Fundamentals of computer systems Flashcards
What is a system?
A collection of parts connected to work together for a defined purpose.
What is a system boundary?
The separation between processes inside a computer and the outside world.
What are the three main components of a computer system?
Inputs, Processes and outputs.
What are the six types of computer system?
General purpose, Dedicated systems, Control systems, Embedded systems, Expert systems and Information management systems.
Why is it important that some computer systems are reliable?
They control life or death situations, such as in hospitals and transport.
What can mistakes in reliability lead to?
Down time, expensive errors (eg the HSBC cock up), data loss, compromised privacy
Why can testing sometimes never be complete?
Extremely complex software has too many program paths to test (eg video games), and testing is expensive/time consuming on a large scale.
What is a standard?
An agreement, that makes different manufacturers produce parts compatible with others.
What is a De facto standard?
A standard that came about due to common usage (eg the QWERTY keyboard)
What is a De jure standard?
A standard that is so vital, a computer could not function without it (801.11 wireless standard)
What is a proprietary standard?
A standard that is linked to a company or organisation. Eg, developers producing for Windows 7 have to follow standards to ensure compatibility.
What is an industry standard?
Standards set by Non-Comercial organisations such as ANSI, IEEE or ISO
What is the UK Data Protection Act (1998) based around?
Giving people control over data held about them, and stopping unauthorized access to peoples data.
What are the two main threats to the environment posed by computers?
Toxic waste, and Energy consumption.
How can we reduce the energy consumed by computers?
Use solid state disks, efficient cooling, cloud servers as oppose to physical servers, setting computers to go on standby.
