The Student Room Group

Aqa info 3 - 12/06/2012

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Reply 180
Original post by charlotte_nicks
Can anyone explain hot and cold back ups to me? the advantages/dissadvantages and an example of when to use them? Lit cannot learn this stuff :confused:


Hot and cold? Rofl what is that? I've never seen it in a text book and it's not on the syllabus or pre-release so i doubt you'd need it. The backups you need to know are full, differential, incremental.
Reply 181
Original post by cerenctn
What is black box and white box testing?


White and Black box are done with systems that are made for a client.

White Box
- Involves testing of the program by people who are fmailiar with the program code
- The testers need to build tests that will allow errors to be identified so that they can be corrected
- White box testing ensures that the programming code is written correctly

Black Box- Tested by people who never look at the programming code
- These people instead look at the output produced and check to see if the requirements have been met
Reply 182
cold standby site: a site with a duplicate system, which is tested on a regular basis but is not used unless there is a disaster

Hot standby site: where the duplicate system is set up and running as a mirror site processing the same live data as the original main site data at the same time, providing a failover system
Reply 183
Original post by JongKey
White and Black box are done with systems that are made for a client.

White Box
- Involves testing of the program by people who are fmailiar with the program code
- The testers need to build tests that will allow errors to be identified so that they can be corrected
- White box testing ensures that the programming code is written correctly

Black Box- Tested by people who never look at the programming code
- These people instead look at the output produced and check to see if the requirements have been met


answer from AQA text book:

white box- checks details of processing codes and algorithms

black box- checking that the correct output is produced instead of the details of the processing.
Reply 184
Original post by charlotte_nicks
Can anyone explain hot and cold back ups to me? the advantages/dissadvantages and an example of when to use them? Lit cannot learn this stuff :confused:


Hot and cold sites are for recovery options.
Specialist companies offer an organisation a range of possible recovery services for which the organisation pays a regular subscription. They can offer hot-site recovery or cold site recovery.

hot site is a building with electricity and the hardware and software that the organisation uses. It is a duplicate of the original site of the subscribing organisation. The site also has office space and furniture and telephone sockets so that, in the case of disaster an organisation can quickly set up and carry on its business..

Cold site is a building with electricity and office space but no installed equipment. In case of disaster organisation wil have to set up equipment, configure it, install software and restore data from backup copies. Can take much longer to continue with the organisation compared to hotsite .
Reply 185
Original post by ddd34
answer from AQA text book:

white box- checks details of processing codes and algorithms

black box- checking that the correct output is produced instead of the details of the processing.


Thank you : )
Reply 186
Original post by JongKey
White and Black box are done with systems that are made for a client.

White Box
- Involves testing of the program by people who are fmailiar with the program code
- The testers need to build tests that will allow errors to be identified so that they can be corrected
- White box testing ensures that the programming code is written correctly

Black Box- Tested by people who never look at the programming code
- These people instead look at the output produced and check to see if the requirements have been met


Thanx :smile:
Reply 187
Original post by JongKey
Hot and cold? Rofl what is that? I've never seen it in a text book and it's not on the syllabus or pre-release so i doubt you'd need it. The backups you need to know are full, differential, incremental.


Hot an cold is not for backup its for recovery options.
Reply 188
backup options available for large scale systems:

failover systems
replicated systems
regular snapshots
periodic bakcup to disk
archiving
tape backup
Reply 189
Topic 1:

Enabling devices for remote and mobile working
Bluetooth: Wireless system, links devices such as printers, phones, headsets, etc
Mobile phones; touch screens, multifunctional devices, smaller than laptop, camera, mp3, browser, gps
Nanotechnology; much smaller devices, huge storage in small space, flexible screens
Cognitive science
Robotics
Biotechnology

Potential future uses of ICT;
- Wireless energy
- Novel user interfaces
- Flexible screens
- WEB 2.0
- Smart cars

Topic 2 (Information and Systems)

