Software Flashcards
In an operating system what is the need for a user interface?
A way for the user to interact with the machine
GUI or CLI
In an operating system what is the need for memory management?
To decide where memory is allocated to make sure memory is used efficiently and important data is not overwritten
In an operating system what is the need for peripheral management?
Peripherals are computer hardware that is not part of the CPU, so the computer needs to be able to manage and communicate with all these devices to work well
In an operating system what is the need for multi-tasking?
To be able to use several programs at once e.g. write a document while download a movie
Operating system must share resources fairly and makes sure the CPU is in use as much as possible, makes a schedule in what order tasks are done
In an operating system what is the need for security?
to stop unauthorized access of private information, there are ways that the computer can be made more secure: antivirus, spyware, authentication (user id, password), privileges (read only, execute only for specific users), encrytion
Utility Programs - What is antivirus in computer security?
Viruses are programs that replicated themselves and are designed to: damage files, take control of a computer, retrieve confidential data. Antivirus software tries and prevents this by: preventing harmful programs being installed, preventing important files being changed or deleted, perform scans to detect virus
Utility Programs - What is spyware protection in computer security?
Spyware are programs that secretly record what you are doing in order to capture details e.g. bank passwords
The software runs scans in the background and detects and prevents the spyware
Spyware isn’t all bad, can be used to monitor employees etc.
Utility Programs - What are firewalls in computer security?
stop unwanted access via the internet and also stops computers on a network access sites
Utility Programs - What is formatting in disk organisation?
Makes a storage device ready to store files the way the OS wants, can also delete ‘all’ data on storage
Utility Programs - What is file transfer/management in disk organisation?
Provides a logical view on how files are organised and allows them to be managed
Utility Programs - What is defragmentation in disk organisation?
When files are stored they become fragmented so a disk defragmenter moves different parts of data so they are in the most efficient order to run
Utility Programs - What is system information and diagnosis in system maintenance?
It gives information about the hardware, statistics about its use and information to help diagnose any problems
Utility Programs - What are system cleanup tools in system maintenance?
It searches for a deletes files that are no longer needed e.g. files used to install a software package
Utility Programs - What is automatic updating in system maintenance?
Makes sure that software installed on the computer is up to data as it checks the internet for updates and installs them without you having to do anything
What is custom written software and its merits?
Software specially commission for a particular person/group
PROS - exact features required, contact with developer, should not need upgrading as it does a specific task
CONS - expensive (little customers need a profit), time, not as well tested
