Information Technology 9626 As Level Notes
Information Technology 9626 As Level Notes
Information Technology 9626 As Level Notes
Data, Information,
Knowledge and
Processing
Data, Information and Knowledge
Data: Raw numbers, letters, symbols, sounds or images without meaning
or context.
Information: Data with context and meaning.
Knowledge: Information to which human experience has been applied.
Sources of Data
Static Data: Data that does not normally change.
Dynamic Data: Data that changes automatically without user intervention.
Primary Data: Data that is collected for the purpose for which it will be
used.
Secondary Data: Data that was collected for a different purpose.
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Quality of Information
Accuracy Data must be accurate to be considered of a good quality
Relevance Information must be relevant to its purpose
Age Information must be kept up to date in order to be useful
Level of Detail Too much information will make it difficult to find the
information required. Too little information means that it
cannot be used correctly.
Completeness All of the information required must be provided.
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Encoding Data
When data is encoded, it is stored in a specific format. Computers use
binary digits, which are 1s and 0s.
Images are encoded as bitmaps. The pixel size of the image, the bit count,
compression type and resolution is encoded.
Sound is encoded by including information about the sample rate, the bit
depth, and the number of channels. Lossy compression will reduce file size
and reduce quality at the same time, while lossless compression reduces
the file size without losing any quality.
Video is encoded by storing both image and sound. Images are stored as
frames, and a FPS value (frames per second) must also be determined.
The resolution of the video and the bit rate is also encoded.
Advantages
● Reduces file size, leading to smoother streaming and downloading.
● Reduced file size means that more files can be stored.
● Different file formats can be used for different purposes.
Disadvantages
● Required codecs may not be installed.
● Not all software is capable of opening different file types.
● Quality is lost when using lossy compression.
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Encryption
Encryption scrambles data so that if it is found, it cannot be understood.
However, this does not stop the data from being intercepted, stolen or lost.
As long as the encryption key or keys are kept secure, it is virtually
impossible for somebody to decrypt the data using brute-force methods.
Caesar Cipher
A cipher is a secret way of writing. It is usually applied by shifting the letters
of the alphabet along. This was used in the Roman Empire by Julius
Caesar to communicate in secret with his generals.
Symmetric Encryption
It requires both the sender and recipient to possess the same encryption
key, which is used to encrypt and decrypt the message. The secret key
must be sent to the recipient, either alongside the message or separately.
This isn’t very secure as both the message and the key could be
compromised at the same time.
Asymmetric Encryption
This is also known as public-key cryptography. It helps overcome the
problem of keys being intercepted by using a pair
of keys. Each person possess a public key and
private key. The public key is known to everyone,
and is used to encrypt the message. The
encrypted message is then sent to the recipient,
and only they can decrypt the message by using
the corresponding private key. This means that
even if the message is intercepted, it cannot be
read since the attacker does not have the
corresponding private key. Digital certificates are used to list public keys,
which list the public key itself, the certificate issuer, organisation name, and
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the user’s details. However, constant encryption and decryption will slow
down the transmission of information.
HTTPS
Normal web pages transmitted using HTTP are not encrypted, meaning
that attackers can easily read the data being received and transmitted.
HTTPS adds a layer of security, usually Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or
Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt and decrypt pages and
information sent and received by web users. When a browser connects to a
secure page, it will check if the digital certificate is valid. If it is, the browser
will use the corresponding public to encrypt a new symmetric key, sent to
the server. All communication is then encrypted using the new symmetric
key, which is much quicker than asymmetric encryption.
Hard Disks
Disk encryption will encrypt every single bit of data stored on a disk. This
means that even if someone gets physical access to the disk, they still
cannot read the data since the encryption key will still be required. This is
especially important for portable devices like USBs, since they are the most
vulnerable to be stolen.
Email
Email encryption uses asymmetric encryption. Before encrypted emails can
be sent and received, both the sender and recipient must send each other
a digitally signed message containing their public key. The most common
form of email encryption is known as PGP (Pretty Good Privacy).
