Tech Guide01

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Copyright 2007 JohnWiley & Sons, Inc. Technology Guide 1 1

Introduction to Information

SystemsHTM 304 - Management Information

Systems

College of Business Administration

California State University @ San Marcos

Authors: Turban, Rainer and Potter

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


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Technology Guide 1

Hardware


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Technology Guide Outline

TG1.1 Introduction

TG1.2 The Central Processing Unit TG1.3 Computer Memory

TG1.4 Computer Hierarchy

TG1.5 Input and Output Technologies TG1.6 General Technological Trends

TG1.7 Strategic Hardware Issues


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Learning Objectives

Identify the major hardware components of a

computer system.

Describe the design and functioning of the central

processing unit.

Describe the main types of primary and secondary

storage. Distinguish between primary and secondary storage

along the dimensions of speed, cost, and capacity.


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Learning Objectives (Continued)

Define enterprise storage and describe the

various types of enterprise storage. Describe the hierarchy of computers

according to power and their respective roles.

Differentiate the various types of input andoutput technologies and their uses.


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Learning Objectives (Continued)

Describe what multimedia systems are and

what technologies they use. Discuss the general trends in hardware

technology.

Discuss strategic issues that link hardwaredesign to business strategy.


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TG1.1 Introduction

Hardware refers to the physical equipment usedfor the input, processing, output and storage

activities of a computer system. Central processing unit (CPU) manipulates the

data and controls the tasks performed by the othercomponents.

Primary storage internal to the CPU; temporarilystores data and program instructions during

processing.


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Hardware

Secondary storage external to the CPU;

stores data and programs for future use. Input technologies accept data and

instructions and convert them to a form that

the computer can understand.

Output technologies present data and

information in a form people can understand.


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Hardware (Continued)

Communication technologies provide for

the flow of data from external computernetworks (e.g. the Internet and intranets) to

the CPU, and from the CPU to computer

networks.


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TG1.2 The Central Processing

Unit Central processing unit (CPU) performs the actual

computation or number crunching inside any computer.

Microprocessor made up of millions of microscopictransistors embedded in a circuit on a silicon chip.

Control unit sequentially accesses program instructions,decodes them and controls the flow of data to and from theALU, the registers, the caches, primary storage, secondary

storage and various output devices.


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CPU (Continued)

Arithmetic-logic unit (ALU) performs the

mathematic calculations and makes logicalcomparisons.

Registers are high-speed storage areas that

store very small amounts of data and

instructions for short periods of time.


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How the CPU Works


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How the CPU Works (Continued)

Binary form: The form in which data and instructions can be read bythe CPUonly 0s and 1s.

Machine instruction cycle: The cycle of computer processing, whose

speed is measured in terms of the number of instructions a chipprocesses per second.

Clock speed: The preset speed of the computer clock that times allchip activities, measured in megahertz and gigahertz.

Word length: The number of bits (0s and 1s) that can be processedby the CPU at any one time.

Bus width: The size of the physical paths down which the data andinstructions travel as electrical impulses on a computer chip.

Line width: The distance between transistors; the smaller the linewidth, the faster the chip.


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Advances in Microprocessor

Design

Moores Law is that microprocessor complexity woulddouble every two years as a result of the following changes:

Increasing miniaturization of transistors.

Making the physical layout of the chips components as

compact and efficient as possible.

Using materials for the chip that improve the conductivity

(flow) of electricity. Targeting the amount of basic instructions programmed into

the chip.


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Microprocessors &

Microcontrollers

The two most common microprocessorarchitectures are complex instruction setcomputing (CISC)and reduced instructionset computing (RISC).

Microcontrollers are computer chips,

embedded in products and technologies, thatusually cost less and work in less-demandingapplications than microprocessors.


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TG1.3 Computer Memory

Two basic categories of computer memory:

Primarystorage and secondarystorage.

Primary stores small amounts of data and

information that will be immediately used by the

CPU.

Secondary stores much larger amounts of dataand information (an entire software program, for

example) for extended periods of time.


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Memory Capacity

Bit: Short for binary digit (0s and 1s), the

only data that a CPU can process.

Byte: An 8-bit string of data, needed to

represent any one alphanumeric character or

simple mathematical operation.


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Hierarchy of Memory Capacity

Kilobyte(KB): approximately one thousand bytes.

Megabyte(MB): approximately one million bytes

(1,048,576 bytes, or 1,024 x 1,024).

Gigabyte(GB): actually 1,073,741,824 bytes(1,024 x 1,024 x 1,024 bytes).

Terabyte: One trillion bytes.

Petabyte: Approximately 1015 bytes.

Exabyte: Approximately 1018 bytes.


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Primary Storage

Primary storage ormain memorystores three types ofinformation for very brief periods of time:

Data to be processed by the CPU; Instructions for the CPU as to how to process the data;

Operating system programs that manage various aspects of thecomputers operation.

Primary storage takes place in chips mounted on the

computers main circuit board, called the motherboard. Four main types of primary storage: register, random access

memory (RAM), cache memory and read-only memory(ROM).


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Main Types of Primary Storage

Registers: registers are part of the CPU with theleast capacity, storing extremely limited amounts of

instructions and data only immediately before andafter processing.

