Chapter 2

Information System

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 Introduction to Information Systems
Information system is an organized combination of people, hardware,
software, communications networks and a data resource that collects,
transforms, and disseminates information in an organization. People
rely on information systems to communicate with each other using a
variety of physical devices (hardware), information processing
instructions (software), and communication channels (network). In
general, an information system has five major parts: people,
procedures, software, hardware, and data.

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 Cont..
People: trained information systems personnel are required to run most information systems.

Procedure: procedures are rules or guidelines for people to follow when using software,
hardware, and data. These procedures are documented in manuals written by computer
specialists. Software and hardware manufacturers provide manuals with their products.

Software: software consists of step by step instructions that tell the computer how to do its work.
The purpose of software is to convert data (unprocessed fact) into information (processed facts).

Hardware: is physical part of the computer that processes data to create information based on
instructions of software. It is controlled by the software.

Data: data consists of raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, images, sounds, etc.
When it is processed using computers, it becomes information.

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 Data Processing
Data processing is any computer process that converts data into
information. The processing is usually assumed to be automated and
running on a computer. Because data are most useful when well-
presented and actually informative, data-processing systems are often
referred to as information systems to emphasize their practicality.
Nevertheless, both terms are roughly synonymous, performing similar
conversions; data-processing systems typically manipulate raw data
into information, and likewise information systems typically take raw
data as input to produce information as output.

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 Introduction to Computer Systems
• Computer
A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control
of instructions stored in its own memory that can accept data
(input), process the data according to specified rules, produce
information (output), and store the information for future use.

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What is a system?

• System is a group of components, consisting of subsystems

or procedures that work in a coordination fashion to
achieve some objective.

• A computer system composed of components that are

classified either as Computer hardware or Computer
software.

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1. Computer Hardware
• A computer hardware is the physical equipment of the
computer you see, you use to and the parts you can touch.
✓What a computer in general does is, that
✓It takes input(in various forms)
✓Process it (according to a given set of instructions) and
✓Produce an output (in required form).
• Based on this the hardware part of a computer system is
composed of a number of interacting physical parts.
• The different hardware parts of a computer which are
responsible for these operations are illustrated by the
following model.
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 Computer Organization
Six logical units in every computer:
• Input unit
• Obtains information from input devices (keyboard, mouse)
• Output unit
• Outputs information (to screen, to printer, to control other
devices)
• Memory unit
• Rapid access, low capacity, stores input information
• Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU)
• Performs arithmetic calculations and logic decisions
• Central processing unit (CPU)
• Supervises and coordinates the various components of the
computer
• Secondary storage unit
• Cheap, long-term, high-capacity storage
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• Stores inactive programs
 The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• At the center of computer hardware is the CPU, sometimes called
the processor, which executes program instructions and performs
the computer’s processing actions.
• It is the part of a computer hardware that executes program
instructions.
• The CPU is the collection of electronic circuits made up of millions
of transistors placed onto integrated circuits.
• Is the most costly and main component of the computer system;
Integrated circuits are also called chips or microchips.
• Each transistor is an electrical switch that can be in one of two
states “on” or “off”.
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• Small transistors allow more transforms to be packed on to
one chip.
• This process, called integrating, brought about “PC
revolution in the 1980’s.
• Integrating means more of the CPU components can be
placed onto a single chip, thus, eliminating the need for
separate chips. Computer processing is electronic.
• Hence we don’t see what is happening inside even if the
cover is removed. No moving parts are observed.
• The CPU consists of:
✓The Control Unit
✓The Arithmetic Logic Unit and
✓Register: Registers are special high-speed circuitry areas
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 Main Memory or Primary Memory
• Types of main Memory (ROM and RAM)
A. Read Only Memory (ROM)
• Nonvolatile chips always hold the same data; the data in them cannot
be changed except through a special process that overwrites the data.
• In fact, putting data permanently into this kind of memory is called
"burning in the data," and it is usually done at the factory.
• During normal use, the data in these chips is only read and used -not
changed- so the memory is called read-only memory (ROM).
• One important reason a computer needs ROM is that it must know
what to do when the power is first turned on.
• Among other things, ROM contains a set of start-up instructions, which
ensures that the rest of memory is functioning properly, checks for
hardware devices, and checks for an operating system on the
computer's disk drives.

