Computer Networks and Architecture

These flashcards cover key concepts related to computer networks and architecture based on the provided lecture notes.

Computer network

A collection of computing devices that are connected in various ways to communicate and share resources.

Node or Host

A generic term that refers to any device on a network.

Data transfer rate

The speed with which data is moved from one place on a network to another.

Local-area network (LAN)

A network that connects a relatively small number of machines in a relatively close geographical area.

Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model

A model established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that deals with different aspects of network communication.

Hostname

A unique identification that specifies a particular computer on the Internet.

Domain Name System (DNS)

A system used to translate hostnames into numeric IP addresses.

Machine instruction

An instruction (or command) encoded as a bit pattern recognizable by the CPU.

Arithmetic/Logic unit

A component of the CPU that performs arithmetic and logic operations.

Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC)

A philosophy that uses few, simple, efficient, and fast instructions.

Complex Instruction Set Computing (CISC)

A philosophy that utilizes many, convenient, and powerful instructions.

LIFO

Last-in-first-out; a term used to describe the stack data structure.

FIFO

First-in-first-out; a term used to describe the queue data structure.

Static Data Structures

Data structures whose size and shape do not change.

Dynamic Data Structures

Data structures whose size and shape can change.

Pointers

Used to locate data within data structures.

Immediate addressing

An instruction that contains the data to be accessed directly.

Direct addressing

An instruction that contains the address of the data to be accessed.

Indirect addressing

An instruction that contains the location of the address of the data to be accessed.