unit 1 - computer software in an IT System

What is a real time operating system?

a system that processes data as soon as it enters the computer. this allows the computer system to respond immediately to the inputs. these can also be embedded in devices such as traffic lights

what is a single user, single-task operating system

a system that can only be used by one person at a time while using a single application. this operating system with devices can only do one thing at a time.

what is a single user, multi-tasking operating system

a system that can be used by a single user but can run many applications simultaneously, examples like this type of operating system are windows or Mac that are in devices like phones or computers.

what is a multi-user operating system

this system allows different users to use the computer system at the same time. the mainframes or powerful servers use multi-user operating systems.

why is networking a fundamental to a computer system

network capabilities like connecting to the internet are controlled and managed by operating systems like TCP IT are certain protocols that are fundamental to allow to transmit data over a network. there are features such as utility programs to manage and maintain the network.

why is security a fundamental to a computer system

computer systems can be subjected to threats like viruses or malwares. Operating systems can come pre-installed with many tools to help protect, examples of security are built-in antiviruses or firewall software.

why is memory management a fundamental to a computer system

different software application need to be loaded in a main memory in order to run, since the computer has finite amount of memory to share, the responsibility of memory management is assigning memory to applications which can involve allocating memory to running applications and deallocating memory when the application isn’t running.

why is multi-tasking a fundamental to a computer system

when running different applications at once, its important for the system to manage the systems resources to assign resources like processing time and memory. however, since the processor only performs a single task at a time, the operating system assigns different amounts of the processor time to each application which happens to run quick. however, many applications can slow it down.

why is device drivers a fundamental to a computer system

the operating system is responsible for allowing peripheral devices to input and output data. but device drivers is a software that controls devices that are connected to the computer.

how does hardware affect the use and performance of an OS

OS requires a minimum hardware specification to run. GUI in operating systems require lots of processing power and main memory to run. the applications running would require processing power and memory assigned to it. if the operating system runs out of RAM or CPU then it’ll reduce the performance and lead the computer freezing and crashing since it struggles to share resources. for example an issue that can arise is that over time the hard dish would fragment meaning the data can split in different location across the hard disk.

how does a malware affect the use and performance of an OS

malicious activity like viruses can affect the performance of the operating system which is done through corrupting data which can cause the system to slow down and crash or damage the system to the point of not working.

how does virtual memory affect the use and performance of an OS

virtual memory is known as the portion of the hard disk that is reversed as a backup to the main memory for when there is no available RAM. But virtual memory isn’t as efficient as main memory and using it would lead to reduced performance. which can cause issue to constantly switch data between main memory and virtual memory and cause the RAM to exhaust.

what is the role of a disk defragmenter in a utility software within a computer system

Hard disk drives can fragment which can negatively affect the disk, however the disk defragmenter can analyse the disk and regroup the data so it relates to the same application or file in the same location of the hard disk. However the disk defragmenter can be slowed if applications are running such as background programs.

what is the role of a backup in a utility software within a computer system

if the data on the storage is damaged, a backup can recover the lost data, a backup utility software can automate the backup process to make it easier to recover. however, viruses or malware can slow or corrupt the backup

what is the role of a registry cleaner in a utility software within a computer system

over a long time storages can become cluttered with data that isn’t used such as temporary files or unused applications. disk cleaner utilities can identify and remove it to save space that can be used for new data. this can improve the performance by reducing slowness of the computer.

what is the role of a software update within a computer system

software that runs on systems like the OS need regular updates in order to keep it secure by removing bugs, if this is done manually it can be time consuming so the software update utility can manage updating it automatically.

what is the role of a anti virus in a utility software within a computer system

the anti virus software can detect any suspicious activity and remove it before it causes problems, this would be done by scanning new files. However, if there are many applications running simultaneously during the anti virus scan then it can interfere with a cause to slow down.

what is the role of a firewall in a utility software within a computer system

firewall applications can monitor the traffic coming into and out of the computer system over a network to look for anything suspicious activity such as malware, which is then blocked off any suspicious data to prevent harm. Moreover, the firewall doesn’t suffer form performance issues but can slow the network speed. but there can be malware to target the firewall to open security holes that can be exploited.

What is a GUI and its advantage and disadvantage

graphical user interface is used in many operating systems like windows or mac or on mobile operating systems like IOS. the user interface has designed graphical icons and images that can be navigated and to interact with icons and menus with a mouse cursor.

advantage: easy to use and users dont need to learn any complex commands to use the interface. another is that it can be easy to move data around applications such as using copying and pasting to simplify the process.

disadvantage: it uses a lot of processing power and main memory to run which can be difficult for older systems with less processing power. another is that it can be slow to perform certain tasks for experienced users which different tasks require lots of action to complete.

what is a CLI and its advantages and disadvantage

a command line interface has a plain background with a simple text prompt that allows the users to enter commands to perform actions. which is used by expert users for tasks like managing and maintaining a network. which is more powerful and efficient when completing tasks.

advantages: experienced computers users who know commands use the interface to quickly complete tasks than navigating. another is that the interface requires less memory and processing power to run which takes less space.

disadvantage: users needs to be experienced to know command in order to operate the computer system which can be difficult for inexperienced computer users. Another is that the interface is easy so it cannot be figured out by looking at it and instead require training.

what is a menu based interface and its advantages and disadvantages

a menu-based interface that presents users with a menu that contains a list of options. this allows the user to navigate through menus by choosing options in order to perform functions. this interface is used in self-service kiosks.

advantages: it’s easy to use because of its simplicity and limited actions or with clear options which makes it user-friendly. Another is that the interface is easily adaptable to different users such as providing options to translate.

disadvantages: it can be frustrating for users since there can be different levels of submenus which can take a long to navigate. another is that options are limited so complex actions cannot be performed which doesn’t allow users to complete their tasks.

what is an adapted interface and its advantages and disadvantages

an adapted interface is able to alter the layout to better support the user or the technology. An example is that Windows operating system they have adaptive such as changing the fonts size.

advantages: its helpful through fitting the needs of the user and to improve accessibility for inexperienced users or individual needs.

disadvantages: it requires an understanding of the users needs in order to adapt to it which can be a time consuming task since the device can be used by multiple users who has an interface adaptive differently.

What is an open source software licence and its advantages and disadvantages

an open-source software license gives users both permission to use the software and access to view and modify the source code.

advantages: the source code is available so you can modify the software to adapt to the users needs such as changes or features. Another is the software is developed and maintained by a large community and so you are the fast update cycle to fix bugs and security holes.

disadvantages: an open-source code being available could lead to malicious users to exploit and cause harm to the system. Another is that development can be abandoned since the author doesn’t have responsibility to keep the software updated.

what is a proprietary software licence and its advantages and disadvantages

a proprietary software licence gives the end user permission to use the software but retains intellectual property right, meaning the user wont have access to view the source code or have permission to modify.

advantages: the software is updated can include bug patches and security fixes which can be simpler to maintain and install. Another is that the software is well supported by the company which have more support from the developers customer sevice department.

disadvantages: the liscencing is more restrictive and complicated which can also be very expensive. Another is that since the software isn’t open source code it cannot be viewed and modified, meaning the software cannot be adapted to the users needs.