ICT L.O.2

Question 1

What are all the different types of software?

Answer 1

1) Open source
2) Closed Source
3) Off-the-Shelf
4) Bespoke
5) Shareware
6) Freeware
7) Embedded software

Question 2

What is Software?

Answer 2

The collection of instructions that tell a computer how to work

Question 3

What is Open source software?

Answer 3

-Open source is when source code is made easily available to use, check and modify to individual needs.

–>often done to aid collaboration (e.g. Linux)

Question 4

What is Closed Source software?

Answer 4

-When you cannot easily view source code
–> (e.g. Windows)
–>Protected by licenses and copyright so they can make money from it

Question 5

What are some advantages and disadvantages of Open source software?

Answer 5

Advantages–> -Inexpensive (usually free)
-Flexibility as the program can be
modified and adapted

Disadvantages–> -Vulnerability
-Support may not be available
-Updates may not be available

Question 6

What are some advantages and disadvantages of Closed source software?

Answer 6

advantages:
-well tested and updates will be generally secure

-Company can be held to account if it does not perform as stated in the terms and conditions

-Help/support is provided by most developers

Disadvantages:
-rely on company to provide updates

-Often not free

-Code cannot be modified, debugged or improved in any way

Question 7

What is ‘Off the Shelf’ Software?

Answer 7

Software which has already been designed and ready for use.

(designed to apply to a variety of users)–> e.g. office software, video games an video editors

Question 8

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Off-the-shelf software?

Answer 8

Advantages:
-Well tested so features will work as expected and updates will be regular
-Cheaper than bespoke software
-Users may be familiar with the software and trust the company. (e.g. microsoft)

Disadvantages:
-Can be expensive to purchase some software e.g. antivirus

-Software may contain additional features which the company may not need which can reduce the performance of the system

Question 9

What is Bespoke Software?

Answer 9

Software which has been custom made for a specific organisation

Question 10

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Bespoke software?

Answer 10

Advantages:
-Only contains the features you need
-Only used by you (which may provide a competitive advantage)

Disadvantage:
-Expensive
-Support may be hard to find
-May not have been tested as thoroughly

Question 11

What is Freeware?

Answer 11

-When software is provided to use without cost. (usually considered a type of closed source).

(Freeware is used to increase market share in hopes people upgrade to the paid premium version)–>(Freemium)

Question 12

What is Shareware?

Answer 12

Software that offers a trial period before it must be bought e.g. Photoshop
(Sometimes functionality may be limited in this trial period)

(usually closed source)

Question 13

What is embedded software?

Answer 13

-an embedded system is a computer within a wider system that performs a dedicated job
e.g. ATMs, Washing machines etc.

-(might have time or memory requirements)

-(Closed source)

Question 14

What is application software?

Answer 14

Software designed to carry out a specific task unrelated to the computer itself
(e.g. microsoft word is application software as we can just write things down on paper in real life)

Question 15

What is productivity software?

Answer 15

-software which carries out common tasks easily and efficiently.
e.g. –>Word processors
–>Presentation software
–>Web browsers
–>Databases (used to store structured data)
–>Spreadsheets

Question 16

What are databases used for?

Answer 16

-Used to store structural data
-Usually there will be related tables connected together
-Queries can be run to extract data (e.g. what employees are earning a certain amount)
-Reports can summarise data

Question 17

What are spreadsheets used for?

Answer 17

-Used to analyse numerical data (i.e. do calculations)
–>Functions and formulae can enable quick calculations
–>Graphs and charts can be easily made

Question 18

What are development tools?

Answer 18

tools which make software development easier and more efficient.

Question 19

What are some examples of development tools?

Answer 19

1) Translator–> used to convert source code into the binary equivalent that can be ran by the computer

2) Compiler–> A type of translator which produces an executable file (makes a file which can be used on its own to make a program)
(the source code also can’t be seen)

3) Debugger–> used to help find errors (Tools include the ability to run code line-by-line i.e. step-by-step)

4)IDE (Integrated Development Environment) –>Combines lots of tools together (often provides synthax highlighting)

Question 20

What is business software?

Answer 20

-Specialist software for businesses often made bespoke for an organisation.