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B. Random Access Memory (RAM)
✓A Memory that can be instantly changed is called read-write
memory or random-access memory (RAM).
✓When people talk about computer memory in connection with
microcomputers, they usually mean the volatile RAM.
✓A memory address is a number that indicates a location on
the memory chips, just as a post office box number indicates
a slot into which mail is placed.
✓Memory addresses start at zero and go up to one less than
the number of bytes of memory in the computer.
✓This type of memory is referred to as random-access memory
because of its ability to access earth byte of data directly.

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✓Actually, read-only memory (ROM) is "random access" as well, so
the names for the two types of memory can be misleading. It is
best simply to remember that the data in ROM does not change
while the data in RAM changes constantly.
✓RAM is not just used in conjunction with the computer's CPU.
RAM can be found in various places in a computer system.
✓The data in the main memory while be lost when the power is off
and is called volatile memory.
✓For example, most new video and sound cards have their own
built-in RAM, as do many types of printers.
✓The electronic circuits used to construct this main internal RAM
can be classified as dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronized
dynamic RAM (SDRAM), or static RAM (SRAM).
✓DRAM, SDRAM, and SRAM all involve different ways of using
transistors and capacitors to store data.

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CMOS
CMOS contains essential information that is required when the
computer is turned on. E.g. RAM size, type of mouse, etc. It is
non-volatile, but modifiable to incorporate changes. It is
powered by battery when computer is off.

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Secondary Storage Devices
• Their function is to store data and programs permanently :its
retained after the power is turned off
• Floppy Disk
• The Hard Disk
• Optical disk/storage
• Compact Disks (CD)
• Digital Video Disk (DVD)
• Flash Disk
• A storage module made of flash memory chips.
• A Flash disks have no mechanical platters or access arms, but the
term "disk" is used because the data are accessed as if they were on
a hard drive.
• The disk storage structure is emulated.

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Based on information access, secondary storage
devices are divided into two:
Sequential Access: information is accessed sequentially. To
access information on such media, we start from the beginning
and read through to the end. Jumping to some part is not
possible. E.g. tape recorder cassette
Random Access: information can be accessed in any order.
You can access the first or the last part of information by
jumping others. E.g. floppy disk

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Sequential Access Media
1) Punched Cards
Punched cards are one of the oldest and most familiar data
storage devices. There are two types of punched cards, 80 columns
and 96 columns, and the first one is a standard punched card.
Data is stored on punched cards by cutting parts of the paper out
and leaving other parts intact. The cut part (hole) may represent
binary 1 and the intact part represents binary 0.

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2) Magnetic Tapes
During 1950s and 1960s, magnetic tape was the primary method of storing
large amount of data. Today they are used primarily for back up purposes. It
consists of thin ribbon plastic called tape. One side of the tape is coated with
iron-oxide, a material that can be magnetized. By magnetizing and
demagnetizing the tape, computer stores data on it.
Disadvantage:
Sequential access
Advantage:
Store more data on a small area
Magnetic tapes are not used with desktop computers. However, because of
their advantage, magnetic tapes are used to take backup of data. Backup is
data that is stored in a different place than the original computer where data
is used. This is to avoid the danger of data loss due to disasters. If the
original data is lost, the copy will be used.

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Random Access Storage Media
A. Magnetic Disks
Magnetic disk is the most widely used storage medium on all computers. It
consists of a round piece of plastic or metal the surface of which is covered
with magnetic material. Magnetic disks offer:
• High storage capacity
• Reliability
• Fast date access during reading or writing to disk.
Magnetic disks are metals or plastic platters coated with ferrous oxide, an
easily magnetically material. They allow for random access of information
and overcome the slow access time commonly found in tape files.
Examples: floppy disk, hard disk

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Optical Disk
Optical disks use laser light to read or write data from optical disk. Laser -
Light Amplified Stimulated Emission of Rays. Optical disks use high powered
laser light to burn microscopic holes on the surface of the disk to store data.
Burned out part is called pit, and the non-burnt part is called land. Land may
represent binary 0 and pit binary 1.

Optical disks use low powered laser to read data. There are two most
common types of optical disks:

• CD (Compact Disc)

• DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)

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Input Unit
• It is the unit used to enter data into the computer so that it can
be processed.
• It converts information from a form suitable to human beings to
one understandable by the computer.
• It is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment to
provide data and control signals to an information processing
system such as a computer or other information appliance.
• Input device Translate data from form that humans
understand to one that the computer can work with.
• Most common are keyboard and mouse.

