Chapter 2 Introduction to Systems Architectures

Server

A(n) ____________ is a computer that manages shared resources and allows other computers to access them through a network.

o User: user inputs and program outputs o Application software: communicates with system software to request basic service o System software: translates a service request into a sequence of machine instructions, passes these instructions to hardware for execution o Computer hardware: receives the results, and passes the results back to the application software.

Define the four system software layers.

o Any device that can: 1.Accept numeric inputs 2.Perform computational functions, such as addition and subtraction 3. Communicate results

Define the term Computer.

General-purpose

A CPU is a(n) ____________ processor capable of performing many different tasks simply by changing the program.

Algorithm

A problem-solving procedure that requires executing one or more comparison and branch instructions is called a(n) ____________.

Formula

A program that solves a(n) ____________ requires no branching instructions.

Computer Network

A(n) ____________ consists of hardware and software components that enable multiple users and computer to share information, software, and hardware resources.

Instruction

A(n) ____________ is a command to the CPU to perform one processing function on one or more data inputs.

Grid

A(n) ____________ is a group of dissimilar computer systems, connected by a high-speed network, that cooperate to provide services or run an application.

CLuster

A(n) ____________ is a group of similar or identical computers, connected by a high-speed network, that cooperate to provide services or run a shared application.

Register

A(n) ____________ is a storage location implemented in the CPU.

Operating System

A(n) ____________ is the most common type of system software.

SuperComputer

A(n) ____________ typically uses the latest and most expensive technology.

o Moves data among registers and other computer system storage locations o Accesses program instructions and either executes them or directs the ALU to execute

Define the term Control Unit

o Processing: Executing computation, comparison, and other instructions to transform data inputs into data outputs o Storage: Storing program instructions and data for temporary, short-term, and long-term use o External Communications: Communicating with entities outside the computer system, including users, system administrators, and other computer systems o Internal Communications: Transporting data and instructions between internal and peripheral hardware components, such as processors, disk drives, video displays, and printers

Describe the four main functions of a computer system.

o Editor designed for editing source code o Is a computer program that is used to test and debug other programs

Describe the function of program editors, debugging tools and system development tools.

o can store many different values at once

Describe the relationship between quantum physics and data storage.

Multicomputer configurations include clusters, blades, and grids. A cluster is a group of similar or identical computers, connected by a high-speed network, that cooperate to provide services or run a single application. Clusters are scalable and fault tolerant, but they're more complex to configure and administer. A blade is a circuit board containing most of a server—typically one or more CPUs, memory areas, and network interfaces. It lacks secondary storage, external I/O connections, and a power supply. Blades are similar to clusters in their scalability (especially for computation-intensive tasks) and their complexity to configure and administer. They're less fault tolerant than clusters because multiple blades share a single location, including cabinet, power supply, and sometimes I/O connections. However, blades concentrate more computing power in less space and with lower power requirements than a typical cluster needs. A grid is a group of dissimilar computers, connected by a high-speed network, that cooperate to provide services or run a shared application. Grids aren't as scalable as clusters and blades because of their architectural differences and because systems in a grid might be located farther away from each other than systems in a cluster are. They're also complex to configure and administer. However, they offer the unique capability to collaborate on tackling large problems when needed and operate independently under local control at all other times.

Describe three types of multicomputer configurations. What are their comparative advantages and disadvantages?

Subsystems can be added or enhanced to alter a computer's capabilities. Like stronger Graphics card for gaming.

How can a computer system be tuned to a particular application?

A supercomputer is optimized for the fastest possible execution of mathematical computations. A mainframe is optimized for high I/O capacity and supporting the information-processing needs of many simultaneous users and running programs. Supercomputers are generally more expensive than mainframes and often use more advanced technology, particularly for the CPU and primary storage.

How does a supercomputer differ from a mainframe computer?

There might be no difference, but some people consider the term "workstation" to imply a more powerful system than a typical desktop computer—one that's capable of handling hardware-intensive tasks, such as complex mathematical computation, computer-aided design (CAD), and manipulation of high-resolution video images.

How does a workstation differ from a desktop computer?

System software provides general-purpose reusable functions that can be incorporated into application software. Many of the functions implement specific hardware control and interface requirements. Therefore, application programmers don't need to write these functions themselves, and they need little or no knowledge of the underlying hardware.

In what ways does system software make developing application software easier?

Volatility

Key characteristics that distinguish primary and secondary storage include cost, capacity, speed, and ____________.

Program (software) files, I/O devices, text files, sound and video files, databases, Web pages

List at least five types of resources that computers on a local area network or wide area network can share.