Question 21

What are some types of business software?

Answer 21

1) Project Management Software–> collects,stores,analyses and presents data for an organisation for general data analysis and decision making.

2)MIS–> (Management Information System) one system used to connect different aspects of the business (maybe multimedia i.e. videos and images)–> e.g. CEDAR

3)DTP (Desktop Publishing Software)–>Used for more creative tasks and includes templates –> e.g. Microsoft publisher.

4) CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Manufacturing) –>Software used to design and construct products. (Often more cheap and accurate) (e.g. 3D printing)

5)Expert Systems–> Use AI to mimic human decision-making and find errors–> e.g. used in healthcare screening.

Question 22

What is Utility Software?

Answer 22

Dedicated programs used for the maintenance and organization of a computer system.

Question 23

What is System Software?

Answer 23

Software used to ensure the smooth running of a computer system

Question 24

What are some examples of Utility Software?

Answer 24

1) Backup software–>a copy of data which is made in case something happens to the original (However full backups can slow down networks)

2) Anti-Virus software–>Detects and removes malware on the computer (all malware not just viruses).
->(Most use a database of known malware which if not updated can leave you vulnerable)

3) Compression Software–> Reduces file sizes (Smaller files mean you use up less storage space and small files also mean it will take less time to download or upload those files however you do sacrifice quality of photos and videos when compressing files)–>e.g. 1080p and 144p (1080p has less compression and 144p has more)

4) Defragmentation Software–> used to rearrange the file on the hard disk drive so that all parts are together again in order.

(+)–> improves the speed of accessing data on the hard disk drive.
–> Optimized storage: Defragmentation can free up space on a hard drive by consolidating files.
–>Faster backups: When files are contiguous, backing up a system can be faster

(-)–> Time-consuming: Defragmentation can be a time-consuming process.
–> Resource intensive: Defragmentation can be resource intensive.
–>Not suitable for SSDs: Defragmentation is generally not necessary for solid-state drives (SSDs) because they don’t have moving parts.

Question 25

What is an Operating system?

Answer 25

Software that manages the resources of a computer system.
(Hardware–>OS–>Application–>User)

Question 26

What are the functions of OS?

Answer 26

-Manages the hardware e.g. allocating to a graphics card or CPU time etc.)

-Manages the applications you install (includes utility software as well)

-Creates a user interface (e.g. taskbars) (ways for the user to interact and control the software)

-provides a layer of security (since it controls hardware access) and tools like passwords and access controls may be built in.

-Manages interrupts (deciding when a more important task should take over)

Question 27

What are the different types of OS systems?

Answer 27

1) Single User OS–> only allows 1 user at a time (you can have multiple accounts but they cannot be used at a single time)

2) Multi-User OS–> allows multi-users at a time (usually done through a network terminal)
–>Each user is allocated processor time.
–> Multi-user OS needs to make sure one sure isn’t damaging another user’s files

3) Single processor OS–> only supports 1 CPU (there can be multiple CPUs but only 1 is supported at a time)
-Multi-tasking is still possible as the OS is dividing the CPU time into time slices which makes everything seem like its running in parallel.

4) Multi processor OS–> able to support multiple CPUs therefore throughput (how much you’re doing at any given moment) may be increased as it is parallelised.

Question 28

What are the different Text-based communication methods?

Answer 28

1) Instant Messaging–> short messages sent over the internet (e.g. WhatsApp)
–>Sent straight away
(maybe used for quick updates)

2) Short Message Service (SMS) –> short messages sent over cellular/satellite networks
–>less advanced than instant messaging (i.e. you cannot send as long messages or send voice notes)
–>Basic SMS doesn’t support multimedia.

3) Email–> can be used to distribute information in the email body, an attachment or via a link to either one person (private) or large email lists (public).
–> It is cheap/free, a large number of people can be targeted, and it is a form of a written record. HOWEVER, some people may ignore them as they may go in the junk folder.

4) Social media–> Businesses can buy adverts on social media
–> They can also create social media accounts to share information and interact with customers.

Positives: -Large number of people can be reached
-Non-customers may see the messaging

Negative: -Accounts may be targeted by attackers or trolls
-Complaints and offensive comments may limit the core message

Question 29

What are the different audio/video based communication methods?