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Validation
Validation takes place when data is input into a computer system. The data
is checked to ensure that it has been entered correctly, and that it makes
sense. If it isn’t, the user will be informed and they will be prevented from
entering the data incorrectly. However, it is important to note that validation
cannot check that the data itself is correct; it can only check that it has
been entered correctly.
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Verification
Verification is the process of checking that the data entered into a computer
system matches the data from the original source.
Visual Checking
A user can look and read the data to ensure that the entered data matches
the original source. This does not ensure that the original data is correct; it
only ensures that the data has been copied and entered correctly.
Proofreading
Proofreading is where a person re-reads the input data to ensure that it
makes sense. This is usually carried out using a person other than the one
that did the data entry, since they will be able to spot errors more quickly.
For large pieces of text, it may also be a good idea to proofread using
spellcheck and grammar software, or printing the document out and
reading it over line by line.
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Hardware and
Software
Hardware
Hardware: A physical component of a computer system.
Device: A hardware component of a computer system consisting of
electronic components.
Input Device: A device that allows data to be entered into a computer
system.
Output Device: Device used to communicate data or information from a
computer system.
Storage Device: A device used to store data onto a storage medium.
Volatile: Data is lost when power is lost.
Non-Volatile: Data is not lost when power is lost.
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Graphics Card: A printed circuit board that generates the signals needed
to output an image from the computer. Sometimes, it can be found as part
of a CPU or as part of the motherboard. Powerful graphic cards are used
for gaming, modelling, and
simulations, since they contain hundreds of powerful processing cores.
Sound Card: A printed circuit board that generates the signals needed to
output sound from the computer to speakers or headphones. Nowadays,
they are usually integrated into the motherboard, but higher-quality ones
can also be purchased separately.
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Webcam: A camera used for the purpose of capturing images while using
the computer. This is usually lower-quality, and may also contain an
integrated microphone. Usually used for video conferences.
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Usually black and white Almost all inkjet Coloured ones Can print in colour.
only. Coloured ones are printers print in colour. are very rare.
more expensive.
Highest quality of all Reasonably good Usually poor. Same as inkjet
printers. quality,but ink can printers.
show through thin
paper and smudges
may occur.
Letters, bulk printing, Photographs, charts, Invoices or Architectural drawings,
general office and general office and receipts requiring large maps, canvas
home printing. home printing. duplicates, ATMs, prints, posters.
POS systems, hot
and dusty
environments.
Optical Mark Reader: Also known as OMR. Detects the marks that are
made on a multiple choice document. A scanner-like device scans the
paper, and translates the position of the marks into the data that is
represented.
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Barcode Reader: Used to detect the width of lines and gaps that form a
barcode. A laser beam is shined on to the barcode, and the reflected light
indicates the presence of a white gap while absence of reflected light
represents black gaps.
Portable Hard Disk Drive: This can be an external SSD or HDD, usually
with a USB port for ease of access. They are usually found in rigid
enclosures to protect them from drops and magnetic interference.
Storage Devices
Magnetic Tape Drive: Magnetic tape is used for backing up and archiving
data. The low cost and high capacity of tapes makes them ideal for this
purpose. However, data is stored sequentially since data is written as the
tape is wound through the drive. This means that it will take a long time for
a specific file to be retrieved, making it unsuitable for everyday use. Tapes
are only ideal for backing up an entire system or all of the secondary
storage for a computer or server since they can hold several terabytes of
data.
Optical Storage: This includes CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray Discs. They are
usually used to distribute music, films, videos and software.
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HDD: Hard Disk Drive. The most common form of secondary storage. It is
composed of multiple disks with a head that can read and write data to it.
However, they are usually slow since data has to be physically written and
read to the disk. Hard Disks are non-volatile forms of data storage.
SSD: Solid State Drive. Also a secondary form of storage, but contains
flash chips and no moving parts. They are also non-magnetic, meaning that
they are safe from drops and magnetic interference. The lack of moving
parts means that they are very fast, but also relatively more expensive.
SSDs are usually used to store the operating system and frequently used
programs for faster load times.
System Software
System software consists of programs designed of programs intended to
maintain or operate the computer system.
