ZLX05 HND in Computing: Analysis on Computer Components

Introduction: 

The analysis and evaluations on various computer components are helpful to assemble and install the parts under client premises. In the following activity, 40 machines are intended to collect, configure and analyze having specific hardware and software components.

The hardware sections comprise of 30 PCs and a couple of printers. For software parts Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 and Magix Movie Edit Pro 2016 Premium is chosen.

The reports analyze various functions of computer systems and discuss the ways to design computer systems. Next, different methods of creation and configuration of computer systems are demonstrated and routine maintenance of undertaken over computer systems of the provider company.

Task 1: Understanding functions of computer systems:

Impact of computer systems in social and work and their roles in various environments: 

Computer technology has made communications possible from one part of the world to other. They are utilized in many areas along with teaching and learning. The computers are used as management tools for resolving business issues (Card 2017).

Computing systems in social sector:

Information can be recorded at various levels and at different places through remote sensors that are carried on by satellite. It helps with controlling traffic lights and controls the rise in some calls very effectively. Again, they are broadly used in hospitals like controlling drugs, surgical types of equipment and linens and checking up and treatment of diseases.

Computing systems in working sector:

Branches of different banks are equipped with terminals providing online accounting facilities and enable with information like interest changes, overdrafts, deposits and current balances. Productions are controlled, coordinated and planned in industries with the help of computers. Moreover, they help in measuring every section of suggested designed that are satisfactory and assist in designing.

Discussion on main hardware components: 

Factors determining computer performances:  

The performances of computers depend on its various hardware components. This includes its various input devices, storage devices and storage devices. Besides, Central Processing Unit or CPU is an important part that helps in performing arithmetic, logical and computing operations (Courtois 2014).  Apart from this performance of different physical parts like motherboard, sound card, graphic card determines how the system might work.

Purpose of some system utilities: 

This is illustrated through the following diagram:

Figure : “Applications of some utility tools”

(Source: Friedman and Kahn Jr 2017).

Comparison of various computer systems and their suitability: 

Different types of computer systems	Its uniqueness from others	Suitability of usage
Mainframe Computer	It comprises of very effective processors, sufficient storage of battery, huge internal memory	This is usable in mail-order and banks and organizations like universities.
Desktop Computer	This is the most common type and comprises of various hardware devices	Its design has made it static and cannot be moved easily.
Notebook and laptop computers	This is light and can be carried out easily	It is usable as it is commonly prepared places where this has been impracticable to use any mouse.
Palmtop Computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)	This very small can be easily fit to the pocket and conveying with mobile phones	This comprises of wireless communications to access the local area of network.

 

Task 2: Designing computer systems:

Different stages to arrive at the final specifications of recommender systems: 

The first one is projecting specification that comprises if bodies of information guiding project developers, engineers and designers by creating software. Next, the software requirement specification document has been demonstrating how the stages are needed to be done. Here the all possible errors can be listed out in particular form with error messages that are required to be displayed. These specifications have been describing various steps of functional interactions that must be followed by users. Requirement documents have been stating that software should be handling error states effectively and reasonably (Organick 2014). This provides explicit feedbacks to users. These specifications show the ways to meet the requirements. Specifications take various forms. They are a straightforward listing of different functional attributes. Besides, they are also schematics and diagrams of flow logic and functional relationships and occupying middle grounds. The software requirement specifications are also in the form of models, mockups and prototypes. The project specifications are vital to finding out the product quality. Here the functional relationships and rules deliver a test point. The disparity between a program and its specs indicates errors in programs. This takes place as the software requirement specification is present and is correct (Dhillon 2016).

Justification and evaluation of hardware and software components for meeting the requirements: 

The various kinds of hardware and software specifications are illustrated below.

To justify and analyze the hardware components various factors are to be considered.

First of all, it must be determined who should be using the computer and how often it must be used.

The hardware factors:

Storage space in desktops:

It must be found out whether there has been sufficient space for conventional desktops.

Printers:

Then single function or multi-function printers having colors are needed to be determined. Next, the ways to connect to printers and access to Wi-Fi network is to be determined (Eastman 2018). After this, the different levels of outputs and are needed are to be determined, and the frequency of printing is required to be resolved.

Area to be accessed:

Besides, the area where data is to be accessed like remotely and locally is to be found out and whether it is accessible during any disaster is to be found out. Lastly, whether the cloud storage is determined as an additional backup source is to be determined (Turk, Resman and Herakovi? 2018).

These requirement specifications of original products require to be considered explicitly. This describes how the products work entirely from user or customer perspectives. They must care less regarding implementations. These specifications have been explaining what the website or software must do through defining functions and logic of higher levels (Black, Brady and Goulski 2017). As the user requirements are written down for requestors and not different end-users, they are assimilated with specifications of software requirements.

