Computer science terms

Question 1

Legacy system

Answer 1

A system that is outdated and no longer updated

Question 2

Bits vs Bytes

Answer 2

One byte is equal to eight bits
A bit can either be a 0 or 1

Question 3

Design cycle

Answer 3

1.empathize
2.define
3.ideate
4.prototype
5.test

Question 4

Accessibility

Answer 4

the practice of making your websites usable by as many people as possible (disabilities usually)

Question 5

Usability

Answer 5

a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use

Question 6

Implementation approaches

Answer 6

Pilot
Direct
Parallel
Phased

Question 7

Data migration challenges

Answer 7

Incompatible file formats
Data structure differences
Validation rules
Incomplete data transfers
International convention on dates, currencies & character sets

Question 8

Black box vs White box testing

Answer 8

Black box testing is when you don’t know anything about design. White box testing is when you know about the internal design and analyze it while testing

Question 9

User documentation

Answer 9

Manuals

Question 10

Change management

Answer 10

a systematic approach to dealing with the transition or transformation of an organization’s goals, processes or technologies

Question 11

Causes of data loss

Answer 11

Human error
Hackers
Natural disasters

Question 12

Failover system

Answer 12

the ability to switch automatically and seamlessly to a reliable backup system

Question 13

Data loss prevention plans

Answer 13

Failover system
Redundancy: having data in two locations, redundant because you have it twice
Removable media: CDs, USB, tapes, etc
Offsite/online storage: External location

Question 14

User acceptance testing

Answer 14

a phase of software development in which the software is tested in the “real world” by the intended audience

Question 15

Software deployment

Question 16

Computer storage options

Answer 16

Primary memory is the computer’s main memory and stores data temporarily. Secondary memory is external memory and saves data permanently. Data stored in primary memory can be directly accessed by the CPU, which cannot be accessed in secondary memory.

Question 17

RAM

Answer 17

Random Access Memory
type of memory that can be accessed randomly (any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the preceding bytes).
Found in servers, PCs and other devices.
Volatile : all data is lost when device is turned off.

Question 18

CPU & functions of the arithmetic logic unit

Answer 18

The ALU performs simple addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and logic operations, such as OR and AND. The memory stores the program’s instructions and data.

Question 19

The CPU and its elements

Answer 19

The control unit (CU) responsible for the operation of the CPU. It controls the retrieval of instructions from the primary memory as well as the sequence of their execution. It does the fetching of data and instructions in the fetch-decode-execute cycle.

The arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
performs all the basic arithmetic, logical or input/output operations. The CU is responsible for providing the ALU with the data that needs to be processed as well as the instructions of how the data should be processed.
The primary memory used as storage contains two types of memory - the random access memory (RAM) and the read-only memory (ROM).
The basic registers in the CPU are the memory address register (MAR) and the memory data register (MDR).

The memory address register (MAR) holds the address of the data (address - the specific location in the RAM) to be used by the ALU, so that the ALU can fetch the corresponding content from the memory and process it accordingly.

The memory data register (MDR) holds the data that is to be used by the ALU and then saved to the RAM. The MAR tells us the location and the MDR finds/fetches the data. That data/connection is done using the Data Bus.

Question 20

SAN vs NAS

Answer 20

NAS is a single storage device that serves files over Ethernet and is relatively inexpensive and easy to set up.
SAN is a tightly coupled network of multiple devices that is more expensive and complex to set up and manage

Question 21

CPU Cache memory

Answer 21

Cache is the temporary memory, it is a chip based feature of your computer that lets you access some information more quickly than if you access it from your computer’s main hard drive.

Question 22

Identify the relevant stakeholders when planning a new system

Answer 22

Stakeholder: a person, group or organization that has interest or concern in an organization.
Internal stakeholders: Employees, Manager, Owners
External stakeholders: Suppliers, Society, Government, Creditors, shareholders, customers

Question 23

Describe methods of obtaining requirements from stakeholders

Answer 23

Surveys
Interviews
Direct observation
Collecting documents

Question 24

Fiber optics

Answer 24

Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber. Fiber optics transmit data in the form of light particles – or photons – that pulse through a fiber optic cable. The glass fiber core and the cladding each have a different refractive index that bends incoming light at a certain angle.

Question 25

Fetch-Execute cycle

Answer 25

AKA Machine cycle
1. The CPU fetches the instructions one at a time from the main memory into the registers. One register is the program counter (pc).
2. The CPU decodes the instruction.
3. The CPU executes the instruction.
4. Repeat until there are no more instructions.

Question 26

WEP

Answer 26

WEP: Wired equivalent privacy, oldest and most common Wi-Fi security protocol.

Question 27

VPN

Answer 27

Virtual private network, establish a protected network connection when using public networks. VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and disguise your online identity.

Question 28

Network topologies diagram

Question 29

Lossless vs lossy compression

Answer 29

Lossless: You can revert to the original format (PNG, GIF)
Lossy: You are unable to revert to the original format (JPEG, PDF)

Question 30

OSI Model

Answer 30

7 - Application layer: Human- computer interaction layer, where applications can access the network services
6 - Presentation layer: Ensures that data is in a usable format and is where data encryption occurs
5 - Session layer: Maintains connections and is responsible for controlling ports and sessions
4 - Transport layer : Transmits data using transmission protocols including TCP and UDP
3 - Network layer : Decides which physical path the data will take
2 - Data Link layer: Defines the format of data on the network
1 - Physical layer: Transmits raw bit stream over the physical medium

Question 31

Protocol, data packet

Answer 31

Protocol: A protocol defines the format and the order of messages exchanged between two or more communicating entities, as well as the actions taken on the transmission and/or receipt of a message or other event
Data Packet: a unit of data made into a single package that travels along a given network path

Question 32

WPA

Answer 32

Wi-Fi protected access is a security standard for computing devices equipped with wireless internet connections. It provides more sophisticated data encryption and better user authentication than WEP.

Question 33

WPA2

Answer 33

2nd generation of WPA wireless security protocol. Secures and protects Wi-Fi networks just like its predecessor

Question 34

WPA3

Answer 34

The third iteration of a security certification program developed by the Wi-Fi alliance. It’s the updated implementation of WPA2

Question 35

WPS

Answer 35

Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS; originally, Wi-Fi Simple Config) is a network security standard to create a secure wireless home network

Question 36

ROM

Answer 36

Read Only Memory
Computer memory on which data has been pre-recorded.
Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read.
Non-volatile : data is kept even when the device is turned off.
Used extensively in calculators and peripheral devices such as laser printers, whose fonts are often stored in ROMs.