Software - Chapter 2

System software

• interface between computer hardware and applications

• software that manages computer hardware resources

• programs that perform specific tasks for users

• software that provides a platform for running applications

batch processing

• groups of similar data - processed altogether in one go

• individual data points processed one at a time

• random data processed in no specific order

• data processed only when requested by the user

master file

• updated from transaction file

• contains only historical data

• is a temporary storage

• is used for data entry

real time processing

• data processed as soon as it's entered

• data processed at the end of the day

• data processed in batches every hour

• data processed only when requested

application software

• programs e.g. Word, Excel

• hardware components of a computer

• operating system software

• networking software

transaction file

• temporary file

• permanent file

• backup file

• archive file

Backup and restore

• Backup is a copy of the original file in case of loss or damage.

• Restore is the process of creating a new file.

• Backup is the process of deleting old files.

• Restore is where the backup is required to replace the original files.

utility programs

• disc defragmentation

• task schedulers

• backup and restore

• file compression

Task scheduling

• Processing time divided among tasks.

• Maximizing the number of tasks completed in a day.

• Assigning tasks based on employee preferences.

• Minimizing the number of tasks assigned to each employee.

Anti-virus software

• Software that scans files looking for a virus and then eliminates it.

• A program that enhances the speed of your computer.

• An application that manages your email accounts.

• A tool for creating and editing images.