Software factors:

Functional specifications:

The functional specifications have been demonstrating various needed functions at the level of implementations. Here, those specifications have been created to build systems that are exclusive of GUI.

Designing websites:

Here concerning websites, the unit is the designing of particular pages and category of pages and the software specifications details different functional elements of pages and page types. For instance, designing a page needs various functions (Al-Hanjori, Shaath and Naser 2017). However, there are nit GUI issues as much as they are regarded as functionality issues. Any component is the set of page states or nearly related forms of pages. Here the parts have been including submission page and acknowledgement page.

Designing user interfaces:

Hence the specifications of software requirements have been regarded as the implications of designing of a user interface. However, the effects have been raised typically by formal design specification and a prototype (Malmsköld, Örtengren and Svensson 2015).

Further, the budget should be clarified to assure that one never spent, set the budget of the company and permit additional expenses. This must include other software, accessories, training, and support and extend warranties. Moreover, they must consider whether they can use the system out-of-the-box as it needs customizations (Richey and Klein 2014). Then various recurring maintenance costs and the ways to assure hardware purchase against theft or damage is to be determined.

Task 3: Building and configuring computer systems:

Tasks during LAB session:

Processes of assembling a typical computer: 

Preparing motherboard:

Here, position of jumpers for setting of CPU speed, multiplier of speed and input voltage is needed to be determined.

Replacing processor:

The processors are easily installed prior the motherboard occupies the casing.  

Installing heatsinks:

This removes the heat generated by processors through conducting of heat from processor heat sink for optimizing heat transfer.

Replacing memory modules:

These are installed sequentially from smallest socket number.

Replacing motherboard on casing:

The motherborad is installed to casing through screw and holder or standoffs.

Installing power supply:

Here various kinds of chases are equipped with efficient power supply.

Replacing motherboard and casing cable:

As the motherboard gets installed in the chasis the following step is to install the cable input or output ob motherboard and panel with chasis.

Installing drive:

Here various hard drives, CD ROM, DVD, CD-RW or floppies are installed.

Installing adapter card:

The common adapter card installed for SCSI adapters, modem, sound networks and video cards  (Zareiforoush et al. 2016).

A process by which operating system can be installed: 

During the preparation of installations, the setup programs should be asking for data regarding how to install and then configure the Windows. This must be done by gathering data about hardware and then establishing decisions about setting to initiate the process. To install operating systems over computers, the software has been coming over DCD and CDs. Here one needs to configure computers to boot the drive. The sequence of booting is changed by accessing BIOS and then setting the drives to initial booting services (Freiberger 2014).

The PCS used in the current project helps to access boot sequences at computer startup directly. This is instead of entering BIOS, by pressing a particular key on a keyboard. As the operating systems have been coming on USB flash drives, one requires configuring the PCs for booting USB devices at the initial boot service. As these PCs are set for booting suitable devices, the PCs must load operating system installation programs and guide through the installation process. Some fundamental questions can be asked for setting the initial settings such as time and date, user account name and need to enable automatic operating system upgrades (Ksi??ek et al. 2015). As a newer version of the operating system is present already in computers, the process of installation asks to update the new operating systems. As one needs to install operating systems as upgrades, one must go for options to erase present operating systems and install the newer ones as fresh.

To run the operating system, after the installation of an operating system, the computers must load to the operating system. Then installing operating software programs must be done to computers and update settings that are needed. The ultimate and an important task have been to get the Windows upgraded (Baecker 2014). The programmer already has the notification from Windows Update at this very point. All the updates provided must be installed, and the computer should be rebooted. Then the updates must be checked, and this task is to be repeatedly performed.

Test report to show processes for verifying installation: 

As the system is verified, it is tested here thoroughly. This is to assure that all the components of the system are active according to particular requirements. This should be operating as this has been including as wrong functions are requested, or any wrong data gets introduced. The testing measures have been consisting of developing a various set of test criteria. This has been for the complete system and special software, hardware and communication elements. Here, for a sensitive and important system like an electronic voting system, a structured system program, testing is established. This is to assure that every aspect of the system is tested thoroughly.

The following measures are included in the following:

• The functional tests are to be tested. This has helped in determined the meeting criteria for test criteria.
• The qualitative analysis is to determine whether the test criteria are met.
• The tests are conducted in laboratory conditions. This is done in real life conditions.
• Tests are conducted over a broad period. This is to assure the systems are performed continuously.
• Load tests are conducted. This has simulated likely possible situations using and exceeding the quantity of data handled in a real case.

Test results:  

The above test results in the report are applicable exclusively to tested sample or model. Despite any written approval of the organization, the report might never be reproduced fully.

Task 4: Undertaking routine maintenance over computer systems: 

Essential routines to be done: 

Different backups and justification of choices of backup strategies: 

The different kinds of backup strategies are discussed hereafter.

