Systems software Flashcards
What is an operating system?
Helps to manage resources of a computer system and provide an interface between the user and the computers hardware
Where are programs stored in to be accessed by the CPU?
Programs are stored in the RAM temporarily to be accessed by the CPU
What does the OS do when programs need to be processed?
The OS transfers programs in and out of memory from the Hard Drive when it’s needed to be processed
What is multitasking?
OS only allows when program at a time to be executed so memory management allows more than one process to be executed
What is a peripheral?
It’s an external device connected to a computer
How does specific hardware understand OS’s instructions?
The driver translates the OS’s instructions into a format that specific hardware can understand
How does the OS manage data for external devices?
It manages data which is transferred between external devices and processor
What is a device driver?
It’s a program that provides an interface for the OS to interact and communicate with the peripheral
What is user management?
The OS allows users to create, manage and delete individual accounts
Users can be granted different access rights
What is file management?
OS creates and maintains a logical management system for files + folders
Allows files to be deleted, copied, opened and named
What is user interface?
Provides an interface, allowing a human to interact with the computers system
What is utility software?
Dedicated programs for management and organisation of the computer system. Required to perform additional tasks not performed by the OS
What is fragmentation?
When files on a Hard Disk have become split up over time - data has been stored and deleted later
What happens to files when fragmented?
It takes longer to load + read
What is defragmentation?
Collects empty spaces on the HDD and file fragments are moved to be stored together
What happens to files when defragmented?
It takes less time to load + read
Faster to save new files
What is encryption?
It’s the process of scrambling data in an unreadable format so attackers can’t understand if intercepted during transmission
What is compression
Making a file smaller
What are benefits of compression of files ?
Files take up less space
Files can be transferred faster
Files can be read from or written to faster
What is lossy compression?
Permanently removes data that can’t be seen or heard by humans - reduces size of file
What is lossy compression used on?
Images, audio, and videos
What is lossless compression?
Reduces size of file without permanently removing data (can be decompressed) - bigger file size
What is lossless compression used on?
Executable files (programs and games) and word documents