Random access memory (RAM): The part ofprimary storage that holds a software program andsmall amounts of data when they are brought from

secondary storage. Cache memory: A type of primary storage where

the computer can temporarily store blocks of dataused more often.


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Primary Storage (Continued)

Read-only memory (ROM): Type ofprimary storage where certaincriticalinstructions are safeguarded;the storage isnonvolatileand retains the instructions whenthe power to the computer is turned off.

Flash memory: A form ofrewritable read-only memory thatis compact, portable, andrequireslittle energy.


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Secondary Storage

Memory capacity that can store very large

amounts of data for extended periodsof time. It is nonvolatile.

It takes much more time to retrieve data because

of the electromechanical nature.

It is cheaper than primary storage.

It can take place on a variety of media


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Secondary Storage (Continued)

Magnetic tape: A secondary storage medium on alarge open reel or in a smaller cartridge or cassette.

Sequential access: Data access in which thecomputer system must run through data in sequencein order to locate a particular piece.

Magnetic disks: A form of secondary storage on a

magnetized disk divided into tracks and sectors thatprovide addresses for various pieces of data; alsocalled hard disks.


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Secondary Storage (Continued)

Hard drives: A form of secondary storage thatstores data on platters divided into concentric tracks

and sectors, which can be read by a read/write headthat pivots across the rotating disks.

Direct access: Data access in which any piece ofdata be retrieved in a nonsequential manner bylocating it using the datas address.

Magnetic diskettes: A form of easily portablesecondary storage on flexible Mylar disks; alsocalled floppy disks.


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Optical Storage Devices

Optical storage devices: A form of secondary storage inwhich a laser reads the surface of a reflective plastic platter.

Compact disk, read-only memory (CD-ROM): A form ofsecondary storage that can be only read and not written on.

Digital video disk (DVD): An optical storage device used tostore digital video or computer data.

Fluorescent multilayer disk (FMD-ROM): An optical

storage device with much greater storage capacity thanDVDs.


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More Storage Options

Memory cards: Credit-card-size storage

devices that can be installed in an adapter or

slot in many personal computers (i.e. memory

sticks, thumb drives).

Expandable storage devices: Removable

disk cartridges, used as backup storage for

internal hard drives of PCs.


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Enterprise Storage Systems &

RAID Enterprise storage system: An independent,

external system with intelligence that

includes two or more storage devices. Redundant arrays of independent disks

(RAID): An enterprise storage system thatlinks groups of standard hard drives to a

specialized microcontroller that coordinatesthe drives so they appear as a single logicaldrive.


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Storage Area Networks (SANs)

Storage area network (SAN): An enterprise

storage system architecture for building special,

dedicated networks that allow rapid and reliableaccess to storage devices by multiple servers.

Storage over IP: Technology that uses the Internet

Protocol to transport stored data between deviceswithin a SAN; sometimes called IP overSCSIor

iSCSI.


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Network-Attached Storage

Network-attached storage (NAS) device is

a special-purpose server that provides file

storage to users who access the device over a

network; plug-and-play.


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TG1.4 Computer Hierarchy

The first generation of computers, from

1946 to about 1956, used vacuum tubesto store and process information.

The second generation of computers,

from 1957 to 1963, used transistors forstoring and processing information.


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Computer Hierarchy (Continued)

Third-generation computers, from 1964 to 1979,used integrated circuits for storing and processing

information. Early to middle fourth-generation computers, from

1980 to 1995, used very-large-scale integrated(VLSI) circuits to store and process information.

Late fourth-generation computers, from 1996 to thepresent, use grand-scale integrated (GSI) circuits tostore and process information.


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Computer Categories

Supercomputers

Mainframe Computers

Midrange Computers

Workstations

Notebooks and Desktop ComputersAppliances


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TG1.5 Input and Output

Technologies Input technologies allow people and other

technologies to put data into a computer. The two

main types of input devices are: human data-entr ydevices include keyboards, mouse,

trackball, joystick, touchscreen, stylus and voicerecognition;

source-data automationdevices input data with minimal

human intervention (e.g. barcode reader). Speed up data collection; Reduce errors;

Gather data at the source of a transaction or other event.


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Input and Output Technologies

(Continued)

Output generated by a computer can be

transmitted to the user over several output

devices and media.

Includes monitors, printers, plotters and voice.


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Multimedia Technology

Multimedia technology is the computer-

based integration of text, sound, still images,

animation and digitized motion video.

Merges capabilities of computers with

televisions, VCRs, CD players, DVD

players, video and audio recording

equipment, music and gaming technologies.


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TG1.6 Emerging Technologies

Grid computing involves applying the resources of manycomputers in a network to a single problem at the same time.

Utility computing (also called subscription computingandon-demand computing) is when a service provider makescomputing resources and infrastructure managementavailable to a customer as needed for a charge based onspecific usage rather than a flat rate.

Nanotechnology refers to the creation of materials, devicesand systems at a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers (billionths of ameter).


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Copyright 2007 John

TG1.7 Strategic Hardware Issues

How do organizations keep up with the rapid price

and performance advancements in hardware?

How often should an organization upgrade its

computers and storage systems?

Will upgrades increase personal and organizational

productivity? How can organizations measure such increase?

How do organizations manage telecommuting?

Documents

Tech Guide01