Flashcards · 9626 · AS Topic 2

Hardware and software (AS Level) flashcards

17 cards on AS Topic 2, subtopics 2.1 to 2.5. Pick a subtopic or study them all.

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Mainframe vs supercomputer: what is each built for?: A mainframe is built for high-volume transaction throughput (e.g. census and transaction processing). A supercomputer is built for raw processing speed (e.g. weather forecasting, quantum mechanics).
What does RAS stand for?: Reliability (how rarely it fails), availability (how much of the time it can be used) and serviceability (how quickly and easily it is repaired). It applies to both mainframes and supercomputers.
What is fault tolerance?: The ability of a system to keep running, often in a reduced state, when a component fails.
MIPS vs FLOPS: MIPS (millions of instructions per second) is usually quoted for a mainframe's transaction workload. FLOPS (floating-point operations per second) is usually quoted for a supercomputer's calculation-heavy workload.

Name the types of system software on the 9626 syllabus: Compilers, interpreters, linkers, device drivers, operating systems and utilities.
Compiler vs interpreter: A compiler translates and stores the whole program before it is executed. An interpreter translates and executes it line by line, which is why code under development is often run through an interpreter.
What is a cross compiler?: A compiler that runs on one type of computer but produces machine code for a different type of computer.
How can one high-level program run on different computer systems?: Through interpreters (the same source code runs anywhere a suitable interpreter exists) or cross compilers (machine code is produced for each target system).

Name six types of utility software on the 9626 syllabus: Any six of: anti-virus, back-up, data compression, disk defragmentation, formatting, file copying and deleting, file management systems, disk management systems.
Name the three levels of disk formatting: Low-level formatting, partitioning and high-level formatting.
System software vs utility software: System software manages or translates for the computer itself. Utility software performs a specific maintenance task, such as defragmenting a disk or making a back-up.

Off-the-shelf software: advantages and disadvantages: Lower cost, available immediately and well tested by many users. But it may include features that are not needed and cannot be tailored exactly to the organisation.
Custom-written software: advantages and disadvantages: It matches the exact requirements and can be adapted as needs change. But it costs more, takes time to develop and depends on ongoing support from the developer.
Proprietary vs open-source software: Proprietary software is owned by a company; its source code is kept private and use is licensed. Open-source software has publicly available source code that users can study, change and share.

Name the four types of user interface on the 9626 syllabus: Command line, graphical, dialogue and gesture-based.
Who would a command line interface suit, and why?: A systems administrator managing many servers: it is fast, precise and scriptable. It would not suit untrained users, who cannot be expected to know the commands.
Why does a graphical interface suit a public museum kiosk?: It needs no knowledge of commands and gives immediate visual feedback, so visitors of all ages can use it without training.