or using a touch screen
Adv of GUI
the user doesn’t need to learn any commands
it is more user friendly.
Disadv of GUI
More computer memory
the user is limited to the icons provided on the screen
Takes up considerable memory
What is a WIMP
What is a Post WIMP
full form and definitions
windows icons menu and pointing device – an interface that uses a pointing device such as a mouse to select options from screen icons
post-WIMP – a modern touch screen interface system that allows actions such as pinching and rotating
Who would use a CUI
Who would use a GUI
a programmer, analyst or technician - someone who needs to have a direct communication with a computer to develop new software, locate software, etc
the end-user who doesn’t have or doesn’t need to have any great knowledge of how the computer works
What is memory management
the part of an operating system that controls main memory
Functions of memory management
» Allows data to be moved between RAM and HDD/SSD during the execution of programs
» keeps track of all the memory locations
» carries out memory protection to ensure that two competing applications cannot use the same memory locations at the same time.
Consequences of 2 competing applications using the same memory locations at the same time
– data would probably be lost
– applications could produce incorrect results
– potential security issues
– in extreme cases, the computer could crash.
What is security management
ensures the integrity, confidentiality and availability of data
Functions of security management software
» by carrying out operating system updates as and when they become available
» by helping to prevent illegal intrusion into the computer system
» ensuring that anti virus software is always up to date
» by communicating with a firewall to check all traffic to and from the computer
» Ensure the privacy of data by making use of privileges.
» by maintaining access rights for all users
» by offering the ability for the recovery of data (and system restore) when it has been lost or corrupted
What is hardware management
Controls all input and output devices
Functions of hardware management
» communicates with all input and output devices using device drivers
» uses a device driver to take data from a file and translates it into a format that the input/output device can understand
» ensures each hardware resource has a priority so that they can be used and released as required
» manages input/output devices by controlling queues and buffers
What is a buffer
A memory area used to store data temporarily
Process of printing a document
– first of all, the printer driver is located and loaded into memory
– then the data is sent to a printer buffer ready for printing
– if the printer is busy (or the printing job has a low priority) then the data is sent to a printer queue before it can be sent to the printer buffer
What is file management
part of an operating system that manages files in a computer - create, delete, copy, open, close and rename files
Main tasks of file management
Performing tasks
Maintaining directory structures
Ensuring memory allocation for a file by reading it from the HDD/SSD and loading it into memory.
