Flashcards

Computer Systems

Dean Whittle Computing GCSE English 12 cards

Cards in this deck (12)

1Computer SystemA combination of hardware and software components that allow input, processing
and output of data.
2HardwareThe physical components that make up a computer system.
3SoftwareThe programs that run on a computer system.
4Input DevicesHardware that accepts data into the computer. They take real world analogue
data and convert it into a digital form that can be stored on a computer.
5Output DeviceHardware that presents the results of processing to the user or actuators that
perform a task automatically. They use digital data from a computer and produce it in a form that is understandable or usable.
6Storage DeviceHardware that is used to store fi les long term and is non-volatile, such as hard
disks,
7ReliabilityHow far you can depend on the computer system being available when you need
it. Usually measured in terms of availability.
8AvailabilityThe proportion of time that a system is operational, usually expressed as a
percentage over a period of time. E.g. 95% measured over one year.
9MTBFMean Time Between Failure: a measure of availability often quoted by hardware
manufacturers.
10RedundancySpare hardware components are built into a system so that, in the event of a
component failing, the system can swap over to the spare one.
11Disaster RecoveryWhere a company has plans to replace a system quickly if there is a catastrophe
(fi re, fl ood, bomb etc). Designed to minimise the time the system is down.
12EthicsEnsuring that computer systems are fair and morally correct