Final Exam Study Guide

1
Final Exam Study Guide

• The Final Exam
• Exam Questions
• Review
• Lab Exercises 5/6 and 7
• Technology in Focus 5
• Sound-bytes 11 to 13
• Chapters 11 to 13
• Please see the midterm study guides for the
  covered topics from chapter 1 to 10

2
The Final Exam

• When
• Tuesday, May 6, 2008
• 545 800pm
• MSB 115
• 25 of your final grade
• Covers
• Chapters 1 to 13
• Sound-bytes 1 to 13
• Technology in Focuses 1 to 5
• Lab exercises 1 to 7
• This is an open-notes exam. All in-class
  hand-outs are allowed.
• Writing on your notes is ok!
• You may not use a textbook, a computer, or any
  electronic device.
• You may see questions from the midterm exams and
  quizzes again.

3
Exam Questions

• 100 questions (25 of the total grade)
• 30 multiple-choice questions
• 30 true/false questions
• 40 matching question

4
Lab Exercises

• Lab exercise 5/6
• Creating basic presentation slides using
  Microsoft PowerPoint software
• Learn more about computing artifacts
• Lab exercise 7
• Creating a small relational database using
  Microsoft Access software

5
Technology in Focus

• Technology in Focus 5 The History of Computers
• Data storage devices
• From punch cards to DVDs
• Personal computers
• From Altair 8800 to modern day PC
• DOS/MS-DOS Operating systems
• Software applications

6
Sound-bytes

• Collect data in Access 2007 by using e-mail
• A day in the life of a network technician
• The history of the personal computers

7
Technology in Action

• Chapter 11
• Behind the Scenes Databases and Information
  Systems

8
Chapter Topics

• Databases and their uses
• Database components
• Types of databases
• Database management systems
• Relational databases
• Data warehouses and data marts
• Information systems
• Data mining

9
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What is a database and why is it beneficial to
  use databases?
• Databases are electronic collections of related
  data that help us organize data so that we can
  more easily access and use it.
• By creating an organized structure for data, we
  hope to make data more meaningful and therefore
  more useful. In other words, we are attempting to
  turn data into information.

10
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What components make up a database?
• The three main components of a database are
• Fields
• Records
• Tables

11
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What types of databases are there?
• Relational databases
• Organize data in a (two-dimensional) table
• Link tables to each other through their primary
  keys
• Relational databases excel in the storage of
  structured (analytical) data.
• Object-oriented databases
• Stores data in objects
• more adept at handling unstructured data,
  including audio clips, video clips, pictures, and
  extremely large documents
• Multidimensional databases
• Stores data in multiple dimensions
• Can easily be customized for a variety of users
• Process data much faster than pure relational
  database

12
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What do database management systems do?
• DBMSs are specially designed application software
  (such as MS Access) that interacts with the user,
  other applications, and database itself to
  capture and analyze data
• Four main operations of a DBMS are
• Creating databases and entering data
• Viewing and sorting data
• Extracting data
• Outputting data

13
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• How do relational databases organize and
  manipulate data?
• Relational databases operate by organizing data
  into various tables based on logical groupings.
• In relational databases, the links between tables
  that define how the data is related are referred
  to as relationships.
• To establish a relationship between two tables,
  both tables must have a common field (or column).
  
• In databases, the goal is to reduce data
  redundancy by recording data only once. This
  process is called normalization of the data.

14
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What are data warehouses and data marts and how
  are they used?
• A data warehouse is a large-scale electronic
  repository of data that contains and organizes in
  one place all the data related to an
  organization. Individual databases contain a
  wealth of information, but each databases
  information usually pertains to one topic.
• Data warehouses consolidate information from
  disparate sources to present an enterprise-wide
  view of business operations.
• Data in the data warehouse is organized by
  subject. Most databases focus on one specific
  operational aspect of business operations.
• Data marts are small slices of the data warehouse.

15
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What is an information system and what types of
  information systems are used in business?
• Information systems are software-based solutions
  used to gather and analyze information.
  Databases, data marts, and data warehouses are
  integral parts of information systems because
  they store the information that makes information
  systems functional.
• All information systems perform similar
  functions, including
• acquiring data
• processing that data into information
• storing the data, and
• providing the user with output options with which
  to make the information meaningful and useful.
• Most information systems fall into one of four
  categories
• office support systems,
• transaction processing systems,
• management information systems, and
• decision support systems.
• Each type of system almost always involves the
  use of one or more databases.

16
Chapter 11 Summary Questions

• What is data mining and how does it work?
• Data mining is the process by which great amounts
  of data are analyzed and investigated. The
  objective is to spot significant patterns or
  trends within the data that would otherwise not
  be obvious.

