W41-Characteristics of IT Systems-General

Question 1

Q17. Analysis of data in a database using tools which look for trends or anomalies without knowledge in advance of the meaning of the data is referred to as

a. Artificial intelligence
b. Data mining
c. Virtual reality
d. Transitory analysis

Answer 1

Q17. (b) data mining uses tools which look for trends or anomalies without such advance knowledge.

Question 2

Q18. The most common type of primary storage in a computer is referred as

a. CMAN
b. RAM
c. ROM
d. Flash memory

Answer 2

Q18. (b) RAM (Random Access Memory) is the most common computer memory which can be used by programs to perform necessary tasks; RAM allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all storage locations are equally accessible.

Question 3

Q19. A set of step-by-step procedures used to accomplish a task is a(n)

a. Algorithm
b. Compilation master
c. Linux
d. Transistor

Answer 3

Q19. (a) an algorithm uses a step-by-step approach to accomplish a task.

Question 4

Q20. Which of the following compiles a complete translation of a program in a high-level computer language before the program is run for the first time?

a. Visual Basic
b. Java
c. Algorithm
d. Compiler

Answer 4

Q20. (d) a compiler decodes instructions written in a higher order language and produces an assembly language program.

Question 5

Q23. In a spreadsheet, each specific cell may be identified by a specific

a. Address
b. Column
c. Row
d. Diagonal

Answer 5

Q23. (a) each cell has an address, composed of a combination of its column and row in the spreadsheet.

Question 6

Q27. Which term below describes the technology that allows multiple operating systems to run simultaneously on a single computer?

a. Client
b. Mainframe
c. Linux
d. Virtualization

Answer 6

Q27. (d) virtualization software allows a single computer to run multiple operating systems simultaneously.

Question 7

Q28. What type of secondary storage device requires no moving parts for read/write operations?

a. Magnetic tape
b. Compact discs
c. Solid State drives
d. RAID

Answer 7

Q28. (c) solid state devices store data on microchips and not a medium that must move to write or read data.

Question 8

Q30. The wireless input device that is used for inventory control and similar to bar-codes technology but does not require line-of sight access is

a. MICR
b RFID
c. Touch screen
d. Point-of-sale recorders

Answer 8

Q30. (b) as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags do not need to be seen by RFID readers to work.

Question 9

Q32. The online analytical processing term that represents a combination of systems that help aggregate, access, and analyze business data and assist in the business decision-making process is

a. Artificial intelligence
b. Data mart
c. Decision support system
d. Business intelligence

Answer 9

Q32. (d) as business intelligence is the combination of systems that help aggregate, access, and analyze business data.

As artificial intelligence deals with relatively structured decision making in many areas, not specifically business. As a data mart may be used in the process of business intelligence. As decision support system are used in a variety of business and non-business decision-making situations.

Question 10

Q34. A current day instruction to a computer such as “Extract all Customers where ‘Name’ is Smith” would most likely relate to a

a. First generation programming language
b. Fourth generation programming language
c. Seventh generation programming language
d. Ninth generation programming language

Answer 10

Q34. (b) fourth generation programs ordinarily include instructions relatively close to human languages-such as the instruction in this question.

Question 11

Q35. Several language interfaces exist in a database management system. These typically include a data definition language (DDL), a data control language (DCL), a data manipulation language (DML), and database query language (DQL). What language interface would a database administrator use to establish the structure of database tables?

a. DDL
b. DCL
c. DML
d. DQL

Answer 11

Q35. (a) DDL is used to define (determine) the database.

DCL is used to specify privileges and security rules. DML provides programmers with a facility to update the database. DQL is used for ad hoc queries.

Question 12

Q36. Users making database queries often need to combine several tables to get the information they want. One approach to combining tables is known as

a. Joining
b. Merging
c. Projecting
d. Pointing

Answer 12

Q36. (a) joining is the combining of one or more tables based on matching criteria. For example, if a supplier table contains information about suppliers and a parts table contains information about parts, the two tables could be joined on supplier number (assuming both tables contained this attribute) to give information about the supplier of particular parts.

Question 13

Q37. User acceptance testing is more important in an object-oriented development process than in a traditional environment because of the implications of the

a. Absence of traditional design documents
b. Lack of a tracking system for changes
c. Potential for continuous monitoring
d Inheritance of properties in hierarchies

Answer 13

Q37. (d) user acceptance testing is more important in object-oriented development because of the fact that all objects in a class inherit the properties of the hierarchy, which means that changes to one object may affect other objects, which increases the importance of user acceptance testing to verify correct functioning of the whole system.

