TPS (transaction processing systems)

Question 1

What are the advantages of a computer based system?

Answer 1

• Large number of simultaneous transactions can be processed in less time (efficiency)
• Greater reliability and backup (less prone to human error)
• Higher storage capacity
• Ease of retrieval
• No digital deterioration

Question 2

What are the main differences between real time and batch processing?

Answer 2

Real time transactions are input into the system as soon as they arise. In batch mode transactions are collected into batches, which may be held for a while and input into the computer later, often overnight when the computers are not busy processing online transactions.
Batch processing often occurs when the data is first collected as hard copy. Batch processing is an automated process which requires no human intervention and it may be scheduled for a convenient time. However, if an error occurs, processing will halt, and by its nature, means that data is not always completely up to date.

Question 3

Describe data warehousing.

Answer 3

Data warehousing is the action of storing data on a relational database designed for analysis and query. Often the data is often derived from transactions but can involve data from other sources. The environment of a the warehouse includes an extraction, transportation, transformation, and loading solution, an online analytical processing (OLAP) engine, and client analysis tools.

Question 4

What is batch processing?

Answer 4

the collection and storage of data for processing at a scheduled time or when there is sufficient data

Question 5

Describe data mining.

Answer 5

Data mining is a feature of a transaction processing system. Data mining is the analysis of relationships and patterns in data. It examines data for trends or anomalies without knowledge of the meaning of data. Human analysts find patterns in large amounts of data. Data mining tools are also able to analyse significant relationships that exists only when several dimensions are viewed at the same time.

Question 6

What is data integrity?

Answer 6

Data integrity refers to maintaining and assuring the accuracy and consistency of data over its entire life-cycle, and is a critical aspect to the design, implementation and usage of any system which stores, processes or retrieves data.

Question 7

What is a transaction?

Answer 7

series of events

important to an organisation that involve a request, an acknowledgement, an action and an outcome

Question 8

What type of backup systems are there?

Answer 8

data backup and recovery, including: 
– grandfather, father, son 
– off-site storage 
– secure on-site storage 
– full and partial backups

Question 9

Describe the process of grandfather, father, son

Answer 9

Gfs is a process of creating three copies of data, that roll over as more backups are made. For example, the first copy is the son. Then, a full backup is made, with the son becoming the father, and the new copy being the son. When a third copy is done, the father becomes the grandfather, the son the father, and the new copy is the son. The fourth time, the grandfather is deleted, or archived

Question 10

What is real time processing?

Answer 10

real time transaction processing – the immediate processing of data, for example, airline tickets, etc

Question 11

what is the acid test

Answer 11

Atomicity, Consistency,Isolation, Durability

Question 12

what is Durability

Answer 12

all changes to the database are permanent when the transaction is committed

Question 13

what is Atomicity

Answer 13

all steps involved in a transaction are completed as a group

Question 14

Which of these is not an important characteristic of a TPS
Reliability
Rapid response
Flexibility
Controlled processing

Answer 14

Flexibility

Question 15

Real-time processing is
Cheaper than batch
Faster than batch
Not real at all
Used in bill generation

Answer 15

Faster than batch