17
Technology in Action

• Chapter 12
• Behind the Scenes Networking and Security

18
Chapter Topics

• Advantages of business networks
• Client/server vs. peer-to-peer networks
• Classifications of client/server networks
• Client/server network components
• Types of servers
• Network topologies
• Types of transmission media
• Network software
• Network adapters
• Moving data in a client/server network
• Securing networks

19
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What are the advantages of a business network?
• Large business networks provide the following
  advantages
• They increase productivity. Networks allow
  workers to share data and peripherals with
  coworkers and communicate with them efficiently.
• They enable people to share peripherals such as
  printers.
• They enable software sharing. Installing a new
  version of software on everyones desktop in a
  company with 1,000 employees can be
  time-consuming. However, if the computers are
  networked, all employees can access the same copy
  of a program from the server. Although companies
  must still purchase a software license for each
  employee, with a network they avoid having to
  install the program on every desktop.
• Through a network, large groups of employees can
  share one Internet connection, reducing Internet
  connectivity expenses.

20
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• How does a client/server network differ from a
  peer-to-peer network?
• The main advantage of a client/server
  relationship is that it makes data flow more
  efficiently than in peer-to-peer networks.
  Servers can respond to requests from a large
  number of clients at the same time.
• Also, servers are configured to perform specific
  tasks (such as handling e-mail or database
  requests) efficiently.
• Client/server networks are also scalable
  networks, meaning additional users can be added
  easily without affecting the performance of the
  other network nodes.
• In addition, whereas P2P networks are
  decentralized (users are responsible for creating
  their own data backups and for providing security
  for their computer), client/server networks are
  centralized, meaning all clients connect to a
  server that performs tasks for them.

21
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What are the different classifications of
  client/server networks?
• Local area networks (LANs) are generally smaller
  groups of computers and peripherals linked
  together over a relatively small geographic area.
  
• Wide area networks (WANs) comprise large numbers
  of users or separate LANs that are miles apart
  and linked together.
• Metropolitan area networks (MANs) are established
  WANs to link users in a specific geographic area
  (such as within a city or county).
• Personal area networks (PANs) are used to connect
  wireless devices (such as Bluetooth-enabled
  devices) in close proximity to each other.
• An intranet is a private corporate network that
  is used exclusively by company employees to
  facilitate information sharing, database access,
  group scheduling, videoconferencing, or other
  employee collaboration.

22
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What components are needed to construct a
  client/server network?
• Server. Unlike P2P networks, client/server
  networks contain at least one computer that
  functions solely as a server.
• Network topology. Because client/server networks
  are more complex than P2P networks, the layout
  and structure of the network must be carefully
  planned.
• Transmission media. Transmission media (cable or
  wireless communications technology) is needed
  based on the network topology. Client/server
  networks use a wider variety of cable types than
  do simpler P2P networks.
• Network operating system (NOS) software. All
  client/server networks require network operating
  system (NOS) software, which is specialized
  software that is installed on servers and client
  computers that enables the network to function.
• Network adapters. Network adapters (or network
  interface cards) are attached or installed to
  each device on a client/server network. These
  adapters enable the computer (or peripheral) to
  communicate with the network using a common data
  communication language, or protocol.
• Network navigation devices. Because of the
  complexity of a client/server network,
  specialized network navigation devices (such as
  routers, hubs, and switches) are needed to move
  data signals around the network.

23
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What do the various types of servers do?
• The number and types of servers on a
  client/server network depend on the networks
  size and workload.
• As more users are added to a network, dedicated
  servers are used to fulfill one specific function
  (such as handling e-mail). When dedicated servers
  are deployed, the main server then becomes merely
  an authentication server and/or a file server.
• Authentication servers keep track of who is
  logging on to the network and which services on
  the network are available to each user.
  Authentication servers also act as overseers for
  the network. They manage and coordinate the
  services provided by any other dedicated servers
  located on the network.
• File servers store and manage files for network
  users. On corporate networks, employees are
  provided with space on a file server to store
  files they create.

24
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What are the various network topologies?
• Network topology refers to the physical or
  logical arrangement of computers, transmission
  media (cable), and other network components.
• The most common client/server network topologies
  are bus, ring, and star.
• Combining multiple topologies into one network is
  known as constructing a hybrid topology.

25
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What types of transmission media are used in
  client/server networks?
• Transmission media comprises the routes data
  takes to flow between devices on the network.
• For business networks, the three main cable types
  that are used today are twisted pair, coaxial,
  and fiber-optic. Wireless networks are another
  popular option.

26
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What software needs to be running on computers
  attached to a client/server network?
• Network operating system (NOS) needs to be
  installed on each client computer and server
  connected to the network to provide the services
  necessary for them to communicate.
• Many modern operating systems (such as Windows XP
  and Mac OS X) include NOS client software as part
  of the basic installation.
• However, if your OS does not include NOS client
  software, it must be installed on each client.

27
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• How do network adapters enable computers to
  participate in a client/server network?
• Network adapters perform three critical
  functions
• They generate high-powered signals to enable
  network transmissions.
• They are responsible for breaking the data down
  into packets and preparing them for transmission
  across the network.
• They act as gatekeepers for information flowing
  to and from the client computer.