-Back Office systems; usually accounts and database management, run routine business checks, record sales, purchases, update stock, etc (basically automatic admin work)
- Transaction Processing Systems; process transaction as they arise, e.g. ordering clothes online
- Workflow management system; used when lots of different people work on a document, routes documents to different personnel, reduces bottlenecks in the flow of work.
- Workflow and document management systems; keeps track of electronically stored documents
Used when data arrives in different forms. Typical application; dealing with insurance claims.
- Management Information Systems (MIS): Takes internal and external data, processes it to produce infromation, presents information in suitable form. Enables managers to make effective decisions.
- Systems for collaborative working; used when lots of people work together on a task, use communication such as videoconferencing, filesharing, emailing etc.
- Decision Support system; support decision-making process, enables managers to choose from business options, can extrapolate figures and produce forecasts.
- Customer Relationship Management; helps with day-to-day management of customers, keeps track of customers, allows analysis of past orders, helps increase sales, allows more effective marketing, allows cross-selling.
- Enterprise Information System; deals with all functions of a large organisation, integrates all business activities. Allows links to business partners.


Topic 3: Managing ICT

Small organisations; few tiers of management, less hierarchial, staff work more on their own initiative, staff have less formal roles, informal systems
Large organisations; many tiers of management, very hierarchial, people undertake specific tasks, formal systems.

ICT Policies;
Training policy; matching of people to jobs, regular assesment of skills, assessment of training needs, appropriate training given.
Security policy; physical security methods, logical security methods, prevention of misuse, continuous investigation of irregularities, staff code of conduct and responsibilities, disciplinary procedures.
Procurement policy; large contracts open to tender, must consider value for money, hardware purchased must be above a certain spec, software must work with existing operating system


Topic 4: ICT Strategy

Factors affecting ICT System Strategy; Business goals, the need to interface with legacy systems, the geography of clients and business fulfilment, available finance, legislation & compliance.

Need for strategy covering ICT systems;
Future proofing: Scaleable networks, application software independent of operating system, data stored seperate to database software, large amounts of storage, higher processing power than is needed at the time.
Developments in technology; need a flexible strategy that can be changed, need to be able to move quickly to ensure competitive advantage
Procurement; procedures, ensuring value for money, tenders for large contracts
Technology life cycle; research and development, the ascent phase, the maturity phase, the decline phase.
Information Management; system allows the production of management information, information must be available to anyone who needs it.
People considerations; reorganisation may be needed, existing staff will need training in new technology, new staff will be needed.


Topic 5: ICT Policies
Security policies:
Legal compliance; data protection act 1998, computer misuse act 1990, copyright designs and patents act 1988.
Usernames/Passwords; Keep confidential, forbid sharing passwords
Forbid Non-institutional use (only do office work in the systems, not anything apart from that)
Equipment; no movement without permission, no attachment to network without permission
Uses; must not damage ICT facilities, must not modify software, forbid food/drink in ICT rooms
Health and Safety; compliance with health and safety laws, adopt safe working practices
Penalties for infringement; legal penalties, disciplinary action

Topic 6 Legislation:
Copright, design and patents act 1988; checks for unauthroised software, no illegal downloads, checks no more copies of software are being used than the site license allows
Computer Misuse Act 1990; forbid staff from planting viruses, forbid staff from doing unauthorsied work, ensure checks are in place to detect fraud, ensure users do not swap usernames and passwords
Freedom of Information act 2000: Ensure requests for disclosure are met (so public can ask organisations what details of theirs they have stored), provide details on any codes used.
Health and Safety Act 1974; Regular inspections of ICT workstations and room, working practices for staff to change tasks, training to minimise the risks to staff, arrange for regular eye tests and payments for glasses if needed, create software which is not stressful to use.
Data Protection Act: Appoint a data controller, notify the information commisioners office that organisation is processing personal data, adopt procedures that allow subjects access, procedures to allow records to be changed should info held be wrong, staff training to educate them about DPA, procedures to ensure the privacy and security of data held.