Answer 29

1) VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)–> used to allow telephone calls over the internet.
(P)–>Cheaper/free than cellular and allow user to make phone calls over the internet e.g. Microsoft teams or Zoom.
(N)–>Relies on good internet connection and can potentially be less secure than cellular.

2) Personal Assistants (e.g. Siri/Alexa)–> Virtual Personal Assistants (PAs) which have voice recognition and/or respond to written commands.
-They also do common tasks like play music, add an event to a calendar, and dictate messages
(P)–>Speeds up processes like making appointments
-Voice activated so can be used whilst otherwise busy
-Language can be changed to suit people’s preference
(N)–>Recognition issue (sometimes it does not understand a command)
-Huge privacy issue as these devices are always listening and companies store this data.

3) Video Conferencing–>allows communication with multiple people
(P)–>Can see body language easier to understand better
-Features like screen sharing
(N)–>May be lag
-May be miscommunication

Question 30

What are some common software faults?

Answer 30

Unexpected software behaviour: (usually caused by bugs in the software) :
-Software not opening
-Software freezing
-Links not working
-Artifacts on screen
-Blue screen of Death (Stop error)
-Reboot cycle

Question 31

What are all the different investigation tools for software faults?

Answer 31

1) Logs–>Show details of what the computer has been doing.

2) Baselines–>Compare the system now to how it was in the past. (help to see the differences which may have caused the computer to crash)

3) Installable tools–> Can check specific details of the system (interrogate):
-Memory dump–>copies and displays contents of RAM at the time of a crash to help a technician discover what happened .
-Anti-Virus–>checks for malware which is slowing down the computer and deletes it.

4) Documentation–>Text to help find, understand ,and correct errors

Question 32

What is a network protocol?

Answer 32

Certain rules which allow two devices to communicate with each other. (usually developed in layers which perform a particular function).

Question 33

What are the different layers in a network protocol?

Answer 33

1)Application layer

2)Transport layer

3)Network layer

4)Link layer

(1->4 is when data is sent)
(4->1 is when data is recieved)

Question 34

What are all the different Network Protocols? (1)

Answer 34

1) TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)–>
Receives data from application and splits it into packets (when sending) and receives packets from the network and reassembles them to original (when receiving data)
-(it works in the transport layer)
-(Acknowledgement sent to sender when received
and is then retransmitted).
-Checks for errors when transferring data (whilst UDP does not) so it is slower than UDP

2) UDP (User Data Protocol)–>Used as an alternative to TCP as it does not retransmit packets (it will not check if a packet has arrived)
-It is therefore quicker than TCP but less reliable.
-Used for things such as live online gaming and live video calls.
-(it works in the transport layer)

3) IP (Internet Protocol)–> in charge of routing and addressing data packets (ensures data packets are sent across networks to the right destination)
–>it is also an addressing system as every device on a network is given a unique IP address so data packets can be sent to the correct computer system.

Question 35

What are all the different Network Protocols? (2)

Answer 35

1) HTTP/HTTPS (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol)–> transfers web pages over the Internet so that the user can view them in a web browser.
-HTTPS is a more secure version that works with another protocol called SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to transfer encrypted data.

2) FTP (File Transfer Protocol)–> A protocol that can be used to transfer files across a network.

3) ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol)–>collects network status information (such as router errors) and is used for troubleshooting.

4) SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol)–>
a protocol that records network statistics such as router usage.

5) SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol)–> a protocol use to send emails to a mail server and between mail servers.

6) POP (Post Office Protocol)–>Used for downloading and storing emails from a mail server.

Question 36

What are the advantages and disadvantages of video conferencing?

Answer 36

(+)
* Can meet remotely
* Reduce travel costs
* Reduce time taken for meeting
* Reduce carbon footprint for SKA
* Time and Location issues removed
* Can see work/people
* Can collaborate on-screen with modern tools

(-)
* High bandwidth is needed to show video
* Stable connection needed to no cutouts in
communication
* Short lag time between speaking and getting
response
* Software may not support many people
* Security issues may lead to data leakage
* Cost of a high-quality kit is high