COMPUTER SCIENCE

SYSTEM FUNDAMENTALS
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
We use the term “computer” to define a variety of things
The word is a derivative of the word “computes”, which has
Latin and French origins (computāre and putāre) meaning to
think, estimate, count, and figure
We also assume it is a device we have created to assist with
this (usually electronic in nature), so it could be defined as a
built device that thinks and counts
The word “system” also comes from the Latin “systema”
which means an organized whole composed of parts
So we are talking about an organized collection of built
parts that help us to think and count
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
This is also the way we consider computers or
computing devices in our modern world, it brings up
images of a variety of devices including desktop
computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, etc. as well
as all the
peripheral
devices
(devices that
add on to the
main
computing
device)
COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Jobs for people with Computer Science degrees include a “System

analyst” who is someone who specializes in analyzing, designing, and
implementing computer systems
This means they are familiar with the types of systems and analyzes
what would be best for the users within a particular system
The term “system analyst” is also an umbrella term that includes:
Change management analyst – who manages changes in
computing systems within specific users systems
Business analyst – who manages how a specific business policies
interact with technology ad can be enhanced by computing systems
Software analyst – who manages how the software side of the
computing system works with a specific users system
Up to this point in our Computer Science education, we have focused on
the software that goes on the devices through our programming
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
The term “analyst” is now often replaced with words like
“developer”, “administrator” or “architect” and the variety
of devices and platforms have further decomposed this
concept to include jobs like:
Software system Network system architect
developer Business Computer programmer
information analyst Web Game QA (quality assurance)
developer tester
Software application
Database administrator
developer
All falling under the general umbrella of “Computer Science”
In addition, the discipline of Engineering now also includes
Computer Engineering which overlaps in some content with
Computer Science
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Here are some facts about these jobs from
2019/2020:
COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Here are some
facts about these
jobs from
2019/2020:
COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Computer
Science
Computer
Software
Development
In this (programming)
unit, we
will look at
some of the
fundamentals
of a computer Computer
System Computer
system analyst Analyst Engineering
and its relation (hardware)
(management)
to the I.B.
curriculum
Students let us examine ...

COMPONENTS OF A
COMPUTER SYSTEM
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
In working with a computer system, some terminology
needs to be used:
Hardware: The physical components that make up a
computer (including but not limited to the CPU, monitor or
screen, keyboard, mouse or touchpad)
Software: The non-physical (digital/electronic) programs
and other operating data used by the computer system
Peripheral: A hardware device that is connected to a
host computer but not a part of the core computer
architecture, but expands the hosts capabilities (e.g.
printer, mouse, monitor, keyboard, etc.)
Network: a series of points (or nodes) interconnected by
communication paths on the system – networks can
interconnect with other networks to form larger networks
(e.g. the internet) and contain smaller sub networks
within the network
Human Resources: The department of the system that
deals with the administration, management, and training
of human personnel
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
Client: a piece of computer hardware or software (although the humans
are often also called clients) that accesses a service made available by
a server – there are three types of clients:
1) Fat clients – performs the bulk of processing operations itself
and does not necessarily rely on the server
2) Thin clients – rely on the resources of the server
(including applications)
3)Hybrid clients – a mix of the other two architectures
Clients usually connect to servers or one
another creating either client-
server networks or peer-to-peer
networks
Server: is a combination of software
and hardware that processes and
delivers data to clients in a network
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
Hardware in a server may vary from server to server based on the
purpose of the server – likewise different servers may have different
processing powers, based on how much traffic they receive
Router: is a device that forwards data packets between computer
networks – clients connect to a router and any incoming or outgoing
connections are managed by the router
Firewall: is something in a system designed to prevent unauthorized
access to or from a private network
Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a
combination of both and are used to prevent unauthorized internet users
from accessing private networks connected to the Internet, especially
intranets
All messages entering or leaving the intranet
pass through the firewall, which examines
each message and blocks those that do not
meet the specified security criteria
Students let us examine ...