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Application Software
Programs that are intended for productivity or to carry ut a task for the user
are known as application software.
Word Processors: As their name suggests, they process words. They are
suitable for writing large pieces of text and for mail merging. They often
include features for tables, headers, footers, and a variety of formatting
options.
Database Management Systems: These are used for viewing and editing
data within a database, which is a structured collection of data in the form
of tables which are related to each other. It will contain features such as
data entry forms, filters, queries, graphs and security features.
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Web Authoring Software: A type of software used for the creation and
editing of websites. They can be very hard to use, but many provide
previews of the webpage for the developer.
Apps: Another name for a program. It is a piece of software that can run on
a desktop computer, over the internet, table computer or on a mobile
phone. The most common reference to ‘apps’ is when referring to software
designed to work with mobile phones.
Utility Software
Utility Software: Software that performs some sort of maintenance on the
computer system.
Backup: Backup utilities create a second copy of data and programs that
are in storage. This can be set up so that automatic, regular backups are
made.
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Data Compression: These utilities will reduce the original size of files so
that they use up less storage space. Opening compressed files will take
longer, but they will also use up less storage.
Disk Defragmentation: As a hard disk gets used, files are stored over all
the magnetic platters in the hard disk itself. This can slow down file
read/write times since the platters need to constantly spin round to locate
the file or parts of the file, and new files may have to be broken up and
written to several locations since there may not be enough available space.
Disk defragmentation software orders the files and puts them close
together, removing all gaps and speeds up file read and write times. This
can only be used on HDDs.
User Interfaces
Command Line Interface
A command line interface (CLI) allows a user to enter text commands to
which the computer system will respond. The computer system will output
the result in a text format. CLIs use very little memory as there is no need
to store any graphics, so they are useful in old systems and the
maintenance of very small devices. However, they can be difficult to learn
and use since users must memorise all the commands, and errors are
easily made when entering those commands.
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Gesture-Based Interface
Gesture-based interfaces will recognise human motion, by tracking eyes
and lips, identifying hand signals or monitoring whole body movement. This
can be in the form of the user physically moving their hand (like in many
game consoles), swiping on a touch screen, or even by tracking eye
movement.
Custom-written/Off-the-shelf Software
Custom-written: Software that is written specifically to meet the
requirements of a client.
Off-the-shelf: General purpose software available to a large market.
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Interpreters
Interpreters also translate a program written in a high-level programming
language into machine code, but it does so one line at a time. This can be
less efficient since it takes time. However, interpreters are useful for testing
since errors are reported on a per line basis, so they can be easily
identified. Source code that has not been compiled into an executable file
will need an interpreter to run, with every few lines being fed into memory
and executed at once.
Linkers
Linkers (also known as link editors) combine several modules, separated
into object files, into a single executable file. The object files are also
known as dependencies, as they are necessary for the program to run.
Programs also often use a common library, which contains basic functions
such as mathematical operations, memory management, progress bars
and input/output features.
Compiler VS Interpreter
Compiler Interpreter
Translates source code into Translates source code into
machine code all at once before machine code one line at a time.
execution.
Compiled code will only work on the Source code can be translated in
operating system it was compiled real time into machine code for any
for. operating system.
Machine code is ready to be Machine code has to be translated
executed without delay. first, so additional time is added to
the execution time.
Compiling can take a long time, Only the required code needs to be
which is not appropriate for interpreted, so this is efficient for
on-the-fly testing. on-the-fly testing.
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Monitoring and
Control
Sensors
Sensor: A device that record data about the surrounding physical
environment.
Analogue: A smooth stream of data that we process on a daily basis.
Microprocessor: An integrated circuit used in monitoring and control
technologies.
Actuator: A type of motor that controls a mechanism or system.
Sensors can automatically enter data into a computer system, making them
extremely useful for automation, and in environments that could be harmful
to humans. A sensor constantly monitors the surrounding environment, and
the data it records will be in analogue form. An analogue to digital converter
must be used to convert the data into digital form, which is then sent to a
microprocessor. If the data is in an acceptable range, the microprocessor
will signal the actuator to trigger an action that needs to be taken.
