computing - Fundamentals of computer systems
- Created by: CrazyWob
- Created on: 08-11-16 12:13
computer system definition
a computer system is a system that inputs , processes and then outputs data. Many of its methods of input and output devices are peripherals that can be plugged into the computer system;
input devices
- microphone
- touchscreen
-mouse
-keyboard
output devices
- screen
-speaker
importance of computer systems
There are many uses of computer systems that make them vital in our lives including;
- internet - grows hugely over last 20 years - Is used in many computer systems to enable people to communicate
- education - computers provide a huge source of information not available years ago - virtual learning environments (VLE) can aid learning with the classroom and help students - interactive whiteboards also aid learning
- leisure - computer systems help to plan and promote events such as concerts and matches - gaming has grewn hugely in the last decade (helped by the development of the internet and online social gaming) - social media has become a huge part of many people's lives and can help mass-marketing campaigns
- online shopping - online shopping has become hugely popular over the last couple of years, meaning that businesses and retailers can more easily sell to the mass market, because;
- It is more convenient than going to the store
- It is easier to find a wider range of products
-products are usually cheaper
Ethical and environmental considerations
ethical considerations - what is right and wrong in society?
- open-source software - should open-source software be compulsory if they should not own intellectual property?
- mobile phones - should young children be allowed to have their own mobile phones?
- social media - should children be allowed to access social media during lesson time?
environmental considerations - what is good and sustainable for the environment ?
- resources - computer systems contain many resources (plastics from oil/ gold) that must be disposed of correctly because;
- These resources are becoming scarce and so should be carefully conserved and recycled
- If disposed of incorrectly these resources can be very damaging to the environment (landfill sites can be unsightly and damage areas / plastics in oceans can harm wildlife)
- The production of these resources also damage the environment, so recycling will decrease their demand
legal considerations (what is legal in a certain c
There are many laws in place to stop the misuse of computers and the data that can be stored on them such as;
computer misuse act - ( How people should use computer systems and what they can do on them)
- illegal to hack into another persons computer system to access unauthorised information
- illegal to damage or harm another persons computer system with a virus, worm or trojan
Data protection Act - (How personal data can be acquired, stored and shared by organisations)
- A person must be asked before personal data is collected if they are happy for it to be so
- There must be a clear purpose for an association having personal data, they must only use it for this reason, and the data must be deleted after it is no longer required
- An assossiation should not share someone data with another associatio without permission
Many other crimes can be aided by the use of a computer system (e.g theft)
reliability of computer systems
computers are important ("importance of computer systems") and so need to be reliable
- some computer systems can be life depending (e.g traffic lights / pacemakers)
If computer systems go wrong;
- businesses can experience a loss in revenue as it's sales mediums collapse
- Many future problems for businesses due to damaged reputations
- businesses can be fined for breaking the law ("legal considerations")
many things can go wrong with computer software however including;
- software can have faults and bugs that causes things to go wrong
- Viruses/Trojans/Worms can attack computer systems making them unfit for use
- human error can cause faulty systems or for systems to be shut down accidently
or a system could be damaged physically;
- natural disasters can damage computer systems
- computer systems can be maliciously deliberately damaged
protection against system failure
Backups - Files should be backed up in case they are deleted or accidentally written over
- Files should be backed up regularly as part of a backup schedule at a seperate site
- Full backup - makes a backup of everything on a system
- incremental backup - backs up only new things that have been saved onto a system
disaster recovery plan - is a system shutdown occurs then systems can be restored from backups
- UPS (uninterruptable power supply) is used when power failures occur (e.g; diesel generator)
redundancy plans - a reserve system for if critical systems go wrong or shut down
- extra systems that can take over if the main system shuts down (takes data from backups)
- The three main types of redundancy are hardware, software and data
testing - ensuring that systems are reliable enough before they are used. Testing can include beta testing, unit testing, validation testing and volume testing
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