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What is a Computer?
An electronic device that stores, retrieves, and processes data, and can be programmed with instructions. A computer is composed of hardware and software, Can exist in a variety of sizes and configurations.
Types of Computers
Mini and Mainframe Computers
Very powerful, used by large organisations such as banks to control the entire business operation.
Personal Computers
Cheap and easy to use. Often used as stand-alone computers or in a network. May be connected to large mainframe computers within big companies.
Minicomputers
Microcomputer Palmtop Computer Calculator Slow Cheap Simple Small
Computer System
Cont.
Motherboard: The place where most of the electronics including the CPU are mounted.
Input Devices
Connecting Hardware to the computer
Hardware needs access through some general input/output connection.
Port: The pathway for data to go into and out of the computer from external devices such as keyboards. There are many standard ports as well as custom electronic ports designed for special purposes. Ports follow standards that define their use.
SCSI, USB: Multiple peripheral devices (chain). RS-232, IDE: Individual peripheral devices.
Input Devices
How to tell it what to do and capture input? Two categories of input hardware:
Those that deal with original data. Those that handle previously stored data.
Input Devices
Input hardware: Those that deal with original data.
Keyboard Mouse Voice recognition hardware Scanner Digital camera
Digitizing: The process of taking a visual image, or audio recording and converting it to a binary form for the computer.
Keyboard
Punch Card Reader
Mouse
Touch Screen
Joy Stick
Light Pen
Cameras
Digitizers ( for maps a, graphs etc )
Smart Cards
Telephone
Output Devices
Input Devices
Peripheral device: A piece of hardware like a printer or disk drive, that is outside the main computer Hardware needs software on the computer that can service the device.
The device that can read that information from the medium.
The drive spins the disk. It has a magnetic sensing arm that moves over the disk. Performs nondestructive reading.
Storage Devices
How it saves data and programs for retrieval? The four most important characteristics of storage devices:
Speed and access time Cost / Removable versus non-removable Capacity Type of access
Storage Devices
Speed (Access time) - How fast information can be taken from or stored onto the computer memory devices medium.
Electronic circuits: Fastest to access.
40 billionths of a second.
Storage Devices
Capacity - The amount of information that can be stored on the medium.
Unit 1 bit 1 nibble 1 byte 1 kilobyte 1 megabyte 1 gigabyte 1 terabyte Description 1 binary digit 4 bits 8 bits 1,024 bytes 1,048,576 bytes 1 million bytes 1,073,741,824 bytes 1 billion bytes 1 trillion bytes Approximate Size
1 character 1/2 page, double spaced 500,000 pages 5 million pages 5 billion pages
Storage Devices
Type of Access Sequential - Obtained by proceeding through the storage medium from the beginning until the designated area is reached (as in magnetic tape). Random Access - Direct access (as in floppy and hard disks).
Output Devices
How it shows you what it is doing / done? Monitor
The monitor (the screen) is how the computer sends information back to you.
Printer
A printer is also an output device. There are many different types of printers. In large organizations laser printers are used as they can print very fast and give a very high quality output.
Output Devices
Storage Requirements: How much storage capacity is needed for
One keystroke on a keyboard. One page single-spaced document. 1 byte (8 bits) 4.0 K
Output Devices
Plotters
A plotter is an output device similar to a printer, but normally allows you to print larger images.
Speakers
Enhances the value of educational and presentation products.
Speech synthesisers
Gives you the ability not only to display text on a monitor but also to read the text to you.
Software
The software is a set of programmes, data structures and documentation. Programmes are a set of instructions that makes the computer work with data. Software is held either on your computers hard disk or a storage device and copied into the RAM (Random Access Memory) as and when required.
Types of Software
System Software Application Software Business Application Software
System Software
Controls various internal computer activities. Covers the following categories: Operating system, Utility software Data Base Management System. Device driver that will allow the computer to communicate with a particular device.