Motion Sensors
Motion sensors detect movement. This can either be passive or active; an
active sensor is usually an infrared sensor, and detects any changes in
energy in the surrounding environment. An active sensor is usually a
microwave sensor, which constantly emits microwaves and detects
changes in the reflection of the waves, much like a bat. However, motion
sensors are not error proof, and sometimes may trigger a false alarm or not
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trigger at all when there is actual movement. These sensors are usually
used in CCTV systems, and automatic doors and lights.
Pressure Sensors
A pressure sensor measures pressure, usually of a liquid or a gas. Most
pressure sensors use piezoresistance, where a specific level of pressure is
linked to a specific level of charge. They are frequently used in the
manufacturing of vehicles and chemicals, and also in touch screens.
Temperature Sensors
They monitor and measure the temperature of an environment by
measuring how much heat is present. They are found in many home
appliances.
Light Sensors
There are many different types, but the most common type uses
photoresistors. These resistors will change its resistance depending on the
light shining on it. They are used in digital cameras, scanners and
smartphones.
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Pharming
This is another method of collecting personal data by installing malicious
code onto a computer or server. When a user attempts to access a
legitimate website, they will be redirected to a fake phishing website. This
can be done by hijacking the user’s DNS server, which maps domains to IP
addresses. It can also be done by changing the ‘hosts’ file on the user’s
computer; this file overrides DNS settings.
Smishing
This is SMS phishing. It may try to trick a user into accessing a phishing
website or phoning a fake number.
Vishing
This is vishing over voice, where a fraudster calls a user and claims to be
from a certain organisation requesting personal information. They will often
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impersonate a bank and claim that there are fraudulent charges on the
user’s account. The victims of this are usually elderly or vulnerable.
Malware
Trojan Horse
This is a malicious program which disguises itself as useful software. When
the application is run, the trojan horse will execute in the background,
usually to install other malware.
Worms
A type of malware that exploits holes in computer networks to replicate
itself and quickly spread through the network. This is usually done to install
other malware once the worm is in place.
Spyware
This refers to any software that is used to gather data about a person
without their knowledge. Keyloggers are the most common type of
spyware; they will record all the actions performed by a user, including all
keystrokes.
Adware
This is software used to display adverts targeted at the user. Adware will
usually fill the user’s screen with adverts in the form of popups or windows.
Adware is often bundled with free software.
Rootkit
This is a type of malware that enables a person to gain administrator
access to a victim’s computer. This access can be used to disable any
safety mechanisms, such as firewalls or antivirus software.
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Malicious Bots
Bots are applications that are programmed to repeatedly carry out certain
tasks. These are usually used by cybercriminals to bombard people with
spam emails. Bots can also be used on instant messaging services to try
and trick users. Infected computers can also be turned into ‘zombie bots’,
which are used to collectively launch attacks on websites.
Ransomware
A type of malware which encrypts all of the user’s files and demands a
payment for decryption. Usually, the only method for the user to recover
their files is to pay, often using cryptocurrencies.
Back Pain and Muscle Spasms: Caused by poor posture. A user should
sit on an adjustable chair with proper back support.
Eye Strain: A user will often experience eye strain when looking at a
monitor for extended periods of time. Users should configure their monitor
correctly to reduce this, and they should take regular breaks.
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Deep Vein Thrombosis: This is when blood clots occur, usually in the
legs. This is normally caused by sitting in a chair that puts pressure on the
back of a user’s legs, mostly behind their knees. This can be prevented by
taking breaks and standing up for a while.
Fatigue: This is when a user gets very tired from overworking for long
continuous periods of time. Users should take regular breaks.
Safety Issues
Fire: Computers can overheat and could cause fires. This can also occur
because of overloaded plug sockets. Computers should be used in rooms
that are properly ventilated, with fire extinguishers nearby. Plug sockets
should not have too many devices plugged into them, especially those that
require a lot of power.
