Studied by 3 people
central processing unit (CPU)
electronic circuit that executes instructions comprising a computer program
Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) (under CPU)
performs mathematical calculations and makes logical comparisons
registers (under CPU)
high speed storage areas that temporarily hold small units of program instructions and data immediately before/during/after execution by the CPU
control unit
accesses program instructions, decodes them, and coordinates the flow of data in and out of ALU, registers, primary+secondary storage, and various output devices
Primary storage / Main memory
provide the CPU with a working storage area for program instructions and data → rapidly provides data + instructions → contains thousands of circuits imprinted on a silicon chip.
Secondary storage (permanent storage)
allows organizations to store large amounts of data + instructions → non-volatile, greater capacity, greater economy
data input
input requires requires transferring human readable data into the computer system → machine readable data are barcodes
data entry
human readable data → machine readable data
data input
machine readable data → into the system
Server
used by many users to perform a specific task → large memory, strong capacities, fast + efficient communications abilities
web server
handles internet traffic → Internet caching server stores websites
Enterprise server
Stores and provides access to programs that meet the needs of the organisation
file server
stores and coordinates program and data files
Mainframe computers
large powerful computer shared by dozens of concurrent users connected to the machine over a network
Supercomputers
most powerful with fastest processing and highest performance
software
Software consists of computer programs that control the workings of a computer hardware
Systems software (Operating system (OS))
set of programs that control the computer hardware and acts as an interface with applications
enterprise operating systems
are like a computer OS, which provides the services that business functions and operations run on.
application software
gives people, workgroups, and the entire enterprise the ability to solve problems and perform specific tasks
Programming languages:
provide instructions to the computer system so that it can perform a processing activity
Graphical user interface (GUI)
user interface that uses icons + menus displayed on screen to send commands to the computer systems
