1.2.1-3 System Design Basics

Question 1

What are the five components of a computer system?

Answer 1

Hardware, Software, Human Resources, Peripherals and Network

Question 2

What is hardware?

Answer 2

The physical parts of the computer.

Question 3

What are internal hardware devices?

Answer 3

Components like motherboard or RAM

Question 4

What are external hardware devices?

Answer 4

Peripherals

Question 5

What are peripherals?

Answer 5

I/O (input/output) devices e.g. keyboard

Question 6

What is software?

Answer 6

Computer programs or sets of instructions e.g. applications

Question 7

What is the main difference between software and hardware?

Answer 7

Software is virtual as hardware is physical.

Question 8

How is software stored?

Answer 8

As lines of code in binary. [usually]

Question 9

What are Human Resources?

Answer 9

People who work for the company and the department who manages the resources.

Question 10

What is another name for Human Resources?

Answer 10

End-users

Question 11

What is a network?

Answer 11

Multiple devices that communicate with one another using a transmission medium

Question 12

Give an example of a transmission medium?

Answer 12

Bluetooth, wifi, wires.

Question 13

What are the four roles of the computer?

Answer 13

Client, Server, Router, Firewall, [ Email server, DNS server ]

Question 14

What is a client?

Answer 14

a computer for a server, that can access the database.

Question 15

What is a server?

Answer 15

Computer that provides data to other computers.

Question 16

What is the difference between software and hardware in a server?

Answer 16

Software is purpose specific, hardware isn’t crucial.

Question 17

What is a router?

Answer 17

A hardware device that routes data from LAN to another network connection. [can also be software on a server]

Question 18

What is a DNS server?

Answer 18

Domain Name System Server - stores a table of names with their relevant IP addresses.

Question 19

What is a Firewall?

Answer 19

A filter between trusted system or network and outside connections.

Question 20

What are traffic models?

Answer 20

Different ways computers interact.

Question 21

What is a client - server model?

Answer 21

A server providing resources and servers to one or more clients.

Question 22

What is peer to peer model?

Answer 22

Different clients connected together over the internet.

Question 23

What are the advantages of a client to server model?

Answer 23

Cheaper - needs less hardware to set up.
More secure and stable.
Easy to track data and repair.

Question 24

What are the disadvantages of a client to server network?

Answer 24

Server breaks, the whole thing comes down.

Is slower because it has limited route options.

Question 25

What are the advantages of a Peer to Peer model?

Answer 25

Not reliant on a server.
If something breaks there are still other routes.
Faster since more route options.

Question 26

What is the disadvantages of a peer to peer network?

Answer 26

Expensive as needs more hardware.

Less control, harder to track data and harder to fix mistakes.

Question 27

What is the internet?

Answer 27

It is a massive network of networks which spans the globe using hardware.

Question 28

What is the WWW?

Answer 28

Websites which sit upon the internet

Question 29

What is an IP address?

Answer 29

Internal protocol address, a unique number given to a computer every time it joins a network to identify it.

Question 30

What is an ISP?

Answer 30

Internet Server Provider, the company who provides you with internet connection.

Question 31

What is an URL?

Answer 31

Uniform resource locator, a fancy name for a web address.

Question 32

What is the DNS?

Answer 32

Domain Name System, finds the computer which hosts the website you are looking for.

Question 33

What is server hosting?

Answer 33

provides remote access to off-premises virtual or physical servers and associated resources

Question 34

Give an example of server hosting.

Answer 34

I can access my one drive files from Cornwall using the host in Malvern.

Question 35

What is web hosting?

Answer 35

When companies host websites from their location so people anywhere can access them.

Question 36

What is the cloud?

Answer 36

A network of servers hosted on the internet which can host and process data.

Question 37

Advantages of cloud storage

Answer 37

Cheaper since it is rented not purchased.
Any connected computer can access it
There is no need to upgrade
Collaboration is easy
Work is backed up

Question 38

Disadvantages of cloud storage.

Answer 38

Sensitive data may have to be stored in another country since it doesn’t follow country data laws.
Completely reliant on network/internet.

Question 39

What are social issues?

Answer 39

A problem that influences a group of people within a society.

Question 40

What are ethical issues?

Answer 40

A problem that requires a choice to be made between right and wrong.

Question 41

What is operational feasibility?

Answer 41

Measures how good a proposed system is at solving problems. How it satisfies requirements, and takes advantages of opportunities.

Question 42

What is a merger?

Answer 42

A combination of two entities or more, that combine into one. Usually referring to companies or systems.

Question 43

What is software incompatibility?

Answer 43

Where software cant work together, on different computers or on the same computer linked by a computer network.

Question 44

5 Advantages of SaaS

Answer 44

• Great for organisation that wants minimum responsibilities
• cheaper than a lot of other cloud models.
• it uses a subscription that can be increased or decreasesd rather than hiring a large server.
• reduction in staff workload because they don’t need to be involved in software and hardware on site.
• SaaS is easy to run back up, should it go down.

Question 45

5 Disadvantages of SaaS

Answer 45

• Not very reliable when it comes to software integration.
• SaaS isn’t that secure.
• Because it is run by a third party, disagreement between party and business.
• Laws might be different in different countries, as to third party storage.
• It is dependent for server infrastructure.
• Lack of control and customisability.