Loose Wires: There can be trailing wires, especially when plug sockets are
not near computer systems. A person could trip over these wires. Wires
should be secured by cable management systems or they should simply be
clipped together to prevent this.
Spilt Drinks: These can cause a short in a computer. Eating and drinking
at a computer should be avoided where possible.
Electric Shock: This can occur if a user touches wires, especially if they
are worn out. It can also occur if liquids are spilt onto an electrical device.
Caution should be taken when handling electrical wires, and old ones
should be repaired. Liquids should be kept away from electrical devices.
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Causes
Location
A person’s geographical location can have an effect on their access to
technology. There is a digital divide between those living in rural areas and
those living in urban areas, since urban areas already have most of the
infrastructure in place to provide high-speed broadband services. There is
also a higher concentration of people, meaning that ISPs have a large
incentive to develop broadband in the area. Rural areas are sparsely
populated, so ISPs are reluctant to develop broadband in these locations.
There is also a global digital divide caused by the location factor. The
quality and price of internet connections can differ dramatically from country
to country, which can affect the adoption of technology. Developed
countries usually have high-speed, affordable connections, while
developing countries usually don’t. This is usually because less developed
countries allocate more financial resources to other services and there isn’t
enough to concentrate on developing technology services.
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Developing countries may find themselves stuck in a vicious cycle; the lack
of technology means that they cannot trade using modern technologies and
cannot access the same customer base. This will also affect the level of
education since they won’t have access to the internet as an educational
resource. These consequences could prevent a country from developing
further and competing on an international level.
Income
There is a digital divide between economic classes, since richer people are
able to afford access to high-speed internet connections and expensive
devices. Poorer members of society may be unable to afford these
services, which could have an impact on their level of education and
ecommerce, creating a greater divide. An increasing number of companies
are transacting online exclusively, and the inability to access the internet
creates a significant divide between rich and poor people.
Age
The digital divide can exist between old and young people, since young
people have grown up surrounded by technology and have become
accustomed to it, while the elderly may be reluctant to learn how to operate
modern devices. They may also have no use for modern technology.
Solutions
● Community teaching programmes to teach older people how to use
technology.
● Subsidising/gifting devices to children from poor backgrounds.
● Setting up cyber cafes in rural areas.
● Providing overseas aid to countries to purchase technology.
● Setting up affordable 4G connections in rural areas.
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Using Networks
Networking Computers
Network: A set of computers and devices connected together so they can
communicate and share resources.
Network Architecture: The design of its network both geographically and
physically.
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Client-server Network
They used a dedicated server to store data, manage resources and control
user access. The server acts as a central point on the network that other
computers connect to. Computers that connect to the server to access the
data and resources it manages is known as a client. A client-server network
will usually have at least one server and several clients. Multiple servers
can also be found in some network, in order to spread out the workload an
ensure the network runs efficiently.
Advantages:
● Centralised database of users and login credentials provides security.
● User data is kept private.
● Users do not need to make backups as they are centralised.
● Several servers can be used for different functions for efficiency.
Disadvantages:
● Expensive to set up and maintain.
● Single point of failure.
● Requires specialist technical staff to maintain.
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Peer-to-peer Network
Users store data on their own computer, but may allow other users to
access it. They can also choose to not do so, but they can still connect to
other peers.
Advantages:
● Cheap to setup and maintain. Does not require expensive servers.
● Failure of an individual peer does not cause the entire network to stop
working.
● Does not require specialist technical staff to maintain.
Disadvantages:
● No centralised database of users and credentials, making it harder to
maintain security.
● Users have to worry about backing up their own data since there is
no centralised system.
● The more computers on a peer-to-peer network, the slower it will run.
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Advantages:
● They maintain a high level of security for data transmission over the
internet.
● VPNs use external resources. There is no need to purchase or
implement secure, dedicated connections called leased lines for
users that wish to access the network.
● The cost of maintaining external resources is covered by someone
else.
● Adding extra clients costs little to nothing as the network is virtual.
Disadvantages:
● Performance of the VPN may be outside the control of the
organisation, since it is dependent on the external resources that are
used.
