Computer Systems

What is a computer system

• A computer system is made up of hardware and software
components and is capable of:
• Data input – using input devices
• Data processing – using a microprocessor, typically the Central
Processing Unit (CPU)
• Data output – using output devices
• It may also be capable of:
• Data storage – so data can be stored for later use
• Data transmission – so data can be transferred to or from another
computer system
Types of computer systems
There are a number of computer systems that are used in a number of
different environments for different purposes. The following are some of the
main computer systems to be considered:
• Batching processing systems
• Interactive systems
• Monitoring systems
• Control systems
• Information systems
• Communication systems
• Expert systems and Artificial Intelligence.
1. Batch processing systems
• The execution of non-interactive data processing jobs that operate on a batch of data items.
• Batch process jobs can run without any end-user interaction or can be scheduled to start up on
their own as resources permit.
• Batch jobs are designed so that all input data is preselected through scripts or command-line
parameters. The major benefits of using batch processes are:
It can shift the time of job processing to when the computing resources are less busy.
It avoids idling the computing resources with minute-by-minute manual intervention and
supervision.
By keeping high overall rate of utilization, it amortizes the computer, especially an expensive one.
It allows the system to use different priorities for interactive and non-interactive work.
Rather than running one program multiple times to process one transaction each time, batch
processes will run the program only once for many transactions, reducing system overhead.
It also has multiple disadvantages, for instance users are unable to terminate a process during
execution, and have to wait until execution completes.
Examples of batch processing
• Transactions
A bank that processes transactions such as international money transfers after-hours. After-hours batch
processing was once extremely common in the banking industry. Many firms are slowly shifting towards more
modern techniques such as workload automation that allows asynchronous processing to be efficiently run and
managed on cloud infrastructure.
• Reporting
A manufacturer produces a daily operational report for a production line that is run in a batch window and
delivered to managers in the early morning.
• Integration
A legacy system publishes a list of transactions as an hourly batch that is consumed by an ERP.
• Research
A researcher submits a batch job to a high performance computing environment that performs calculations
related to particle physics.
• Billing
A telecom company runs a monthly batch job to process call data records that include the details of millions of
phone calls to calculate charges.
2. Interactive systems
• Interactive systems are computer systems characterized by significant
amounts of interaction between humans and the computer.
• There a lot of examples of interactive systems, such as command line
interactive where a user communicates with a computer by the use of
commands, graphical or natural language interactive systems.
• Interactive systems typically refer to computer and technology systems
designed with interactive components. These components often take the
form of user interfaces that allow the user of a particular computer system
or software to more effectively work with that system. Interactive systems
can consist of either software or hardware systems, though both are often
utilized in especially complex systems.
3. Control systems
• Mainly control machines. They use input, process and output, but the
output may be moving a robot arm to weld a car chassis rather than
information.
• A control system manages, commands, directs, or regulates the
behavior of other devices or systems using control loops.
• It can range from a single home heating controller using a thermostat
controlling a domestic boiler to large Industrial control systems which
are used for controlling processes or machines
Examples − Traffic lights control system,
washing machine
• Traffic lights control system is an example of control system.
• Here, a sequence of input signal is applied to this control system and
the output is one of the three lights that will be on for some duration
of time.
• During this time, the other two lights will be off. Based on the traffic
study at a particular junction, the on and off times of the lights can be
determined.
• Accordingly, the input signal controls the output. So, the traffic lights
control system operates on time basis.
Open Loop and Closed Loop Control Systems
• Control Systems can be classified as open loop control systems and
closed loop control systems based on the feedback path.
• In open loop control systems, output is not fed-back to the input. So,
the control action is independent of the desired output.
• The following figure shows the block diagram of the open loop
control system.

•
Open Loop and Closed Loop Control Systems…
cont
• Here, an input is applied to a controller and it produces an actuating
signal or controlling signal. This signal is given as an input to a plant or
process which is to be controlled. So, the plant produces an output,
which is controlled. The traffic lights control system which we
discussed earlier is an example of an open loop control system.
• In closed loop control systems, output is fed back to the input. So,
the control action is dependent on the desired output.
• The following figure shows the block diagram of negative feedback
closed loop control system.
 Open Loop and Closed Loop Control Systems…
cont

The error detector produces an error signal, which is the difference between the input and the feedback signal.
This feedback signal is obtained from the block (feedback elements) by considering the output of the overall
system as an input to this block. Instead of the direct input, the error signal is applied as an input to a controller.
So, the controller produces an actuating signal which controls the plant. In this combination, the output of the
control system is adjusted automatically till we get the desired response. Hence, the closed loop control systems
are also called the automatic control systems. Traffic lights control system having sensor at the input is an example
of a closed loop control system.
The differences between the open loop and the closed loop control systems are mentioned in the following table.

