Software and Networking Flashcards
Operating System (OS)
the underlying software that integrates the hardware with software applications
Libraries
individual programs are
designed to work cooperatively with each other
They are called upon by executables to perform specific tasks
Executable
is a standalone file containing code that can be directly run by the computer
Process
task performed by the OS
What are the two most important roles of an OS?
- Ensuring the programs don’t interfere with one another (ex. memory usage)
- Maintaining security
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
Pronounced “Gooey”
replaces typed computer commands with a graphical representation of the task (e.g., moving a file)
What is the role of the OS on software platform?
The OS also provides a foundation or software platform for all other software
(application programs).
The operating system to a large
extent determines which application software can be used on a particular system
UNIX, Linux, DOS
examples of OS
Other more well-known options include Windows and macOS (Macintosh/Apple)
Multiprocessing OS
supports use of more than one CPU
Multitasking OS
allows more than one program to run simultaneously
Multithreading OS
allows different parts of a program to run concurrently
Multiuser OS
allows two or more individuals to run programs concurrently on the same computer system
Drivers
small programs that enable
the operating system and application
programs to interact with each other
and with peripheral hardware devices
What is the relationship between OS, application software, and computer hardware?
All application software runs on top of the OS; the OS, in
turn, exchanges data/instructions directly with the hardware
Application Software
is a program designed to do real work for a user
Word processors, Internet Browsers, and PACS Viewers
Examples of application software
Software Containers
Similar to VM’s, but rather than being an extraction of the hardware layer, Containers are an extraction of an application
How does an application container serve the system?
The application container allows specifc inputs to go in and specifc outputs to
come out. This provides for a very secure and stable environment/
Docker and Kubernetes
examples of Software Containers
Low-Level Programming Language
the software language that is directly
understood by a microprocessor
What are two other names for Low-Level Programming Language?
machine code or machine language
What can a low-level programming do for a CPU, in terms of processing?
It can teach it how to perform more complicated computations through a series of machine codes
High-Level Programming Language
an abstraction of machine code programming because it uses natural language elements instead of arcane numbers and
abbreviations
What is the benefit of High-Level programming language?
It makes the process of programming simpler, intuitive, and
more understandable to the human programmer.
C, BASIC, Python, JavaScript. Java, Go, R, PHP, and Swift
examples of High-Level Programming Language
Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
a toolset that facilitates programming by providing a workspace that makes coding more efficient
Compiling
the process of translating source code into machine code
Compiler
the software that
converts the source code to machine code
What is the difference between Scripting Languages and compiled languages?
Scripting languages differ from compiled languages in that the source code is
interpreted and converted into machine code at the time of execution – obviating the compiling process
JavaScript, VBScript, Python, and ASPX
examples of Scripting languages
Computer Network
a group of two or more interconnected computers that
are capable of sharing data and resources
What is the benefit of computer networking?
Networking allows multiple independent users to share the same resources (i.e., applications and data) and work with
this data simultaneously
How can computer networks be classified?
scale (i.e., size, complexity),
scope, topology, architecture, and connection method
What is the most common network?
local area network (LAN)
LAN
Local Area Network
A LAN is characterized by serving computers in a small geographic area such as a home or office
A network comprised of two or more LANs creates a..
wide area network (WAN)
What is the largest WAN?
the public Internet
Internetworking
Connection of two or more networks
Intranet
one or more networks that are under control of a single administrative authority
Extranet
an internally managed network (intranet) that maintains limited
connectivity to networks that are neither managed, owned, nor controlled by the
same entity
These regulate access to the public internet
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
method for including a distant device into an intranet with nearly the
same level of security as if it were on the premises
Network Interface Card (NIC)
the piece of computer hardware that provides the capability for a computer to communicate over a network
medium access control (MAC) address
A number can be used to help route data to and from other computers
Category 5 or Cat5
The physical connection of the
computer to the network that is usually accomplished through specialized cabling that contains four
pairs of simple copper wires
(twisted pair)
What’s the benefit to fiber optic cables and wireless as opposed to Cat5?
Fiber optic
provides greater transmission
capacity (bandwidth) than Cat5,
wireless affords greater
access where physical connections are not readily available
Ethernet
the wiring and signaling schema for the NIC and
the cabling between devices on the network
Switches
the devices that connect
other devices together on the network; it is an imprecise term that refers to many types of network devices
Network Hub
The simplest and most inexpensive of network switches
How does a network hub work?
Each computer network
cable has an individual connection to the hub.
only one computer can successfully transmit at a time
each computer
(host) is responsible for the entire communication process
What is the downside to using a network hub?
The hub does not have any capability to route messages to a specific destination.
(The hub merely replicates all messages to all hosts
connected to it)
Network Bridge
improves upon the design of the basic network hub by providing a level of active management of the communication between attached
hosts
How does a network bridge improve upon the network hub design?