● A certain amount of technical expertise is needed to set up and
maintain VPNs. This must be factored in when deciding whether to
implement a VPN.
The Internet
The internet is a global network made up of interconnected network and
individual computers. This global network allows users to access online
services.
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Characteristics
To connect to the internet we need to use an internet service provider
(ISP), which owns the infrastructure needed to connect to the internet. Data
and information is held and distributed by content providers. Most devices
connected to the internet act as clients, and the majority of data is held on
web servers.
Benefits:
● There is a large amount of information available on any topic.
● Contributors have a global audience.
● Immediate transmission of information.
● Immediate availability of services.
● International ecommerce.
● Many options for entertainment.
● Free education, accessible to all.
● Social Networking.
● Real-time, up-to-date news.
● Lowered costs for businesses and organisations.
● Ease of providing feedback.
● Possibility of using big data to improve existing services.
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Drawbacks:
● Incorrect, misleading information.
● Anonymity may lead to inappropriate behaviour.
● Hacking and viruses.
● Identity Theft.
● Inappropriate content is easily accessible.
● Online addiction, especially to social media and videogames.
Mobile Networks
A mobile network is a wireless WAN that uses radio waves to transmit and
receive communications from portable devices, such as smartphones.
Mobile networks cover a considerable amount of the inhabited areas of the
world.
Advantages:
● Users can communicate with others while on the move, usually
through the use of smartphones.
● The network is broken down into small areas called cells, which
allows lower power radio transmitters to be used, bringing energy and
cost savings.
● There is a limited number of radio frequencies available. These can
be split among neighbouring cells and reused in more distant cells,
increasing the number of possible simultaneous connections.
● Large areas can be covered using a single transmitter.
● Multiple transmitters ensures there is no single point of failure of the
entire network; if a cell fails, only a small area will be affected.
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Disadvantages:
● Quality of reception can vary and can be poor at the edge of a cell.
● The frequencies used must be carefully planned to avoid interference
between cells.
● Setting up large mobile networks costs money, and may be
impractical in sparsely populated areas.
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Impact
The rise of technology and video conferencing means that users can see
and hear their friends and family from far away easily. It has also enabled
witnesses to give testimony via video conferencing, especially in the cases
where witnesses may be too upset to attend court. Defendants can also
make initial court appearances via video conferencing, reducing travel
costs. Suspects and witnesses can also be interviewed via video
conferencing.
Consultants and physicians from different hospitals can also make use of
video conferencing to discuss a patient’s case and help offer a diagnosis.
External devices such as ultrasound scanners and video endoscopes can
also be connected and shared with the video conference, improving
medical care. Video conferencing can also be used for doctors and nurses
to keep in touch with patients living in remote areas.
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Expert Systems
Components
An expert system is a computerised system that tries to replicate human
decision-making processes, usually experts. They are designed to try and
reproduce the judgement of a human expert in a certain field. By doing so,
they can be used to replace or assist a human expert.
Expert systems gather data by asking the user questions about the
problem. The questions asked will depend on the user’s responses. Expert
systems are composed of three main components: the knowledge base,
the inference engine and the user interface.
Knowledge Base
The knowledge base is a database which allows the storage and retrieval
of knowledge provided by a collection of experts. This is collected by
interviewing the experts and using the data obtained to build the knowledge
base.
The rules base is part of the knowledge base. The rules base contains a
set of rules (if statements) which are used by the inference engine to obtain
a solution to a problem or a decision.
Inference Engine
The inference engine is the part of the expert system which makes
judgements and reasoning using the knowledge base and user responses.
It produces reasoning based on a set of rules. It follows a line of logic
based on the user’s answers to the questions it asks, often using a
chaining method. The chaining method is the sequential process of
following logic in order to reach a conclusion.
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User Interface
The user interface is the way the user interacts with the expert system. The
interface will allow the user to input their answers, and will output the
conclusion that the expert system gives.
Uses
Expert systems are usually used for the following purposes:
● Medical Diagnosis
● Car Mechanical Diagnosis
● Playing Chess
● Providing Financial Advice
● Troubleshooting computer and printer issues
● Identifying items, for example plants and birds
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Master Files
These are collection of fields about a main element of a data system, with
its information being mostly permanent.