Comparison of Closed and open lope control

systems
Open Loop Control Systems Closed Loop Control Systems
Control action is independent of the Control action is dependent of the
desired output. desired output.
Feedback path is not present. Feedback path is present.
These are also called as non-feedback These are also called as feedback
control systems. control systems.
Easy to design. Difficult to design.
These are economical. These are costlier.
Inaccurate. Accurate.
4. Information systems:
• This type of ICT system is focused on managing data and information.
Examples of these are a sports club membership system or a
supermarket stock system.
5. Communication systems:
• The output of these ICT systems is the successful transport of data
from one place to another. A good example of such a system is that
used by telecommunication companies to facilitate communication
among its users.
6. Monitoring systems
• This type of system that provides a way to supervise the overall processes that are
performed on a computing system, and provides reporting services to the system
or network administrator.
• Monitoring system is also known as computer surveillance system. There are
several types of monitoring which include process monitoring, technical
monitoring, assumption monitoring, financial monitoring and impact monitoring
used to monitor process in the specific environment.
• Applications of monitoring systems
Monitoring systems are used in different sectors,
In the medical field, in the monitoring of patients.
In oil industry to monitor the refining process of oil and other systems in the
extraction of oil
In billing systems to monitor usage of facilities such as electricity, water, data etc.
 Automation and Robotic
systems
What Automation system is…
• Automated system operations (ASO) is the set of software and
hardware that allows computer systems, network devices or
machines to function without any manual intervention.
• ASOs allow computer systems to work without a human operator
physically located at the site where the system is installed.
• Automated system operations are a part of the automatic system
control where the processes are completely automated with the help
of control loops and special logic

Application of automated systems

• Automated system operations are used in a wide range of
applications like
• control and monitoring systems,
• data security applications,
• factory automation systems,
• automated message response systems and so on.
• These systems take several system and environmental events as
input and perform operations based on conditional decision making
and specific control logic.

benefits of automated system operations are:

• Eliminates the risk of human errors
• Improves user productivity
• Provides standardized operations
• Provides better operations management and logging
• The use of automated system operations saves labor, time and cost
while increasing the accuracy and precision of the job being carried
out. It increases the availability, performance and reliability of the
services delivered.
Example of Automated system: Waste water
treatment
Automated system example of industrial
operations
Robotics: what is a robot
• A robot is a mechanical device with a control system that makes it
able to carry out tasks automatically.
Key components of robots
• sensors: measure robot configuration/condition and its environment and
send such information to robot controller as electronic signals (e.g., arm
position, presence of toxic gas)
• Actuators utilize combinations of different electro-mechanical devices to
provide muscle to the robot
• Controller: Provide necessary intelligence to control the manipulator,
Process the sensory information and compute the control commands for
the actuators to carry out specified task
• Storage devices: e.g., memory to store the control program and the state
of the robot system obtained from the sensors
• Hardware: Computational engine that computes the control
• User Interface : Hardware to interface digital controller with the external
world (sensors and actuators)
The Purpose of Robots
• Robots are also used for the following tasks:
• Dirty Tasks
• Dangerous tasks
• Impossible tasks
• Repetitive tasks

Types of robots Industrial robots. painting and

welding robots
• Robot painting is equal, uniform with high quality and precision.
• It can reach very difficult places due to their high degree of flexibility
which can be difficult for humans, but can be achieved easily by
robots.
• A human needs to carry heavy painting gun and wear a mask for
protection against toxic chemicals.
• A robot´s repetition rate is high as it does not suffer from fatigue.
Safety levels which can be achieved by using a robot are high by
saving humans from the smell chemical toxics

Medical robot to make surgery

• Patient gets fast recovery.
• The operation is more precise with fewer mistakes.
• Robot can open small incisions in the body and carry out major
operations with minimal damage to the
patient. Therefore recovery time is
decreased.
• The equipment is more hygienic and
safe.

Mobile robot with legs or

wheel
• for chemical power plant, under see or remote areas and bombs
fields.
• The advantage in leg robot is that it can avoid step over obstacles
which can be dangerous like bomb or even to protect objects from
being destroyed due to robot moving over them.