Utilities
Expands the performance of the operating system by adding functions that are not part of the original OS.
Utilities perform such jobs as troubleshooting hardware, inspecting diskettes for damage, file conversion, de-fragmentation, data compression, etc.
Application Software
Used to perform specialized functions or specific jobs. Specific jobs might be to create a family tree, learn basic math, create a plot for a novel, do payroll and accounting, collect payment, or draw flowcharts. Users can choose from thousands of applications to facilitate the job.
Programming Languages
Various methods of writing computer instructions. Instructions adhere to a particular set of protocols for each language. Regardless of which language a program was written in, a computer can only process binary code.
Database Concepts
Information:
Database:
It is a shared and organized collection of logically relevant data designed to meet the information needs of multiple users in an organization, e.g., a database of all the addresses.
4 (80s)
5 (90s)
Sales Rep: Charles Mann Emp No. 79154 Item Qty Sold Price TM Shoes 1200 $100
Payroll Record
Payroll File/Table
Personnel Database
Views of Data
There are different ways in which we can view the data. A database system typically has two levels of abstraction of data:
Physical level: Describes how a record (e.g., a customer) is physically stored on the computer Logical level: Describes data stored in the database and the relationships among them,
Data Modeling
Analysis of data objects that are used in a business or other context and the identification of the relationships among these data objects.
Is a collection of logical constructs used to represent the data structure & the data relationships found within the database.
Implementation models
Place the emphasis on how the data are represented in the database : Hierarchical, Network, Relational, Objectoriented.
Hierarchical Model
In 1966, IBM released the first commercially available DBMS IMS (Information Management System) based on the hierarchical data model. The basic structure of this model is: Collection of records is logically organized to conform to the upside-down tree (hierarchical) structure. The top layer is perceived as the parent of the segment directly beneath it. The segments below other segments are the children of the segment above them. A tree structure is represented as a hierarchical path on the computer's storage media.
Network Model
General Electric (GE) developed a DBMS called IDS (Integrated Data System) based on the network data model in 1967. In this model, a relationship is called a set. Each set is composed of at least two record types: an owner (parent) record and a member (child) record. A set represents a 1:M relationship between the owner and the member.
Network DBMS
Networking Concepts
A network provides the following major benefits: Simultaneous (or concurrent) access to critical program and data Sharing of peripheral devices (e.g., printers) Streamlined personal communications Easier back-up processes.
Network Design
Any network can be studied in either of the following ways:
Geography
LAN WAN MAN
Topology
Bus Star
Interactions
Server-based Client/server
Ring
Mesh
Peer-to-peer
Types Of Networks
LAN Local Area Network Is a small Geographical area such as Institute. MAN Metropolitan Area Network Is a network over a larger geographical area such as the provincial government. WAN Wide Area Network Is a network used over an extremely large geographical area such as the federal government.
Bus Topology
Star Topology
Is the most common type used. All computers are attached to a hub. Less collisions and most efficient.
Ring Topology
Uses a token to pass information from one computer to the other. A token is attached to the message by the sender to identify which computer should receive the message. As the message moves around the ring, each computer examines the token. If the computer identifies the token as its own, then it will process the information. If one computer is broken or down, the message cannot be passed to the other computers.
Ring Topology
Mesh Topology
A network setup where each of the computers and network devices are interconnected with one another Allows most transmissions to be distributed, even if one of the connections go down. Not commonly used for most computer networks as it is difficult and expensive to have redundant connection to every computer. Commonly used for wireless networks.
Mesh Topology
Protocols
A protocol is synonymous with rule.
It consists of a set of rules that govern data communications. It determines what is communicated, how it is communicated and when it is communicated. The key elements of a protocol are syntax, semantics and timing
Elements of a Protocol
Syntax Structure or format of the data Indicates how to read the bits - field delineation Semantics Interprets the meaning of the bits Knows which fields define what action Timing When and what data should be sent. Speed at which data should be sent or speed at which it is being received.