Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Computers

Trey Research

• Deploy a Network Load Balancing (NLB) cluster using an .msi file.
• Minimize the number of Virtual Machines (VMs).
• Configure Special Auditing.
• Install Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT).
• Configure Distributed File System (DFS) Replication.
• Configure a DFS Namespace.

Proseware, Inc.

• Create Data Collector Sets.
• Configure settings on a Remote Desktop (RD) Virtualization Host.
• Use dynamically expanding Virtual Hard Disks (VHDs).
• Deploy applications using RemoteApp.
• Apply Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) filtering to Group Policy Objects (GPOs).
• Manage Local Users and Groups.
• Configure Windows Search Service on the file server and add the Legal share to the index for legal department clients.

School of Fine Art

• Configure printer driver

MapReduce is a computing paradigm for processing data that resides on hundreds of computers, which has been popularized recently by Google, Hadoop, and many others. The paradigm is extraordinarily powerful, but it does not provide a general solution to what many are calling “big data,” so while it works particularly well on some problems, some are more challenging. This book will teach you what problems are amenable to the MapReduce paradigm, as well as how to use it effectively. At first glance, many people do not realize that MapReduce is more of a framework than a tool. You have to fit your solution into the framework of map and reduce, which in some situations might be challenging. MapReduce is not a feature, but rather a constraint.... Continue reading "Understanding MapReduce Design Patterns" »

Python Fundamentals: Practical Code Examples

This document presents a collection of basic Python code snippets, demonstrating fundamental programming concepts such as conditional statements, loops, data input, and list manipulation. Each example is designed to illustrate a specific programming principle, making it ideal for beginners learning Python.

Compare Car Top Speeds with Python

This Python script compares two user-entered car speeds to determine which is faster, showcasing basic input and conditional logic.

car_a = int(input("Please enter the top speed of a Ferrari: "))
car_b = int(input("Please enter the top speed of a Lamborghini: "))

if car_a >= car_b:
    print("The fastest car is a Ferrari.")
elif car_b > car_a:
    print("The

ASCII Code

American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A code in which each alphanumeric character is represented as a number from 0 to 127, translated into a 7-bit binary code for the computer. ASCII is used by most microcomputers and printers, and because of this, text-only files can be transferred easily between different kinds of computers.

Availability

A measure of how easy or difficult it is to obtain a piece of hardware or a computer application.

Backbone

High-speed lines or connections that form the major access pathways within the Internet.

Bandwidth

The capacity of a networked connection. Bandwidth determines how much data can be sent along the networked wires. Bandwidth is particularly important for Internet connections, since greater... Continue reading "A Glossary of Computer and Internet Terms" »

VHDL Code Examples for Digital Logic Design

This document presents several VHDL code examples demonstrating the implementation of various digital logic circuits, including custom combinational functions and a priority encoder. These examples illustrate fundamental VHDL constructs for hardware description.

Custom Combinational Logic Function (EFC_17_F) - Decoder Label

This VHDL module, named EFC_17_F, implements a specific combinational logic function. In the original context, it was labeled as a "decoder." It takes four standard logic inputs (P1, P0, M1, M0) and produces a single standard logic output (C). The output C is asserted ('1') for specific input combinations, effectively acting as a custom boolean function.

LIBRARY IEEE;
USE IEEE.STD_

Introducing Networks

A network is created when more than one device is connected together. A network can be a small collection of computers connected within a building (e.g. a school, business, or home) or it can be a wide collection of computers connected around the world.

Advantages

• Communication – it is easy (and often free) to communicate using email, text messages, voice calls, and video calls.
• Roaming – if information is stored on a network, it means users are not fixed to one place. They can use computers anywhere in the world to access their information.
• Sharing information – it is easy to share files and information over a network. Music and video files, for instance, can be stored on one device and shared across many computers, so

Application Software

System Software

Operating System

Why OS?

Operating System Function

OS Goals

Types of Operating Systems

• Single Process Operating System
• Batch-Processing Operating System
• Multiprogramming Operating System
• Multitasking Operating System
• Multi-Processing Operating System
• Distributed System
• Real Time OS

Program

Process

Thread

Multi-tasking vs Multi-Threading

Thread Scheduling

Thread Context Switching vs Process Context Switching

User Space

Kernel

Functions of Kernel

• Process Management
• Memory Management
• File Management
• I/O Management

Type Of Kernel

• Monolithic
• Micro
• Hybrid
• Nano

System Calls

Types

• Process Management
• Device Management
• File Management
• Information Management
• Communication Management

Firmware: SW embedded in HW (microprocessor -> microcontroller)

What

Internet Technologies

The internet relies on several key technologies:

• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP): Enables connections and data exchange between hosts.
• Internet Protocol (IP): A unique 32-bit numeric address for each computer, represented by four numbers (0-255) separated by periods.
• Domain Name System (DNS): Converts domain names (e.g., google.com) to IP addresses.
• Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP): The standard for transferring web pages.
• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML): Formats documents and links to other resources.
• Uniform Resource Locator (URL): References a web resource's location and retrieval method.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing provides access to shared computing resources over a network. Different service models exist:

• Software

Computer Hardware

Core Components

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The CPU controls and executes operations within the computer to process information. It consists of:

• CU (Control Unit): Coordinates all computer activities and manages temporary data storage.
• ALU (Arithmetic and Logic Unit): Performs basic data operations.

Memory

• Random Access Memory (RAM): Enables reading and writing operations, allowing access to random memory locations.
• Read Only Memory (ROM): Contains permanent instructions for computer startup, forming the BIOS (Basic Input Output System).

Input/Output Units

These units facilitate communication between the CPU, internal components, and external devices.

Buses

Buses enable efficient information exchange between computer components. Types... Continue reading "Understanding Computer Hardware and Software Essentials" »

Semantics in Programming

Semantics indicate the meaning of the code, specifically:

• What the code will actually do
• Can we effectively define this in a formal way?

In essence, semantics refers to the meaning of a statement.

Characteristics of Effective Programming Languages

1. Clarity, Simplicity, and Unity

   A programming language should be clear and simple, enabling users to understand it easily. Unity contributes to understandability.

2. Orthogonality

   This term refers to the ability to combine various features of a language in all possible combinations, with each combination being meaningful. For example, if a language provides an expression that can produce a value and a conditional statement that evaluates an expression to yield a true or false result, these