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 Output Unit
• An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment
used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by
an information processing system (such as a computer) which
converts the electronically generated information into human
readable form.
• Common examples of output devices are:
• Monitor, speaker, …

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2. Computer Software
• Software can be defined as: a collection of programs and
routines that support the operations of performing a task using
a computer.
• Software also includes documentations, rules and operational
procedures.
• Software makes the interface between the user and the
electronic components of the computer.
• The computer software is collection of set of instructions that
instructs the computer hardware.
• These set of instructions perform different functions; some
deals with handling the computer hardware and the others
perform user specific tasks such as managing a database.
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• Therefore the computer software is divided into the
following major categories:
➔System software
➔Application software
➔Language software
➔Utility software

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System software
✓The system software handles the computer hardware so that the user can
operate the computer with little knowledge about the computer hardware.
For example, the user is not concerned where the file is saved on the hard
disk.
✓This is the responsibility of the system software to check the hard disk and
space on the free space of the hard disk.
✓Constitutes those programs which facilitate the work of the computer
hardware.
✓It organizes and manages the machine’s resources, handles the
input/output devices.
✓It controls the hardware by performing functions that users shouldn’t have
to or are unable to handle.
✓ System programs make complex hardware more user friendly.
✓It acts as intermediate between the user and the hardware.
✓It enables the computer understand programming languages i.e. it serves
as means of communication between user and a computer.

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• The important categories of system software is
Operating system
• An operating system has three major functions.
✓Controlling operations (control program)
✓Input/output Management
✓Command Processing ( command Interpreter)

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Application Software
➢Application software is software developed to do user specific tasks
such as word processing, spreadsheet and database management. It
is developed using the language software.
➢Application software is a set of related programs designed to carry
out certain tasks that fulfill users’ specific needs.
➢Among the most common software that fall in this group include
Word processors such as Microsoft word and Word Perfect;
Spreadsheet Packaged like Microsoft Excel; and QuatroPro; Database
Management software such as
➢MS-Office which includes MS-Access and MS-FoxPro; Desktop
Publishing software such as Corel Ventura and Page Maker;
Graphics packages such as Corel Draw and Auto CAD and
Accounting Software such as Peachtree and DaeEasy.

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Language Software
• It is software which is used by programmers to develop
application software and translate programs to machine code.
• Language software is a generic name consisting of various
programs that serve as editors & translators to develop
programs in a number of programming languages.
• There are different types of language software.
✓Machine Language (Low-level language)
✓Assembly Language
✓High Level Programming Language

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➔Machine language
✓Is also called object code and is the computer understanding language
✓It uses 0’s and 1’s to represent data with in the computer system
➔Assembly language: Is a language which uses symbolic
notations to represent data with in the computer Since computer
only understands object code or machine language, the language
written with assembly language must be converted to the
computer understandable format which is the machine language.

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Assembler is the program which converts assembly language to machine language or
object code
➔High level language: Is the formal English like structure and is called human
understandable language
✓ The data represented by high level language is also called source code
✓ Compiler and interpreter are the two programs which converts high level
language to machine language
Compiler is a program which converts the whole complete source code to object
code(machine language)
Interpreter is a program which converts the source code to its corresponding machine
code line by line and keeps in the object called linker and finally merges the object
codes from the linker and creates the translated machine language or object code.

Utility software
✓ software’s which maintains our systems healthy i.e. consider anti-virus
software’s/programs

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 Malware (malicious Software)
Viruses, Trojan Horses and Worms
1. Virus
Virus is a malicious (destructive) program/software that damages
computer. It copies itself on to other programs and spreads through
multiple computer system. They may damage the files on that computer
or attack the system in general. Some of actions performed by virus
include:
Duplicating themselves on your computer to consume storage space
your computer runs out of memory.
Delete or modify your files(documents)
Damage your software
Damage your hardware, etc.

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2. Worm
Worm is a malicious program like virus. But it does not need help
to move from one computer to another which viruses can’t do.
Virus need help to move from one computer to another. For
example, when a user copies a file from an infected floppy disk
to a computer, the virus may get a chance to copy itself on to the
computer. However, worms just spread themselves through
computer networks. It destroys the computer system like virus.

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3. Trojan horse

Trojan horses are software that seems to perform useful activity

but which has malicious programs in it. It may damage files, and
perform other harmful actions on your computer. It does not
replicate itself. For example, you may think that the program is a
computer game and you start playing it. While you are playing,
the game starts to affect your computer inside.

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