Full backups:

It is the beginning of every backup for every background. It has been containing all kinds of data within files and folders selected to be backed up. It stores every files and folders, resulting in simpler, quicker restoring of operations.

Incremental backup:

Here files are copied that have been altering due to prior backups. Here, for instance as the full backup is done on the first day, the second day’s incremental would backup every files from the first day’s backup.

Differential backups:

This is a kind of backup copying every data that has been changing from the previous full-backup. For instance, the full backup on the first day, the second day’s backup backs up every file that is changed or added from the second day’s backup.

 Synthetic full backup:

This is identical to regular complete full-backups as per data. However, this is created as the data is collected from prior, previous complete backup and then assembled with subsequent incremental backups.

Incremental-forever backup:

As the ongoing sequence of incremental backup takes place, the incremental-forever solution has been providing various advantages. It has been decreasing the quantity of data going around the network. It has also been reducing data growth due to incremental backups containing blocks that are changed from the prior backups.

 

 

Figure 5: “Illustration of some defragmentation tools”

(Source: Gómez-Sanchis et al. 2014, page number: pp.1047-1056)

For example, some of the defragmentation tools are discussed hereafter. The first one is Defraggler. This helps in allowing dragging the complete drive. The nest one is Auslogics Disk Defrag. This is a compact and very fast defragmentation tool supplied with advanced disk (Chu 2014) . Besides, PerfectDisk Pro can also be utilized here. This provides various elements ensuring that the hard-disks stay optimized and stable.

Defragmentation tools and scheduling defragmentation tools to be executed automatically by operating systems: 

For the current project, some of real and effective defragments that are used are discussed hereafter.

The first one is Diskeeper defragmenter. This is introduced to Windows and having various features like no screensaver, no parallels defragmentation and no schedule. The next one is DO&O Defrag that provides a vital defragmenter. The SysInternals PageDefrags is a useful tool for performing boot-time defragmentation of particular kind of files (Leverhulme 2017). This includes registry hive files and page files. Here the files have typically been locked regarding exclusive usage of an operating system. Thus this is inaccessible to various common tools of defragmentation.

Here, the primary aim of defragmentation tools has been to decrease file system fragmentation. As per as the schedule is considered, there might not be sufficient space for storing the file under a single contiguous block of areas. This file is stored in various nonadjacent blocks over the disk. The fragmented files have been no longer taking to read as they are compared to different unregimented ones. This is because the extra disk head was repositioning every nonadjacent block (Ataer-Cansizoglu et al. 2015). However, the performance has been suffering because head positioning has been slowest as compared to various possible drive operations.     Further, the tool of defragmentation has been relocating files for occupying contiguous blocks. The defrag procedure has been safe. This happens as there is no current damage to the disk. This has been worthwhile to run chkdsk or same type of dick checkers to assuring that no harm is done on the amount before starting defragmentation (Bornholt, Mytkowicz and McKinley 2015). Further, these tools are designed in such a way any failure in power as defragmentation takes place can run and never lead to corrupted data or the damage in well contained at least.

Things to be considered before updating software and hardware: 

Computer hardware:

 First of all the space area of RAM is to be increased. This must be particularly as it slows down while running various programs at a glance. Next, the hard drive or internal components are to be considered. They are to be upgraded to bigger hard drives having more storage capacities. Here, for slow computers, the updating must be quicker for spinning hard drives that must develop the entire performance (Drozd et al. 2014). Further, an SSD or Solid State Drive can be considered that never turns. This is notably faster and has been having some dynamic components that can fail. Next, the external hard drives are to be found. As the current drive has been performing well enough, the external drives can be added. As this has been replacing the hard drives, this needs the transferring of existing files and then reinstallation of Operating System. Here the external drive is the solution to storage-only issues (Jacobsson, Boldt and Carlsson 2016).

Computer software:

 As per as the software is considered, the latest updates should be installed for the application software and operating system. This is helpful to assure that the most recent features are available, particularly for data security. Moreover, they have possessed the most stable version software that has been raising the performance of the system. They must not have any older software that is no longer supported and has been scheduled to be discontinued (Fu 2018).

Conclusion: 

The above study helps in understanding the different functions of computer systems. It is helpful to develop computer systems and create and configure the systems. Moreover, it helps in undertaking regular maintenance over computer systems. The application is mostly applicable to people who have been intending to relate the technical knowledge to a wide range of business issues. Moreover, the discussion has a focus on the commercial application of technology and is helpful to assimilate the technical and business areas. For this particular emphasis is made over the deployment of software and hardware products and packages to the solution of business problems. Above all, in product development, it is vital to know the difference between baseline functionality necessity for systems and complete product domains along with features making systems distinct from competitor’s products. The strategy of the current company has significant implications for software and hardware architectures. However, it must be reminded that this is not only software specifications of initial release which is supported in construction.

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