Transaction Files
These are files with temporary data used to update master files. In
real-time and online processing systems, the transaction file is matched
with the master file and is processed. In a batch processing system, the
transaction files are stored until a suitable time to update the master files.
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Spreadsheets
Definitions
Formulae: A formula uses basic arithmetic calculations.
Functions: A function is a ready-made formula representing a complex
calculation on both numbers and text.
Absolute Referencing: This is used when a cell reference shouldn’t
change when the formula/function is copied to other cells. A $ symbol is
used.
Functions
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Modelling
A model is a computer representation of a real-world process, created
using mathematical analysis. Spreadsheets can be used to create
computerised models, but custom-written solutions are also used to model
specific purposes. Models are usually used to train people to use
equipment and for forecasting. Training employees using real-world
equipment can be costly and dangerous, and changes should be tested in
a model before applying them to the real world.
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Simulations
A simulation is the use of a computerised model to predict how a real-life
system might behave. They are also used for training and forecasting.
Typical simulations include natural disaster planning, pilot training, car
driving and nuclear science research.
Advantages:
● It is not necessary to create expensive prototypes or the real thing in
order to experiment with different variations.
● Changes to the model can be made very quickly.
● Alternative models and designs can be easily implemented.
● Unusual events (e.g. earthquakes) can be tested without needing to
wait for them to actually happen.
● Equipment does not suffer from wear and tear and there is no risk of
damaging it during testing.
● Dangerous simulations can be tested without putting people in
danger.
● Simulations can be sped up so that the results from slow processes
can be obtained quickly.
Disadvantages:
● The effectiveness and reliability of a simulation highly depends on the
underlying model.
● Simulation software and equipment can be very expensive to
purchase.
● Training is needed to use simulation equipment and software.
● Complex models can take years to develop, especially for
complicated processes.
● It is impossible for a simulation to be a perfect representation of the
real-world process.
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One-to-many
A one-to-many relationship is when each record in one table can connect to
many (zero or more) records in another table. This is the most common
type of relationship within relational databases.
Many-to-many
They are not used in relational databases as they are converted into two
sets of one-to-many relationships. Technically, in a many-to-many
relationship, each record in one table can connect to many records in
another table but each record in the other table can also connect to many
records in the original table.
Types of Databases
Flat File
This is a database that consists of a single table with no relationships,
much like a single worksheet in a spreadsheet. This will usually lead to
redundant data, which is data that is repeated and takes up storage space.
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Relational
Relational databases contain multiple related tables, which eliminates data
redundancy.
Keys
Primary Key
A primary key is a unique identifier for each record in a table. The field
used for the primary key must contain unique values, and its data must be
permanent.
Compound Key
A compound key is two or more fields combined to form a unique identity.
These should not be used in relational databases as they are very
complex.
Foreign Key
A foreign key is a field in a table that refers to the primary key in another
table. The foreign key must always have the same data type and field size
as the primary key it is linking to.
Referential Integrity
Referential integrity exists when data in the foreign key on the many side of
a relationship exists in the primary key of the table on the one side of a
relationship. This means that a record can only be input if the key already
exists in the other table; if it doesn’t, the database will prevent the data for
being entered. This is important for maintaining the accuracy of data within
a database.
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Validation
Lookup in list Gender “M” or “F”
Lookup in list Title IN(“Mr”,”Mrs”,”Miss”,”D
r”)
Range Date of Birth <DATE()
Range Date Joined >28/02/1995
Data Type/Format Initials Like “[A-Z][A-Z]”
Format Email Like “*@*.*”
Length Any two characters Like “??”
Presence Name IS NOT NULL
Data Dictionary
A Data dictionary is a document or file that describes the structure of the
data held within the database. It is known as metadata which means ‘data
about data’. It includes the following:
● Field Names
● Data Types
● Field Size
● Format
● Default Values
● Primary keys, compound keys and foreign keys
● Indexed fields
● Validation rules
● Sort order
● Relationships
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