•
•
Robotics aircrafts and boats
• without pilot which are guided from a station on the ground, which
are used by army or rescue mission.
Comparing robots to humans
• Manipulation is equal to Arms and fingers driven by motors and other
forms of actuation.
• Vision is equal to camera.
• Hearing is equal to microphone.
• Feeling is equal to tactile sensors.
• Communication is equal to wires, fiber optics and radio.
• Brain is equal to computers and microprocessors.
• Smell and taste are still under development
Typical programming of an industrial robot
• Industrial robot is programmed by moving objects from position 1 to
position 5 by moving joints vertically or horizontally to pick up and
place an object through the following steps:
• Define points from P1 to P5:
• 1. Safely move above work piece (defined as P1)
• 2. 10 cm above work piece (defined as P2)
• 3. At position to take work piece from conveyer (defined as P3)
• 4. 10 cm above conveyer with low speed (defined as P4)
• 5. At position to leave work piece (defined as P5)
Expert Systems & Artificial Intelligence
Expert systems
What expert system is
• Expert Systems are programs that mimic the intelligence of a human
expert in a specific field of knowledge or experience.
• They are often used when experts are not easily available, or are too
expensive, e.g. to give medical advice.
• This works by using a database of stored information on computer
about medical conditions. An expert gives the computer a set of rules
to use when making a diagnosis.
• An expert system is a branch of artificial intelligence.
• It is an information system that has been used to solve a
problem that usually requires an expert to solve.
Basic Functions
of Expert
Systems
Artificial Intelligence
• Artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes called machine intelligence, is
intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural
intelligence displayed by humans.
• These machines are programmed to "think" like a human and mimic the
way a person acts. The ideal characteristic of artificial intelligence is its
ability to rationalize and take actions that have the best chance of
achieving a specific goal, although the term can be applied to any
machine that exhibits traits associated with a human mind, such as
learning and solving problems.
Areas of Artificial Intelligence
 Computer Management
System
What is Computer Management system?
• Computer management is the process of managing, monitoring and
optimizing a computer system for performance, availability, security
and/or any base operational requirement.
• It is broad term that includes manual and automated administrative
processes in the operations of a computer.
• Computer management system is also known as PC management or
desktop management.

Computer management includes various

tasks such as:
• Updating or patching a computer’s operating system with the latest updates and
fixes
• Installing, configuring and executing anti-virus/anti-malware software on a
computer to identify, remove and provide protection against malicious attacks
• Managing all components on the computer in relation to drivers, permissions
and basic functioning
• Creating and managing users
• Troubleshooting hardware, software and/or network and Internet errors
• Using disk defragmentation and disk cleanup services to remove unnecessary
data and improve disk response
• Enabling, disabling and optimizing startup and background applications to
increase/maintain processing speed

Best Practices for Managing Computer Systems

A Framework Should Be in Place to Guide
the Management of a Computer System
• Inventories should clearly identify computer equipment and
software, and standards should be set
• Key policies, procedures, and the current operating environment
should be documented
• Policies and procedures should be communicated to staff
• Adherence to computer system policies and procedures should be
monitored
• Policies and procedures should be regularly reviewed and updated

Knowledgeable Staff Should Maintain and

Use the Computer System
• • The expertise of technology staff should be assessed
• • A recruitment and retention process should be in place for
technology staff
• • Training for technology staff should be ongoing
• • User training should be available
• • User support should be provided

Computer Systems Should be Secure

• • A risk assessment should be conducted and security policies
should be based on it
• • User accounts should be managed and procedures should identify
who may modify equipment or system data
• • Firewalls and antivirus software should be employed and
monitored
• • A disaster recovery plan should be developed and back-up
procedures should be conducted
• • The security plan should be tested
• • Trained professionals should plan, monitor, and enforce security

The challenges and problems of

management computer systems
Humanistic factors
• • The lack of information of the managers and users as they don’t know exactly
what they want and what their information needs are.
• • The lack of understanding of the needs of the users by designers (the lack of
correct definition of the needs and their analysis)
• • The lack of information of the managers and users about the collaboration
method with the designer team.
• • The lack of participation of the managers and users in system design.
• The lack of understanding of the managers of software and information systems.
• • The lack of information of most of the analysts and programmers (designers)
with new system work environment.
• • The lack of acceptance of the system executers and resistance against the
change.
• • The lack of accuracy in the data collected

Organizational factors
• • The lack of good conditions for participation and collaboration of the
managers, users and system directors
• • The lack of consistency and complexity of the existing manual systems.
• • The lack of existing systems and methods analysis before the system design
• • The lack of evaluation of the existing power
• • Bad condition of educating the specialized forces
• • The lack of human resources with management and computer fields and other
required specializations (the problems of absorbing human resources)
• • Inadequate education of the users
• • Inadequate and incomplete documentation
• • Unsuitable implementation of the system

Environmental factors
• • The lack of quality criterion of the existing information systems in Iran
• • The lack of suitable consultants for designing the system and software
• • The lack of procedures and methodology and stages of creating the system
• • The lack of evaluation of environmental aspects in management information
systems
• • The lack of suitable use of mass media to develop the culture of using
computer and information systems.
• • The lack of holding suitable MA training courses in the universities and the lack
of suitable education of human resources in this regard.
• • The lack of ratification of the suitable rules in Islamic council parliament and
government board and the considerable problem in this regard.
• • The lack of serious consideration and adequate investment in this regard.