Chapter 2: Hardware and Software - Practice Flashcards (ENGLISH)

Flashcards cover key concepts from the chapter on hardware and software for AI-level learners, including mainframes, supercomputers, system and utility software, programming languages, and user interfaces.

What is a mainframe computer?

A large, multi-user, multi-tasking computer used by big organizations for bulk data processing and mission-critical applications.

What is a supercomputer?

An extremely powerful computer that uses massively parallel processing to perform complex calculations at very high speeds for scientific, weather, and research applications.

What does bulk data processing refer to in mainframes?

Processing large volumes of data for organizations (e.g., banks, industries) often in batch mode.

How does parallel processing differ from serial processing?

Parallel processing executes several tasks simultaneously using multiple cores/CPUs; serial processing performs one task at a time.

What does RAS stand for in mainframe design?

Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability.

What does MTBF stand for?

Mean Time Between Failures.

What is downtime in computing?

An interval when the system is unavailable due to failures or maintenance.

What is throughput in the context of mainframes?

A measure of the large number of simultaneous transactions and the volume of input/output per time period.

Give an example of a real-world mainframe model and its typical use.

IBM Z15 (and Z14) with up to around 190 cores, used by banks, governments, and large organizations for bulk processing.

What is longevity as a characteristic of mainframes?

Long lifespan; they can run continuously for long periods, and replacement is expensive.

What are peripheral processors in a mainframe?

Specialized hardware that handles input/output operations, allowing the CPU to focus on processing.

What is a transaction processing system designed to ensure?

Transactions are completed with data integrity; if a step fails, the system can roll back or compensate to maintain accuracy.

What does MIPS stand for?

Million Instructions Per Second, a CPU performance metric (not always the best measure due to instruction variety).

What is meant by levels of security in mainframes?

Multi-factor authentication, access controls, encryption of data in transit and at rest, secured OS, and continuous monitoring for unauthorized access.

Name some biometric authentication methods.

Fingerprint, retina/iris scan, voice recognition, signature.

What does reliability mean in the RAS context?

Hardware and software can detect and recover from errors quickly, often with self-checks and automatic recovery.

What does availability mean in the RAS context?

The system remains available for use, with high uptime and minimal downtime (measured as time between failures).

What does serviceability mean in the RAS context?

Ability to diagnose, log, and repair failures with minimal disruption, including hot-swapping and spare parts.

What is a secured operating system in mainframes?

An operating system with built-in security features and regular updates to prevent unauthorized access.

What is 'levels of access' in mainframe security?

Different users have different clearance levels, restricting which data they can access.

What is encryption of transmitted data?

Protecting data as it moves between systems and within systems to prevent interception.

What is a biometric authentication example?

Fingerprint, retina scan, voice recognition, or iris scan used as part of authentication.

What is LPAR/virtualization on mainframes?

Partitioning the hardware to run multiple operating systems or environments concurrently, increasing efficiency.

What operating systems are commonly used on mainframes?

z/OS, VM (Virtual Machines), and Linux on the mainframe (open-source Linux) in various configurations.

Why is Linux popular on supercomputers?

Open-source, adaptable, and widely supported; enables massive parallel computing with many cores.

What is the term for using many processors in parallel on a supercomputer?

Massively parallel processing (MPP); a key factor in supercomputer power.

What is BIOS?

Basic Input/Output System; firmware that initializes hardware during boot and starts the operating system.

What is the boot process?

BIOS checks hardware, locates a boot device, and loads the OS into RAM.

What is an operating system (OS)?

System software that manages hardware and software resources and provides interfaces for users and applications.

What are the four major user interfaces?

Command Line Interface (CLI), Graphical User Interface (GUI), Dialogue-based interface, Gesture-based interface.

What is a command line interface (CLI)?

An interface where users interact with the computer by typing text commands on successive lines.

What is a graphical user interface (GUI)?

An interface using windows, icons, menus, and pointers (WIMP) to interact with the system.

What is a dialogue-based interface?

Interaction via spoken language, using speech recognition to execute commands.

What is a gesture-based interface?

Interaction via human gestures (hands, body movement) often detected by cameras and sensors.

What is a compiler?

A program that translates high-level language source code into machine code (object/executable code).

What is an interpreter?

Translates high-level language statements one by one at runtime and can immediately show errors; portable across systems with the interpreter.

What is a linker?

A program that combines object files or modules into a single executable file.

What is a device driver?

A small program that enables the OS and applications to communicate with hardware devices.

What is custom-written software vs off-the-shelf software?

Custom-written software is tailored for a specific organization and owned by them; off-the-shelf software is mass-produced, cheaper, but may include unnecessary features and is not owned by the buyer.

What are the advantages of custom-written software?

Tailored to exact requirements; often integrates better with existing systems; ownership and potential for future selling.

What are the disadvantages of custom-written software?

Higher cost, longer development time, potential for more bugs, reliance on developers.

What are the advantages of off-the-shelf software?

Cheaper, readily available, supported by vendor, quicker deployment.

What are the disadvantages of off-the-shelf software?

May include unnecessary features, less tailored to needs, licensing/upgrade constraints, limited control over updates.

What are examples of utility software?

Disk defragmenter, backup utilities, file copying, deleting, antivirus, disk cleanup, data compression.

What is defragmentation?

Reorganizing data so that related pieces are stored contiguously, improving read/write performance.

What is data compression and its forms?

Reducing data size; lossless (reversible) and lossy (may lose some information).