Section 1
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trap
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Last updated
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Date created
Mar 1, 2020
Cards (69)
Section 1
(50 cards)
trap
a software-generated interrupt caused either by an error (divide by zero, invalid memory access) or by a specific request from a user program.
word
a computer architecture's native unit of data. a computer that has 64-bit registers and 64-bit memory addressing will have 64-bit _____s.
mode bit
a bit added to the hardware of the computer to indicate the current mode (kernel: 0, user: 1)
high availability service
service will continue even if one or more systems in a clustered system fail.
firmware
also known as EEPROM.
memory
storage for information in a computer.
von neumann architecture
a typical instruction-execution cycle. fetches an instruction from memory and stores it in the instruction register. then the instruction is decoded, executed, and the result is stored back into memory.
minicomputer
a midsize, multi-user computer. more powerful than a workstation or personal computer but less powerful than a mainframe computer.
kernel
the one program running at all times on a computer.
user mode
a mode that provides an interface between an application and the OS, and only has access to hardware resources through the code running in kernel mode.
system call
a software triggered interrupt. an interrupt stops the CPU and calls a routine which needs to be run.
job scheduling
when a system must choose between several jobs.
byte
eight bits.
multiprocessor system
systems with multiple processors which work in close communication. they have many advantages over single-processor systems.
time sharing
the CPU execute multiple jobs by switching among them, but the switches occur so frequently that the user can interact with each program while it is running.
central processing unit (CPU)
executes commands from a computer's hardware and software. the principal computer chip that contains several processing components, which determines the computer's operating speed. the "brain" of a computer.
caching
copying information into a temporary faster storage system.
parallelization
dividing a program into separate components that run in parallel on a computer.
workstation
a computer connected to networks of other computers and servers. users have dedicated resources but also share resources.
magnetic disk
the most common secondary-storage device which provides storage for both programs and data.
kernel mode
an access mode for applications while they are running on the CPU that allows full access to all hardware devices and memory in the computer.
asymmetric multiprocessing
each processor is assigned a specific task while a boss processor controls the system.
secondary storage
an extension of main memory which must hold large quantities of data permanently.
clustered system
systems which gather together multiple CPUs.
operating system
a program that manages a computer's hardware. provides a basis for application programs and acts as an intermediary between the user and the hardware.
nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM)
DRAM with battery backup power.
input/output device
devices that are used to input to a computer (keyboard, mouse) or output (monitor).
graceful degradation
the ability to continue providing service proportional to the level of surviving hardware.
electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM)
read-only memory that is erasable.
hardware
provides the basic computing resources for the system
timer interrupt
used to ensure that a program does not get stuck in an infinite loop or never returns control to the operating system.
fault tolerant
can suffer a failure of any single component and still continue operation.
mainframe
a large, expensive computer that supports hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously and executes many different programs at the same time.
tertiary storage
magnetic tape drives, CD drives, and DVD drives.
high performance computing
supplying significantly greater computational power than single-processor systems because the clustered system can run an application concurrently on all computers in the cluster.
symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)
all processors are peers and no boss-worker relationship exists.
resource utilization
how various hardware and software resources are shared.
multiprogramming
organizing jobs so that the CPU always has one to execute, thus increasing CPU utilization.
nonvolatile storage
storage that does not lost its contents when the power is lost or turned off.
interactive computer system
a system which provides direct communication between the user and the system.
dual mode operation
hardware support that gives a computer two modes to run in, user mode and kernel mode.
volatile storage
storage that loses its contents when the power is lost or turned off.
variable timer
implemented by a fixed-rate clock and a counter. used as the basis of a timer interrupt.
computing core
multiprocessor chips. can be more efficient than multiple chips with single cores because on-chip communication is faster than between-chip communication.
job pool
jobs are initially kept here as main memory is too small to accommodate all jobs.
read only memory (ROM)
memory which contains the bootstrap program (the program that starts up the computer).
random access memory (RAM)
a portion of re-writable memory where most programs are run from. also known as main memory.
single processor system
there is one main CPU capable of executing a general-purpose instruction set, including instructions from user processes.
privileged instruction
a machine instruction that may cause harm. the hardware allows these to be executed only in kernel mode.
electronic disk
can be either volatile or nonvolatile. it stores data in large DRAM array.
Section 2
(19 cards)