SYSTEM DESIGN AND

ANALYSIS
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Now that we have established some terminology, and we
need to design a new system or modify an existing system,
so we need to analyse what’s going on first – this can be
done a number of ways including: observation, focus groups,
and interviews
Observation is the process of monitoring a system while it
is at work (ex: An awkward man stands behind a store
clerk for one whole day, seeing how she works)
Pros: as it is not based on numerical statistics, it can
explore topics in great detail and depth, and uninstructive
observation will create extremely natural data
Cons: a functioning system that is being observed will
always act different than it does normally, and the non-
statistical data can be difficult to analyze and can cause
generalizations
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Focus Groups is a form of research in which a group of people,
generally stakeholders, are gathered together and questioned on their
opinions towards a project or product (questions are generally asked in
an interactive group setting where the participants are free to talk with
other members in the group)

Pros: are the researcher can interact with the participants, pose
follow-up questions or ask questions that probe more deeply, and
results can be easier to understand than complicated statistical data,
and the researcher can get
information from non-verbal
responses, such as facial
expressions or body language
(information is provided more
quickly than if people were
interviewed separately)
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Cons: Respondents may not feel encouraged to provide accurate or
honest answers, and may not be fully aware of their reasons for any
given answer because of lack of memory on the subject, or even
boredom – also the number of respondents who choose to respond to
a survey question may be different from those who chose not to
respond, thus creating biased data (survey question answer options
could lead to unclear data because certain answer options may be
interpreted differently by respondents – ex: the answer option
“somewhat agree” may represent different things to different subjects,
and have its own meaning to each individual
respondent. ‟Yes‟ or „no‟ answer
options can also be problematic,
the respondents may answer ”no” if
the option “only once” is not
available)
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Interview is a face to face meeting, that consists of an
interviewer asking the interviewee questions that should be
pertinent to the topic of the interview

Pros: you get direct feedback from stakeholders, you can

ask any question you want, and can change the direction
of the interview, people tend to be more truthful face to
face, you
can see how people
physically react to certain
questions, and you can
discuss a topic in depth
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Cons: it takes a long time to interview everyone, it is quite
costly as people have to stop working to go to the
interview and you have to pay the interviewers, since it
take so long you are likely to choose a small group of
people to interview and if you have badly selected this
group than some of the information you collect may be
useless – for an effective interview interviewers must
take a lot of time to prepare, and the interviewees privacy
be
compromised if they are
put in a position where
they are asked about
something that they do
not want/need to answer
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Once we have some initial information about the system
from our observations, focus groups, and interviews of
the stakeholders – now we can look deeper into the system
We can understand the workflow of the system
What are the entry points (inputs) and exit
points
(outputs) of the system
What are the competitors (e.g. competing software)
and could we learn from them
What suggestions from within the system to
improve could we incorporate (from the
stakeholders)
Now we move to start making changes, and the first change
is sometimes called a prototype
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
The prototype is essentially a change to the system designed to be
tested by the users of the system to make sure it:
Meets the requirements of the system

Matches the capabilities of the previous system

Improves on the capabilities of the previous system

Measuring if this is accomplished is by once again involving the

stakeholders and “testing” if these criteria are being met or if there is a
“bug” in the prototype to report (essentially a “bug” would mean one of
those criteria is not being met in some way)

Then we would return to redesign the prototype and test again

This process is often called a design cycle, iterative system, or a
feedback loop
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
This process could be thought of
simply…

Or more
complex
…

Or even more specific

(for example when
prototyping software)…
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
The process of prototyping has been used in software development
(in some form) since the 1970s and can sometimes use terminology
like “alpha phase” and “beta testing” as it applies to prototyping

The basic process of prototyping involves the following steps:

1. Identify basic requirements – including the input and output
information desired, but details, such as security, can typically
be ignored
2. Develop Initial Prototype – that includes only user interfaces
3. Review – where the customers, including end-users, examine
the prototype and provide feedback on additions or changes
4. Revise and Enhance – using the feedback both the specifications
and the prototype can be improved
Negotiation about what is within the scope of the product may be
necessary, and if changes are introduced then a repeat of steps #3 and
#4 may be needed
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
An iterative system helps you find problems quickly because it makes it easy to
try it again Problems can be quickly fixed through an iteration which should be
tested to make sure the "fixes" went through and solved, and it also finds any
new usability problems by the new changed design
Iterative design is specifically aimed to teach you through messing up repetitively
until you get it right resulting in a more successful final product, and when
applied early in the development stage, significant cost savings are possible
Different companies use different variations on a feedback loop, iteration,
prototyping model (for example…)
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
Once the prototype is in place, the system starts testing and
providing feedback on the system
Failing to include the end user in the process can lead to several
problems
including:
The end product not meeting their requirements
Being inappropriate from the intended use
The system might have a bias towards the developers and not all
users
This feedback with developers, users, the hardware, the software, etc.
within a system can sometimes be summarized as “Information
Technology” (or “IT”)
Information technology (IT) can be defined as:
“The use of any computers, storage, networking and other
physical devices, infrastructure and processes to create,
process, store, secure and
exchange all forms of electronic
data”
SYSTEM DESIGN AND ANALYSIS
One such concern could be the rate at which
technology is being introduced and issues that
may arise from insufficient testing in critical
situations (such as air traffic control)
The ultimate fear of many people is that future
systems will be programmed to make
decisions that would be better taken by humans, such as the decision to deploy nuclear
weapons (i.e. Skynet and the terminators)
There are also social impacts such as internet addiction, where people feel that they can
never get away from IT and are trapped on a “digital treadmill”
These ethical concerns leads to the term “digital citizenship” – which can be defined as
appropriate behavior that represents the responsible, ethical and legal approach that individuals
take in any situation with respect to the
use of IT
Digital citizenship permeates, in one way or
another, all of the preceding social and ethical
considerations, and these may be related to
changes in attitudes towards the use of IT
systems, or new developments in IT such as
social networking or cyber bullying
Students let us examine ...

HUMAN INTERACTION
WITH THE SYSTEM
HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE SYSTEM
Now that the computer system is established with a user feedback loop, we can
focus on making the system more “user-friendly” – which can be described using
the word “usability”
Usability can be defined by 5 quality components:
1. Learnability: How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first
time they encounter the design?
2. Efficiency: Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform
tasks?
3. Memorability: When
users return to the
design after a period of
not using it, how easily
can they re-establish
proficiency?
4. Errors: How many errors
do users make, how
severe are these errors,
and how easily
can they recover from the errors?
5. Satisfaction: How pleasant
is it to use the design?
HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE SYSTEM (CONT’D)
Modern terminology includes the
acronym “UX” meaning “User
Experience”, which is defied as “the
process of enhancing user satisfaction
with a product by improving the usability,
accessibility, and pleasure provided in
the interaction with the product”
This often combines with “UI” or “User
Interface”, which is defined as
“everything designed into an information
device with which a person may interact.
This can include display screens,
keyboards, a mouse and the appearance
of a desktop. It is also the way through
which a user interacts with an application
or a website”
HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE SYSTEM
That being said, different users can still encounter usability issues, such as:
Blindness prevents you from seeing the screen
Without hands, you cannot use the keyboard or
mouse
Without technical knowledge, device connection may be
difficult If the OS is too complex then users may have issues
navigating it
Bad eye sight will make it hard to see the screen if it is too small and if
the text is too small a size
Health issues and limited hand mobility such as arthritis may pose
various issues such as small qwerty keyboards won’t be usable
Bad hearing will make it hard to use devices with low speaker volumes
While outdoors, the sun may hamper screen brightness (it must be
high to be visible)
Handheld devices must fit in your hand comfortably and should not slip
Medical conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease may hinder ability to
use their hands, and buttons and controls may be too small and users
with less mobility on their hands may find it challenging
HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE SYSTEM (CONT’D)
Various solutions have been created to assist with these including:
Sip and Puff: solutions are ideal for people who have limited or no
motor capability to operate switch activated devices, including
computers, augmentative communication devices, adapted toys,
environmental control systems and devices accessed or controlled by
scanning – sip/puff technology is also popular for wheelchair navigation
Voice Recognition Software: (speech-to-text) allows users to speak into a
microphone and software on the computer translates the voice to text, and (text-
to- speech) speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech, where
the system converts normal language text into speech (other systems render
symbolic linguistic representations like phonetic transcriptions into speech)
Keyboards: there are various different types of braille keyboards that the visually
impaired use, including standard keyboards that have braille letters on the keys –
but most commonly you get the chorded braille keyboard such as electronic
braille note takers (these keyboards do not have a separate key for each letter,
as there is one key for each dot of a braille cell – so to type one letter, all of the
keys that correspond to the dots in that letter are pressed at the same time)
Trackball: a pointing device like an upside-down mouse with an exposed
protruding ball, where the user rolls the ball with the thumb, fingers, or the
palm of the hand to move a pointer (it has no limits on effective travel, so
mobility impairment use trackballs, and with the dominance of
graphically-oriented operating systems it increases usability)
HUMAN INTERACTION WITH THE SYSTEM
Even the system itself can have usability issues that need
resolving – some examples could be:
Automatic feedback system: Is the feedback of good enough quality,
is it clear enough, is there enough feedback, is it given quickly
enough, are the people providing feedback of the right skill level, and
is their feedback valid?
Internet Service Provider (ISP) downtime or inability to connect
to system servers (e.g. to access shared files)
Depending on the complexity of the system, employees may have
trouble learning how to work with it (the system might be complex to
set up)
The dictionary of voice recognition software may be limited and
doesn’t include certain words (such as slang terms), as well as if the
user has a speech impediment then the software may have trouble
recognizing what they are saying (not to mention accents from
different languages)
Students let us examine ...