Programming Language

Most programs are written in a(n) ____________, such as FORTRAN or Java, which is then translated into equivalent CPU instructions.

Main Memory, RAM

Primary storage can also be called ____________ and is generally implemented with ____________.

Executes

The CPU ____________ program instructions one at a time.

System Bus

The __________ enables the CPU, primary storage, and secondary storage devices to communicate.

control unit, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), Register

The major components of a CPU are the ____________, ____________, and ____________.

Secondary Storage

The term ____________ describes the collection of storage devices that hold large quantities of data for long periods.

Main Memory or memory

The term ____________ refers to storage devices, not located in the CPU, that hold instructions and data of currently running programs.

Mainframe, Supercomputer

Types or classes of larger servers include ____________, which are generally optimized for data storage and I/O capability, and ____________, which are generally optimized for computational capacity and speed.

Uniform Resource Locator (URL)

WWW resources are identified and accessed by a(n) ____________.

Registers are storage locations in the CPU used to hold instructions and data temporarily.

What are registers? What are their functions?

o Enables cpu to read from or write to specific memory locations. o Its expensive. o Does not provide permanent storage.

What are the characteristics of random access memory?

Primary storage is more volatile, faster, and more expensive than secondary storage. Because of its higher cost, its capacity is usually lower than in secondary storage. Secondary: holds large data, non volatile, slower than primary

What are the differences between primary and secondary storage?

o Application software: satisfies a specific user need ex. Word processing, mp3 player video editing. o Satisfies a very general class of user needs ex. Operating system, firewall

What characteristics differentiate application software from system software?

Any computer class can be used for a server. The class depends on the number and type of resources and the number of simultaneous accesses to these resources.

What classes of computer systems are normally used for servers?

says that larger computer classes are more cost-efficient than smaller ones - a statement that doesn't accurately describe modern computing hardware. it doesnt account for multiple classes of computers, multicomputer configurations, computer networks

What is Grosch's Law? Does it hold today? Why or why not?

CPU brain of system. fetches and executes instructions in a stored program and controls the movement of data between computer system components. The primary CPU components are the control unit, arithmetic logic unit (ALU), and registers.

What is a CPU? What are its primary components?

o A comparison or other logical operation that produces a Boolean (true or false) result.

What is a condition?

o a particle representing a quantum of light or other electromagnetic radiation

What is a photon?

A device that can perform the following: o Computation (+, ‒, ×, ÷) o Comparison (<, =, >, ≠, ≤, ≥) o Data movement among memory, mass storage, and I/O devices o Mechanical clock 1.Its an adding machine 2.The addition it performs and the result it displays is based on the mathematics of gear ratios

What is a processor?

o Translates programming language into larger number of CPU instructions that could be executed by hardware.

What is a program translator?

A stored set of instructions for performing a specific task

What is a program?

o Quantum particles can exist in multiple states at the same time

What is a qubit?

o a collection of utility programs that: support users and application programs o control access to computer hardware

What is an operating system?

o programs that perform user- or business-specific tasks

What is application development software?

Main memory is a collection of storage locations, typically implemented with random access memory (RAM), that holds instructions and some or all of the data of currently running programs. Primary storage has more capacity than registers but is slower to access.

What is main memory? How does it differ from registers?

o Primary storage, CPU, I/O unit, secondary storage

What is stored inside a computer system?

o Performs computation and logic instructions

What is the function of the Arithmetic and Logic Unit?

is to convert a user request or statement of need into a set of instructions that will satisfy the request/need when executed

What is the role of software?

Fabrication complexity and unreliability caused by heat, friction, and resistance

What shortcomings of electrical computation will optical computing devices address?

Slow speed, unreliability, and fabrication complexity

What shortcomings of mechanical computation did the introduction of electronic computing devices address?

All harness the energy of something that's moving to perform work. All are subject to fundamental speed limits based on the speed of their moving "parts." All perform computation by using the mathematical properties of physical phenomena.

What similarities exist in mechanical, electrical, and optical methods of computation?

o was intended to automatically compute mathematical tables

What was the purpose of the Difference Engine?

1990

When did IBM introduce the first mass market microcomputer?

Software consumes hardware resources and uses them to provide IS services to users. Software can't provide services that require nonexistent or prohibitively expensive hardware resources. Therefore, software advances follow the arrival of powerful and inexpensive hardware.

Why has the development of system software paralleled the development of computer hardware?

Virtualization

____________ is a technique that enables a single computer to host multiple virtual machines.

Grosch's Law

____________ says that larger computer classes are more cost-efficient than smaller ones - a statement that doesn't accurately describe modern computing hardware.