28
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What devices assist in moving data around a
  client/server network?
• Repeaters are devices whose sole function is to
  amplify a signal and retransmit it. Repeaters are
  used to extend cable runs beyond the maximum run
  length (over which a signal would degrade and be
  unreadable).
• Hubs are devices that also transmit signals. In
  addition, they have multiple ports to which
  devices are connected.
• A switch can be viewed as a smart hub. It makes
  decisions, based on the MAC address of the data,
  as to where the data is to be sent. Therefore,
  only the intended recipient of the data receives
  the signal as opposed to a hub, which sends out
  data to all devices connected to it.
• Bridges are devices that are used to send data
  between different collision domains.
• Routers are designed to send information between
  two networks. To accomplish this, routers must
  look at higher-level network addresses (such as
  IP addresses), not MAC addresses. When the router
  notices data with an address that does not belong
  to a device on the network from which it
  originated, it sends the data to another network
  to which it is attached (or out onto the
  Internet).

29
Chapter 12 Summary Questions

• What measures are employed to keep large networks
  secure?
• To gain access to a typical client/server
  network, you have to enter a user ID and a
  password. This is a process known as
  authentication. However, authentication can also
  be achieved through the use of biometric devices
  and through possessed objects. Examples include
  identification badges, magnetic key cards, and
  smart keys.
• Each user has access privileges granted in
  accordance with his or her requirements. In this
  way, all activity on the network can be tracked
  to a particular user.
• Beyond this, physical protection of key equipment
  is accomplished by keeping servers in areas with
  highly limited access. These areas often have
  biometric access protection or special access
  cards.
• Biometrics identify users by a physical trait
  like fingerprints, retina scans, or facial
  recognition. These devices can be fooled and
  research is leading to newer biometric methods,
  but none are yet perfected.
• To protect a network from outside connection
  vulnerability, firewalls are installed that
  prevent unauthorized access into the network from
  ports into the Internet.

30
Technology in Action

• Chapter 13
• Behind the Scenes
• The Internet How It Works

31
Chapter Topics

• Managing the Internet
• Interaction between Internet components
• Internet data transmission and protocols
• IP addresses and domain names
• FTP and Telnet
• HTML and XLM
• How e-mail and instant messaging work and how to
  keep them secure

32
Chapter 13 Summary Questions

• What data transmissions and protocols does the
  Internet use?
• Although many protocols are available on the
  Internet, the main suite of protocols used is
  TCP/IP.
• The suite is named after the original two
  protocols that were developed for the Internet
  the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and the
  Internet Protocol (IP).
• TCP prepares data for transmission and provides
  for error-checking and resending lost data.
• IP is responsible for sending the information
  from one computer to another.

33
Chapter 13 Summary Questions

• How do the Internets networking components
  interact?
• To connect individual computers or networks to
  the Internet, home users and businesses use
  Internet service providers (ISPs). ISPs are
  classified in a hierarchy that consists of three
  tiers Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3.

34
Chapter 13 Summary Questions

• Why are IP addresses and domain names important
  for Internet communications?
• Each computer, server, or device connected to the
  Internet is required to have a unique number
  identifying it, called an IP address.
• A domain name is simply a name that takes the
  place of an IP address, making it easier for
  people to remember. For example, google.com is a
  domain name.

35
Chapter 13 Summary Questions

• What are FTP and Telnet and how do I use them?
• The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) enables users to
  share files that reside on local computers with
  remote computers. If youre attempting to
  download files using FTP to your local computer,
  the FTP client program first establishes a TCP
  session with the remote computer.
• Telnet is both a protocol for connecting to a
  remote computer and a TCP/IP service that runs on
  a remote computer to make it accessible to other
  computers. Telnet enables you to take control of
  a remote computer (the server) with your computer
  (the client) and manipulate files and data on the
  server as if you were sitting in front of that
  server.

36
Chapter 13 Summary Questions

• What are HTML and XML used for?
• A Web page is merely a text document that is
  formatted using the Hypertext Markup Language
  (HTML).
• The current version of HTML is called the
  Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML).
  XHTML has much more stringent rules than HTML
  regarding tagging (for instance, all elements
  require an end tag).
• Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a set of
  tools you can use to create your own markup
  language. In a sense, it is a more flexible
  version of HTML/XHTML.

37
Chapter 13 Summary Questions

• How does e-mail work?
• E-mail uses a protocol first developed by Ray
  Tomlinson in 1971. Using the _at_ symbol, e-mail
  addresses place a user at a Web location. The
  protocol works in a client/server format where
  e-mail is sent to a server and is forwarded to
  another server where it is retrieved by the
  addressee.
• Just like other kinds of data that flow along the
  Internet, e-mail has its own protocol. The Simple
  Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is responsible for
  sending e-mail along the Internet to its
  destination.
• The Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)
  specification was introduced in 1991 to simplify
  adding attachments to e-mail messages. All e-mail
  client software now uses this protocol for
  attaching files.