PLANNING AND
SYSTEM
INSTALLATION
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION
Having designed a system and considered human interaction with that system. It is time
to plan
and implement the new system
Change is always hard for a system, so managing this change it important – leading to
the term “change management”
Change Management refers to any approach to transitioning individuals, teams, and
organizations using methods intended to re-direct the use of resources, business process,
budget allocations, or other modes of operation that significantly reshape a company or
organization
Change Management will benefit the aims of the company and monitor assumptions, risks,
dependencies, costs, return on investment, dis-benefits and cultural issues affecting the
aim of the company
Change Management involves:
Explaining why change is taking place, the benefits of successful change (what is in it
for us, and you) as well as the details of the change (when? where? who is involved?
how much will it cost? etc.)
Devise an effective education, training system
Counter resistance from the employees of companies
and persuade them to change
Provide personal counseling (if required) to alleviate
any change-related fears
Monitor the change and address any updates
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
The need for change management is based on the need
to make sure that new systems work with the old systems
Often the term is “legacy system”
Legacy system is an old method, technology, computer
system, or application program, "of, relating to, or being a previous or outdated
computer system" implying that the legacy system is out of date or in need of
replacement
Disadvantages: The cost of maintaining an older system can be higher than
maintaining a more updated version
The staff might not be familiar with such an outdated version of the
system
Tech support may no longer be available
The data in the current system might not be compatible with newer systems
and conversion may not be possible
Legacy systems
are usually more
vulnerable to
security threats
due to lack of
security patches
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
In the change over, this might be a complicated process as you might be moving
from:
Different hardware to a different technology (e.g. desktops to laptops, laptops to
tablets, iPhones to Android phones, etc.)
Different OS (e.g. Apple to Windows, Linux, Unix, etc.)
Different software (e.g. Microsoft Office to Google Docs, etc.)
Different file system (e.g. server file storage to cloud storage)
Or even a combination of change factors to manage
One more modern solution is to move to “Software as a Service” or “SaaS” in which
clients typically access software on the internet (via a web browser), and will typically
pay by a subscription to use the service (which might also include file storage)
The Application Service Provider (ASP)
will build and maintain the
infrastructure needed to host the software
The ASP can update, test, and access user
behavior – making it easier to identify areas
that need improving
The biggest criticism of SaaS is security
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
Once we have a new system, we also need to bring all of our previous data into
the new system
This is typically described as “data migration” – which is defined as “the
process of transferring data between storage types, formats, or computer
systems. It is a key consideration for any system implementation, upgrade,
or consolidation”
Problems that can arise:
Corruption: data can become corrupted in transfer, data is unusable whilst being
transferred, for large files this can be problematic as well as for files that people
are likely to be using
File Formats: the way one system saves a file in a format may not be compatible
with the new system
Date / Time / Currency / Language: the system of storing dates, times,
currency, or even the international languages may not be compatible in
data migration
Cost: because in order to migrate data to new storage you
have to own the new storage and you need to pay for
enough storage for all your needs (which may not be
possible)
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
The system has been developed and tested, it is
working correctly and doing everything that was agreed
during the design stage
The business is waiting in eager anticipation for the new
system to be handed over to them
A key decision is which method of the four different methods
of
installation will be chosen, these are:
1. Direct
2. Parallel
3. Phased
4. Pilot
We will examine each one…
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
Direct method: (or “plunge”) is where the company literally switches off
the old system and switches on the new one

