IS 310 Software and Hardware Concepts – Final Exam Study Guide

What does RAID stand for?

Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks.

What is RAID 0?

Not true RAID; no error-checking or redundancy, but data is striped across all drives for increased speed.

What protection does RAID 1 provide?

RAID 1 provides protection by storing identical copies of data on two or more hard drives.

How does RAID 5 protect data?

RAID 5 uses striped data with parity, spreading error-checking blocks over all disks for protection against failure.

What types of storage technologies are mentioned?

Optical, magnetic, and solid-state storage technologies.

What is CD ROM?

A type of optical disc that stores data for computers to read but not write or erase, typically used for large amounts of data.

What is the main advantage of solid-state storage over hard disk drives?

Relatively immune to physical shock, faster access, generates little heat and noise, and has low power consumption.

What is a peer-to-peer network?

A decentralized computing model where network participants share resources directly without a centralized server.

What is the purpose of a backbone network?

To interconnect local area networks and improve overall performance by facilitating data passage between them.

What are the three types of communication channels?

Simplex, half-duplex, and full duplex.

What is an operating system?

A collection of computer programs that integrate hardware resources, making them available to users and applications.

What does multitasking in operating systems allow?

The ability to execute more than one task simultaneously on a single CPU.

What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 hypervisors?

Type 1 hypervisors run directly on hardware, while Type 2 hypervisors run on top of an existing operating system.

What defines an acyclic-graph directory structure?

A tree structure that allows files and directories to be accessed through multiple paths, enabling file sharing.

What is the purpose of memory management in an operating system?

To load programs into memory and allocate necessary resources for their execution.

What is quantum computing?

A technology utilizing quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than classical computers.

What is an example of a cloud service model?

Infrastructure as a Service (IAAS), Platform as a Service (PAAS), or Software as a Service (SAAS).

What is the role of authentication in computer security?

To verify the identity of the user or application seeking access to systems.

What is the disadvantage of peer-to-peer computing?

Difficulties in establishing centralized control and securing the network from unauthorized access.

What is a qubit in quantum computing?

A particle that can represent a 0, 1, or any combination of values at the same time due to superposition.

What is an advantage of using genetic algorithms?

They simulate natural selection for solving optimization problems.