Topic 7 Developing ICT solutions

Management and End user involvement; project sponsor gives info about requirements, agree the system objectives with the developers, details given about existing system, agree deliverables, agree timescales, give feedback on what has been developed so far.

Effective teamwork; divide project into a series of tasks, each task given to the person most capable of carrying it out, adherence to deadlines, adherence to budgets, coordination meetings, staff realise the importance of working together, staff use their experitise in their own areas


Topic 8 Systems Development Life cycle;
System investigation/feasibility; project definition, aims and objectives of new system, initial fact find, investigation into the technical, legal, economic, operational and schedule implications, cost/benefit analysis, reccomendation as to feasability.
Anaylsis; understanding the existing system, gathering user requriements, using system tools such as flow diagrams, data models, etc. Basically producing a logical specification
Design; designing the system in line with requirements
Build; use the physical design to produce a working system, write codes, produce working system to meet user requirements.
Test; testing at very detailed levels, testing at a higher level, testing at a system level, testing each field using correct, erroneous and extreme data, testing with real-life data.
Installation and conversion; installing hardware, installing software, conversion of previous data, training of all users, production of documentation and training guides
Review and maintenance; checking solution meets user requirements, setting up review cycle, setting up help-desk, adding extra functions, fixing bugs, managing interfaces with other systems.

Topic 9 Investigation and Recording techniques

Interviews; with managers and operational staff
Observations; observe existing system getting used, learn about information flows and processes
Inspection of records; organisational charts, staff CV, job descriptions, policy, etc
Questionnaires; collect information from all levels of staff, useful to collect from large numbers

Business process modelling tools;
Decision table; summarises action taken when certain conditons occur, used to summarise as et of rules, used to work out logic conditions
Flowcharts; shows orders of processes, can break processes down, consists of a series of constraints

Systems diagrams/flowcharts; shows how a whole ict system works, puts processes in context, shows inputs, processes, outputs, media, etc

Data Modelling tools;
DFD; looks at data/info flows, in the form of a diagram, looks at inputs proccesses and outputs, diagrams are levelled
Entity Relationship Diagrams; looks at components important to a system, looks at relationships between components
Entity Relationship Models; Models data, uses a series of entities and relationships, so that relational database can be built.

Techniques for testing;
Volume testing; tests values, to see if system can cope with them becoming large over time.
Test harnesses; automated testing, testing takes less time improved the quality of software
Scalability testing; tests application, to see if it can cope with increase in workload
Prototyping; produces working v ersions at different stages, version can be tested, improvement takes place based on testing and user comments
Simulated environments; simulates system being used operationally, add lots of terminals to see effects.
Multi-platform testing; demonstrate that sfotware can be proted, ported means being used wit hdifferent combinations of hardware and software


Topic 10; Introducing large ICT systems into organisations

Backup strategy; 24/7 availability, size of storage, use of distributed computers
Threats; long-term consequences, short-term consequences
Risk analysis; identify risks, assess their likelihood of occurence, short/long term threats
Disaster Recovery Plan; buildings, staff, hardware and software. Make resources available, distributed computing, types of backup
Training; train staff to recover data, check data can be recovered from backups, train staff to work together in teams

Installation:
Changeover methods; direct, parallel, phased, pilot
Hardware installation and testing; wiring networks, testing hardware
Software installation and teseting; installing software on all servers, configuring systems, adding data, testing functionality
Documentation; user documentation, technical documentation
Resources; training/installation teams

Maintenance:
Adaptive: altering to fit in with new procedures, adapting to new legislation
Corrective: correcting faults/bugs, improving usability
Perfective; improves performance, add new features/functionality
User Support; helpdesk/focus training


Topic 11 Training and Supporting users:
External users;
e.g. franchies, car dealerships, GP's will be external users
- Difficult to train them because their all in different locations, finding appropraite time for training is hard, hard to assess skills from the start
- Methods: Training courses, videconferencing, distance learning using CD-rom