Question 14

Q38. A company’s management has expressed concern over the varied system architectures that the organization uses. Potential security and control concerns would include all of the following except:

a. Users may have different user ID codes and passwords to remember for the several systems that they use
b. There are difficulties in developing uniform security standards for the various platforms
c. Backup file storage administration is often decentralized
d. Having data distributed across many computers throughout the organization increases the risk that a single disaster would destroy large portions of the organization’s data

Answer 14

Q38. (d) the distribution of data actually decreases this risk so this would not cause a control concern; it is a potential advantage to distributed systems of various architectures versus centralized data in a single mainframe computer.

Question 15

Q39. All of the following are methods for distributing a relational database across multiple servers except:

a. Snapshot (making a copy of the database for distribution)
b. Replication (creating and maintaining replica copies at multiple locations)
c. Normalization (separating the database into logical tables for easier user processing)
d. Fragmentation (separating the database into parts and distributing where they are needed)

Answer 15

Q39. (c) normalization is a process of database design, not distribution.

Question 16

Q40. Client/server architecture may potentially involve a variety of hardware, systems software, and application software from many vendors. The best way to protect a client/server system from unauthorized access is through

a. A combination of application and general access control techniques
b. Use of a commercially available authentication system
c. Encryption of all network traffic
d. Thorough testing and evaluation of remote procedure calls

Answer 16

Q40. (a) since there is no perfect solution, this is the best way.

Question 17

Q41. What technology is needed in order to convert a paper document into a computer file?

a. Optical character recognition
b. Electronic data interchange
c. Bar-coding scanning
d. Joining and merging

Answer 17

Q41. (a) optical character recognition (OCR) software converts images of paper documents, as read by a scanning device, into text document computer files.

Question 18

Q42. Unauthorized alteration of online records can be prevented by employing

a. Key verification
b. Computer sequence checks
c. Computer matching
d. Database access controls

Answer 18

Q42. (d) users can gain access to database from terminals only through established recognition and authorization procedures, thus unauthorized access is prevented.

Key verification ensures the accuracy of selected fields by requiring a second keying of them, ordinarily by another individual. Sequence checks are used to ensure the completeness of input or update data by checking the use of preassigned document serial numbers. Computer matching entails checking selected fields of input data with information held in a suspense file.

Question 19

Q45. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a batch processed computer system?

a. The collection of like transactions which are sorted and processed sequentially against a master file
b. Keypunching of transactions, followed by machine processing
c. The production of numerous printouts
d. The posting of a transaction, as it occurs to several files, without intermediate printouts

Answer 19

Q45. (d) simultaneous posting to several files is most frequently related to an online real time system, not a batch system

Question 20

Q46. Able Co. uses an online sales order processing system to process its sales transactions. Able’s sales data are electronically sorted and subjected to edit checks. A direct output of the edit checks most likely would be a

a. Report of all missing sales invoices
b. File of all rejected sales transactions
c. Printout of all user code numbers and passwords
d. List of all voided shipping documents

Answer 20

Q46. (b) edit checks are used to screen incoming data against established standards of validity, with data that pass all edit checks viewed as “valid” and then processed. An edit check will ordinarily create an output file of rejected transactions.

Question 21

Q47. First Federal S & L has an online real-time system, with terminals installed in all of its branches. This system will not accept a customer’s cash withdrawal instructions in excess of $1,000 without the use of a “terminal audit key.” After the transaction is authorized by a supervisor, the bank teller then processes the transaction with the audit key. This control can be strengthened by

a. Online recording of the transaction on an audit override sheet
b. Increasing the dollar amount to $1,500
c. Requiring manual, rather than online, recording of all such transactions
d. Using parallel simulation

Answer 21

Q47. (a) documentation of all situations in which the “terminal audit key” been used will improve the audit trail.

Question 22

Q48. Mill Co. uses a batch processing method to process its sales transactions. Data on Mill’s sales transaction tape are electronically sorted by customer number and are subjected to programmed edit checks in preparing its invoices, sales journals, and updated customer account balances. One of the direct outputs of the creation of this tape most likely would be a

a. Report showing exceptions and control totals
b. Printout of the updated inventory records
c. Report showing overdue accounts receivable
d. Printout of the sales price master file

Answer 22

Q48. (a) the program will output both exceptions and control totals to determine whether all transactions have been processed properly.

Question 23

Q49. Where disk files are used, the grandfather-father-son updating backup concept is relatively difficult to implement because the

a. Location of information points on disks is an extremely time consuming task
b. Magnetic fields and other environmental factors cause off-site storage to be impractical
c. Information must be dumped in the form of hard copy if it is to be reviewed before used in updating
d. Process of updating old records is destructive

Answer 23

Q49. (d) updating destroys the old records.