Hardware and Software Flashcards

Flashcards about Hardware and Software.

What are mainframe computers?

Powerful computers serving several terminals.

What are supercomputers?

Large computers utilizing parallel processing to complete highly complex tasks quickly.

What are some uses for supercomputers?

Quantum mechanics research, weather forecasting, and climate research.

What does RAS stand for in the context of mainframe computers?

Reliability, availability, and serviceability.

What is reliability in the context of mainframe computers?

The ability of hardware components to extensively self-check and recover automatically in case of failure.

What is availability in the context of mainframe computers?

The mainframe's ability to continue to operate at all times, often achieved through redundant hardware components.

What is serviceability in the context of mainframe computers?

The ease with which a failed component can be swapped out with a replacement without affecting the operation of the mainframe.

What are hot-swappable components?

Hardware components that can be replaced while the system is running.

What does MIPS stand for?

Millions of Instructions Per Second, a measure of processor performance.

What does FLOPS stand for?

Floating Point Operations Per Second, used to measure the performance of supercomputers.

What is system software?

Software needed to operate a computer system.

What is an operating system?

Software that manages the hardware within a computer system.

What is a device driver?

Software that comes with an external hardware component and sends customized instructions to that specific component.

What is a translator?

Translates a program written in a high-level programming language into machine code.

What is a compiler?

A translator which creates a file containing machine code that can be executed by the processor.

What is an interpreter?

Translates and executes a high-level programming language one line at a time.

What is utility software?

Software that performs some sort of maintenance on the computer system.

What are examples of utility software?

File management, data compression, disk defragmentation.

What is custom-written software?

Software that is written especially to meet the requirements of a client.

What is off-the-shelf software?

General-purpose software available to a large market.

What is a user interface?

Communication between the user and the computer system.

What is a command line interface (CLI)?

Allows a user to enter text commands to which the computer system will respond.

What is WIMP?

A set of visual elements used in a graphical user interface: Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers.

What is parallel processing?

A method of computation in which many calculations or processes are carried out simultaneously.

What are quantum mechanics applications in supercomputing?

They include simulating quantum systems to understand complex physical and chemical phenomena.

What is the difference between hardware and software?

Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer, while software is the set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do.

What is the role of an operating system?

To manage computer hardware and software resources and provide common services for computer programs.

What is machine code?

A set of instructions executed directly by a computer's CPU.

What is open-source software?

Software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance.

What is cloud computing?

The delivery of computing services over the internet, including storage, processing, and software.

What is a network operating system?

Software that controls the operations of a network of computers.

What is malware?

Any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer or network.

What is a software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

A process for planning, creating, testing, and deploying software.