Internal users;
- Instructor based/classroom learning
- One to one training
- Cascade training (when one employee is sent out for training, comes back and teaches employees)
- CBT (computer based training)
- Distance learning
- Use of manuals


CBT;
- Interactive
- Computer-assisted learning
- Interactive
- Components; tutorials, stimulations, animations
- Motivational

Topic 12; Using external ICT services and business support;
Outsourcing; tasks subcontracted to external company, subcontracted company has more expertise, leaves business to concentrate on revenue generation
Offshoring; outsourcing to another company, cheaper labour costs, easier to find skilled staff
Bulk Printing; give printing services to outside companies, able to complete the work better and at less cost, they dont need to buy expensive equipment, used by utility companies or for payroll.


Planning, management and control;
Hardware resources; planning purchase, tracking for security purposes, keeping records for future upgrading, determining usage, deciding who gets what
Software resources; access control, compliance with license agreements version checking
Communication resources; tracking phone calls, monitoring e-mails for security, e-mail housekeeping, controlling bandwidth being used.
Consumables; stock control, tracking for security, cost control
People; work allocation, keeping records of holidays, sickness, etc. Deciding on who needs what training. Allocating staff to tasks based on their abilities.



GOOD LUCK EVERYONE, INSHALLAH WE DO WELL.
Reply 190
xMagic thanx for your notes. Really helpful.

So the exam is at 1:30 and im going to college now.
Good luck to you all
Reply 191
Original post by cerenctn
xMagic thanx for your notes. Really helpful.

So the exam is at 1:30 and im going to college now.
Good luck to you all

Thank you, hope my notes help everyone! :rolleyes:
I think the 20 marker will be on backup & recovery or maybe security...
from trends ive seen
Reply 193
What do we have to talk about if the 20 mark question is on security?
Reply 194
Original post by cerenctn
Hot an cold is not for backup its for recovery options.


ahh okay, they said backups and i've never heard of hot and cold so i didn't know any better. Either way i doubt i need to know it, my teacher has never taught it me and it's nowhere on the syllabus or prerelease so i should be fine.
Reply 195
Good Luck to all people taking the exam!!!!!!!
Original post by cerenctn
What do we have to talk about if the 20 mark question is on security?


User access
Backing up
Online security - wireless networking (hope) encryption: WEP, WPA, WPA2
Acceptable use
Physical security
exam wasn't to bad. questions were beaut but messed them up because I rushed. so glad ICT is over!!!
This paper was the best it's been in years! Section A asked all the questions I prepared for in lesson (Customer Relationship Management Systems [CRM], Service Level Agreement [SLA]... Question 4) State the Strengths and Weaknesses of the two teams FOR 16 MARKS!!!! Easy marks :-) Only question I didn't like was 6b... something about legacy systems being used in web based systems??? A gap in my revision I think (don't have a clue what a f***ing web based system is) but it was only 4 marks so not really bothered. The 20 mark question wasn't bad either (new developments in ICT and new uses of ICT)... could have been worse, I should have revised section 10 more but my ICT teacher said it was unlikely to come up, how wrong lol.... :-)
Original post by Mr_Sainsburys
This paper was the best it's been in years! Section A asked all the questions I prepared for in lesson (Customer Relationship Management Systems [CRM], Service Level Agreement [SLA]... Question 4) State the Strengths and Weaknesses of the two teams FOR 16 MARKS!!!! Easy marks :-) Only question I didn't like was 6b... something about legacy systems being used in web based systems??? A gap in my revision I think (don't have a clue what a f***ing web based system is) but it was only 4 marks so not really bothered. The 20 mark question wasn't bad either (new developments in ICT and new uses of ICT)... could have been worse, I should have revised section 10 more but my ICT teacher said it was unlikely to come up, how wrong lol.... :-)


Totally agree!! I came on completely stuck on that legacy 4 marker. Didn't have enough to write the the 9 and 12 marker. Also, the 20 marker was a bit disjointed. But like you said could have been worse! I was totally clueless like on the previous past papers I did. It's quite a long and tedious paper though!

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