The bridge is capable of learning the MAC addresses of the connected host
computers
What is the downfall of a Network Bridge?
the bridge needs to examine all data sent through it, it creates some processing overhead which slows the data transmission rate
Network Router
Similar to a network bridge, but the router is capable of discerning data based upon a software configurable identifier known as the Internet Protocol address (IP address)
Hostname
a human-readable unique label for a computer on
a network
What is the relationship between a hostname and an IP address?
Every hostname has a unique IP address associated with it
Two types of IP addresses
- Fixed (unchangeable)
- Dynamic (modifiable, reusable)
What information does a network routing table provide?
defne the topology of a
network, the relationship of devices on a network, and how to reach them
Do all computers have a unique IP address?
No, two internal networks
can use the same IP subaddresses, as long as those computers are not exposed to
the rest of the Internet
Subnetwork
small network of computers that is connected to a larger network through a router
What is the purpose of the DHCP, NAT, and network firewall featured within home networking broadband network router?
DHCP (dynamic hose configuration)
NAT (network address translation)
These provide a secure connection between the home LAN and the ISP WAN.
What does a DHCP do?
It is used to orchestrate how devices are automatically configured on a network
individual devices “negotiate” with the network controller or
router to establish a path for communication
What role does NAT play in a network?
serves as a proxy that allows multiple computers to share
a single public Internet IP address.
The broadband network router assigns each
computer in the home network its own IP address that is only unique within the
home network
What role does a firewall play in a network?
It is primarily a security device (hardware and software) that
filters traffic between the network, adjacent networks (WAN or LAN), and public
networks
IPS
internet protocol suite
a type of network protocol over ethernet
TCP/IP
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol
is a software abstraction of protocols and services necessary to
establish communication between two computers on a network
Who regulates the TCP/IP and what is the name of this model?
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
ISO network model
As a result of the information layers in the ISO network model, how is a connection established between two computers?
Through a negotiation process which includes the request and acceptance of an initial connection, the type of transmission, data packet size,
data acknowledgement, as well as when and how to transmit missing data
Data Packets
multiple small discrete chunks of information sent over a network
Collision
An instance where two or
more computers attempt to send data along the same segment simultaneously
Data Frames
data packets with an additional data wrapper
Data Wrapper
Additional metadata attached to the Data Packet containing delivery information similar to that on a mailed envelope (Sender and return address)
How do data packets contribute towards efficiently sending information over a network?
By breaking up data into smaller “chunks” the information can be sent quickly over several routes as opposed to slower over one single route
What enables data packets to become reconfigured appropriately upon reaching their destination?
the ISO model
Network Bandwith
the rate at which information can be transmitted per second (bits/sec) through a network
What is the optimal relationship between bandwidth and latency?
High bandwidth and low latency
Latency
a network parameter that is often used to gauge performance of a connection
How does is latency measured?
By the time for a data packet
to take a round trip from sender to receiver and back to the sender, it is expressed in milliseconds (ms)
What does the term broadband describe?
high-speed Internet access with a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speed
What factors can cause actual achieved bandwidth to operate less effectively than theoretical bandwidth?
quality of cabling, efficiency of network switches, and firewall
Client-Server, Data Center, and Cloud Computing
All examples of network architecture used to store data
What are the three cloud computing services?
Saas, PaaS, and Iaas
Saas
Software as a service
provides access to software that runs on client computers without installing
the software locally
Google apps, Dropbox, DocuSign
Examples of SaaS
PaaS
Platform as a Service
provides a development platform in the cloud to create applications, databases, and services as a replacement for local development servers in a data
center
Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Amazon Web
Services (AWS)
Example of PaaS
IaaS
Infrastructure as a Service
consists of infrastructure such as storage, networking, and virtualization
services in the Cloud
Amazon Elastic Cloud Services (EC2)
Example of an IaaS
Fat Client
is a host application that performs the bulk of
data processing operations for the user
Relies minimally on the network resources
Client-Server Architecture
Describes the close interrelationship between multiple clients and a server
Web Application
Any application that is accessed via a web browser over a network that is coded in a browser supported language
Thin Client
an application that relies primarily on the server for processing
focuses principally on
conveying input and output
between the user and the server
Hybrid client
Describes an application that utilizes a local installation of software, but still has tight interdependencies with servers
Web Services
Software applications that are designed to operate principally over a network in a client-server configuration
How do web services differ from web applications?
web services do NOT need
to run inside of a browser or be constructed with web elements.
Who designs the mutually agreed upon protocol relied on by servers and clients to exchange information?
the Internet Engineering Task Force and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
What is the most common protocol used to exchange information over the internet and in web browsers?
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)
What is the most common protocol used to exchange information over email?
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)
What is the most common protocol used to exchange structured information over PACS?
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)
SQL
Structured Query Language
a database-specific computer language designed to retrieve and manage data in relational database management systems (RDMS)
