Computer Architecture Lecture Review

Architecture

The fundamental properties, and the patterns of relationships, connections, constraints, and linkages among the components and between the system and its environment.

Machine Language

Language made up of binary coded instructions built into the hardware of a particular computer and used directly by the computer.

Assembler

A tool that translates mnemonic assembly instructions to machine code, usually performing the translation in two passes over the source code.

Relocatable Binary Code

Digital code where operand addresses are relative to where the operating system chooses to load the program.

Compiler

A programming tool that reads source code in a high-level language and outputs target code in a low-level language.

Lexical Analysis (Lexer)

The first phase of a compiler that extracts tokens, such as reserved words and variables.

Syntax Analysis (Parser)

The second phase of a compiler that checks statement construction and builds an Abstract Syntax Tree (AST).

Semantic Analysis

The third phase of a compiler that checks data types and the validity of operators.

Register Allocation

A process included in the intermediate code generation phase of a compiler.

Cross Compilation

The ability of a compiler running on one CPU type (e.g., Intel) to create code for a different CPU type (e.g., ARM).

Link Editor (Linker)

A tool that incorporates various binary routines into a single executable file by resolving external symbols.

Dynamic Linking

A process where link editing is delayed until load time or run time, loading modules from dynamic link libraries (DLLs).

Interpreter

A programming tool that produces executable code from source code in real time, one line at a time.

Loader

Software that takes binary machine code and puts it into memory for execution.

Pseudocode

A mixture of English and formatting used to make the steps in an algorithm explicit without strict grammar rules.

Test Plan

A document specifying how many times and with what data a program must be run to be thoroughly tested.

Data Coverage (Black Box Testing)

An approach that designs test cases by looking at allowable data values.

Code Coverage (White Box Testing)

An approach that designs test cases by looking at the code directly.

System

A collection of components linked together and organized in such a way as to be recognizable as a single unit.

Client-Server Computing

A distributed system where a program on a client computer requests services from a program on a server computer.

Three-tier Architecture

A configuration involving three computers in a service, such as a client computer, Web server, and database server.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

A cloud model providing cloud-based hardware emulation of virtual machines and networking.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

A cloud model providing tools for a developer to create and run applications on a cloud platform.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

A cloud model where applications run on a server or processing is divided between server and client.

Peer-to-Peer Computing

A network model where computers are treated as equals and can share resources directly.

Pascaline

A mechanical calculating machine created by Blaise Pascal ($1623 - 1662$) that could only add and subtract.

Analytical Engine

A mechanical computer designed but never built by Charles Babbage; Ada Lovelace documented the first program for it in $1843$.

Turing Machines

A core computing concept developed by Alan Turing, who also pioneered Turing completeness and stored-program computers.

Atanasoff Berry Computer (ABC)

A first-generation vacuum tube computer created by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry to solve systems of linear equations.

ENIAC

The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, which was the first general-purpose computer.

Transistor

The second-generation technology that replaced vacuum tubes, being faster, smaller, and more durable.

Moore’s Law

The observation by Gordon Moore that the density of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every $18$ months in its contemporary version.

Rock’s Law

The observation by Arthur Rock that the cost of capital equipment to build semiconductors doubles every four years.

Optical/Photonic Computing

A technology using light for data manipulation with the potential to upgrade CPU speeds from gigahertz to terahertz ($1000 \times$ faster).

Operating System

A collection of computer programs that integrates hardware resources and makes them available to users and programs efficiently.

Kernel

The memory-resident part of the operating system containing essential services required by other OS parts and applications.

Monolithic Configuration

An OS organization where utilities, shells, and the kernel are tightly integrated, as seen in Unix and Linux.

Microkernel

An OS organization providing minimum essential functionality, using a client-server system on the same machine (e.g., macOS).

Process

An executing program that may be divided into individually executable parts called threads.

Preemptive Multitasking

A system using a clock interrupt for multitasking to transfer control via a dispatcher.

Symmetrical Multiprocessing (SMP)

A multiprocessing configuration where each CPU has equal access to resources and determines what to run.

UEFI

A firmware interface that stores startup info in an .efi file