This is probably the most straightforward method

Advantages but is also
Disadvantages
probably
New systemtheavailable
riskiestto Most risky method - if something goes
everyone in company wrong, there is nothing to fall
immediately back on
Have to transfer all of the data to the new
Often the cheapest method of installation
one before the old one can be
switched off
There will be a period of time where no
system is available because can't have
Don't need to keep duplicate sets of data
old one working while new one is being
switched on

There will be a period of upheaval

while the system is brand new and
staff are finding their way around it
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
Parallel method: is a more popular method than the previous one
With a parallel changeover the organization runs both the old and new system in
parallel for a time, then once the organization is sure that the new system is
working properly and that staff are ready to begin using it they will make the
decision to completely change over
During a quiet period, perhaps during the night or at a weekend, the data
is fully transferred from the old system which is then shut down
Advantages Disadvantages
Less risky than the direct method,
Time consuming as data has to be
because if the new system fails, the old
entered onto both systems
system is still up-to-date

Less stress for staff as they still have One system can become out of sync. with
the security of the old system the other

Staff can take their time to learn to use Maintaining duplicate sets of data can
the new system lead to errors

Extra cost of running and maintaining

two systems
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
Phased Changeover: is considered a compromise between parallel
and direct changeovers
In a phased changeover, the new system is implemented one stage at a time
As an example, consider a company working toward installing a new financial
system, and it implements the new system one department at a time, the
company converts accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and so on
Advantages to phased changeovers are their low cost and isolated errors
The main disadvantage is the process takes a long time to complete because
phases need to be implemented separately
Pilot Changeover: the new system is tried out at a test site before launching it
company- wide
For example, a bank may first test the system at one of its branches, and this
branch is referred to as the pilot, or beta, site for the program
Since parallel changeovers tend to be expensive, using the pilot changeover
technique allows companies to run the new system next to their old but on a
much smaller scale
This makes the pilot changeover method much more cost-effective
After the kinks are worked out of the system at the test site, companies usually
opt to use the direct changeover technique to launch the system company-wide
PLANNING AND INSTALLATION (CONT’D)
Students let us examine
...

USER
FOCUS
USER FOCUS
Moving away from analysis of the entire system, let us now
focus on the individual users
For our users, the new system can present challenges that
can be addressed through documentation and training
The quality and availability of these can affect the rate of
implementation of the new system
Documentation can include in-app help, online support,
and printed manuals
Training can include self-instruction (including trial and
error), formal direct instruction classes, and remote online
training (e.g. YouTube tutorials)
USER FOCUS
Manual: people who do not know how to use a product can
refer to the manual, and can be very useful for some people
who like having a structured collection of information and help
Sometimes, a simple Google search may be faster though
FAQs and [Link] files are commonly included with
software and detail many things from installation instructions to
operating instructions
Troubleshooting Guide: is a form of problem solving, often
applied to
repair failed products or processes, can be a logical, systematic
search for the source of a problem so that it can be solved as it
quickly finds the problem and presents a number of solutions
to help solve the problem – however, one disadvantage is that
these may not contain the user’s specific problem thus not
presenting a viable solution
USER FOCUS (CONT’D)
Formal Training: is generally more expensive
than the alternatives as it requires a
professional trainer and facilities, and the
gathering all of the trainees together can be
problematic or complicated
Fortunately, it does however ensure a certain level of skill that may
not be as certain with other methods - having a trainer also ensures
the ability of trainees being able to receive help and ask questions
Self Instruction: tends to be quite cheap, you can move at your
own pace, you can teach yourself at any time, you can build your
own „lesson plan‟ and improve your weaknesses – but, you may get
inadequate explanations of topics and therefore spend more time
trying to figure things out. you are unlikely to be able to ask very
specific questions, you will get minimal external guidance
Online Training: training is provided through course
management applications, multimedia resources, the Internet,
videoconferencing, etc.
Students let us examine ...

SYSTEM
BACKUP
SYSTEM BACKUP
Despite best efforts to design a system for our users and
give the users training and documentation, errors can still
occur
One such error is data loss, and some examples of data
loss include:
1. User Error: they could accidentally delete some files,
over write them, or just plain simply forget to save
2. Malicious Actions of a Third Party: someone else
may break your device storage
3. Theft: someone may steal your data, either physically or through hacking
4. Viruses and Malware: which can do things like transfer (steal) personal data, to deleting
everything on a hard drive (these include worms, Trojan horses, spyware, scareware, time
bombs etc.)
A Trojan Horse is a program that has the appearance of a useful and desired
function but performs other undesired functions without you knowledge
Worms are programs that enable the duplication and spread of copies of themselves
throughout a system
5. Hardware Malfunction: Some storage devices come with defects, and may be the cause of
data loss, and these defects can be severe enough to cause the whole medium to 'fry' or just
loss a small portion of the data
6. Natural Disaster: where things such as earthquakes, floods, wars, etc. can destroy your
hardware – they may also be caused by things like power failure, or fires (a little less „natural‟)
SYSTEM BACKUP (CONT’D)
Let us examine the consequences of a data loss occurring…
Medical Records: may result in serious consequences for the patient and the
family, as medical records include data such as current or old diseases, allergies,
vaccination and previous diseases or conditions that have run in your family – so if
this data was lost it would cause a huge health risk to the patient
Banking Records: banks still hold a lot of your personal information such as name,
address, age, etc. and of course your bank accounts, so if this data is lost or stolen
they will have access to all of that
Government Agencies: will quite possibly be the sector that will own the most
information regarding a certain individual, anything ranging from your address to
your social security number and so on, and would cause serious social and
security risks and damage if someone was to gain access of it
Credit Card records: losing data may damage the company’s reputation, for
example when companies like Amazon are hacked, important data like personal
details and credit card information might be used against the users and this creates
a feeling of insecurity between the company and the customers
Privacy is a big issue with data loss, as customers information might be put
available on the internet
SYSTEM BACKUP (CONT’D)
To try to prevent data loss, data backup systems are put in place –
some examples include:
Physical backups: using more than one physical devices like RAID
(Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) drives where two copies of the
data are held on two physical disks, and the data is always identical
Online backups: or “cloud” backups, which work like physical backups
but off site
Antivirus software: to prevent malicious virus software from running on
your computer and/or recover from it
Physical security: by locking doors, or having somebody guarding the
area where the data is stored can
prevent somebody from physically
stealing any data or having
access to it where they could
delete the data
Students let us examine ...

SOFTWARE
DEPLOYMENT
SOFTWARE DEPLOYMENT
With all aspects of our system
up and running, our software
will still need updates and we
need strategies for managing
this:
Application (“App”) updates: whenever the software is started,
the updater will run, comparing the current version on the PC
to the latest version that is on the internet, and if the internet
version is newer than current local version, then the newest
version will automatically be downloaded and installed (users
can choose settings that they will be asked whether or not the
update is allowed to take place)
OS updates: it is also automated to occur (often at non-use
hours like early in the morning) to protect the OS from cyber
attacks as well as fix any software bugs or improvements –
these are often categorized into critical and non-critical updates
SOFTWARE DEPLOYMENT (CONT’D)
Java update: Java runs inside a
“virtual machine” that allows Java
software to be deployed to multiple
platforms, but needs to often be
updated (again automatically or
through user choice)
Hardware updates: often called
“driver” updates or “firmware”
updates help keep the specific
hardware (e.g. video card, keyboard,
printer, etc.) communicating and
working (performing) properly – the
problem with hardware updates is that
they are not always automated and it
forces the user to check the specific
hardware’s website to see if an
update is available
COMPUTER SCIENCE
Please move on to
today‟s assignment