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CSHL Topic 1 Questions

Maintaining legacy systems can cause problems like high costs to understand outdated technology, compatibility issues, and difficulty recruiting qualified staff. A failover system automatically takes over if the primary system fails to reduce downtime. Potential usability issues of cell phones include small screens, reliance on batteries, and too many steps to access features. When using data from the internet in a science project, ethical issues can arise regarding inaccurate or unvalidated data, intellectual property, and plagiarism. To securely store customer data online, a bookshop should encrypt private information and secure transmission channels, while potential risks during data migration for a university include data loss or corruption and incompatibility between old and new data formats. Running new and old systems in parallel for

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57 views

CSHL Topic 1 Questions

Maintaining legacy systems can cause problems like high costs to understand outdated technology, compatibility issues, and difficulty recruiting qualified staff. A failover system automatically takes over if the primary system fails to reduce downtime. Potential usability issues of cell phones include small screens, reliance on batteries, and too many steps to access features. When using data from the internet in a science project, ethical issues can arise regarding inaccurate or unvalidated data, intellectual property, and plagiarism. To securely store customer data online, a bookshop should encrypt private information and secure transmission channels, while potential risks during data migration for a university include data loss or corruption and incompatibility between old and new data formats. Running new and old systems in parallel for

Uploaded by

Brandon PARD
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Computer Science HL (Topic 1)

1 Outline one problem of maintaining legacy systems. [2]

2 Outline the use of a failover system [2]

3 State three potential usability issues with cell phones. [3]

4 Many different people and organizations upload scientific materials to [4]


the internet. A student uses data from the internet in a science project.

Outline two ethical issues concerning this use of the internet

5 A book shop owner has a plan to expand his business by opening an


online shop. Customers can buy books online. A customer can select a
book and then enter his/her name, address and credit card number.
This data is stored on the book shop’s central computer in a database
of customer orders.
a. Identify two sources of risk to personal data in this online system [2]
b. State two measures that the book shop can take to address the risks [2]
identified in part (a)
c. Outline the consequences to the customer if their data is not adequately [2]
protected.

6 An examination office of a university must securely store students’


examination papers and their grades. The office keeps the
documentation of past students for two years. After two years the office
only stores the student grades. All documentation of current students is
frequently accessed for other operations and the volume of the data
increases quickly. To better support its operations, the office is creating
a new system to provide this storage.
a. Identify two aspects of the data that need to be taken into account [2]
during the planning of the new system.
b. Describe how direct observations on the current system may provide [3]
information to help propose a suitable new system.
A prototype of the new system is created to present to the examination
office.
c. Describe the purpose of this prototype. [3]
The examination office needs to upgrade the computing resources for
their operations, and this will require data migration.
d. Discuss two possible problems that may occur during data migration. [4]
e. Outline one economic aspect that the examination office needs to take [3]
into account to support parallel running.
1 Award up to [2 max]. [2]
Award [1] for evidence that the candidate knows what is meant by
“maintaining legacy systems”.
Award [1] for any appropriate problem outlined.

Example:
Maintaining previous/outdated computer system, which uses old
technology and old application programs ;
That are hard to understand/expensive to change/evolve because
programs might be disorganized/ documentation might be
missing/incomplete/unreliable;
Compatibility issues (typically refer to old programming languages/old
database technology);
Maintaining but not updating the old system can lead to compatibility /
security issues;
It may be difficult to recruit staff/programmers familiar with old
languages/operating systems;
Database contains inconsistencies/redundancies (e.g. information
systems and no DBMS);
Usually pre-internet, needs interfaces;
Typically large and complex systems/mainframes;

2 Award up to [2 max]. [2]


A failover system is a standby/redundant system;
Which is used to eliminate/reduce the impact on users/owners;
By automatically taking over if the primary system suddenly becomes
unavailable;

3 Award up to [3 max]. [3]


Has a small (touch-sensitive) screen;
Uses batteries for power;
No hard disk drive / small memory;
Reliability / Network coverage issues;
Over in warm weather;
Too many steps to access a particular feature;
etc

4 Award [1] for an ethical issue, [1] for an explanation, for two issues up [4]
to [4 max].
Points to be discussed: The data/information is deliberately incorrect;
The data/information has not been validated; Intellectual property
issues; Plagiarism;

5 a. Data can be at risk whilst stored on the shop’s disk; [2]


Data can be at risk during transmission;

b. Award up to [2 max]. [2]


All private information must be encrypted;
Transmission channel must be protected by encryption;
Logging on to the system must be secured (to prevent intruders);
Dual data back-up system in case of accidental deletion;

c. Award up to [2 max]. [2]


Details stolen; Used for fraudulent purposes;

Contact details could be shared; Used for junk mail/fraud;

Personal details stolen; For identity theft;

6 a. Award up to [2 max] for two aspects: [2]

The type of access needed; For example read only/read write/online or


offline;

Access rights; For example, data available only for administrators /


different permissions for students;

Frequency of access; Some data (of non-current students) are not


frequently accessed and can be archived; Other data (of current
students) are frequently used, subject to a variety of operations;

Quantity/size of the data; For example should not exceed storage


capacity of the new system;

Type/nature/format; For example incompatibility issues;

b. Award up to [3 max]. [3]


Quick/first hand/realistic information on
data/software/hardware/users/procedures in the current system;
Help better understand positive and negative features of the current
system (for example problems in accessing or validating data/user
errors/security issues, etc.);
Which can be used when specifying requirements of the new system
(keep/improve positive and change negative features);

c. Award up to [3 max]. [3]


Prototype is used to ensure all essential functions/operations of the
system are present/meets the needs of the users;
Prototype is used to speed up development process;
Positive user’s feedback helps in refining the acceptable prototype in
order to develop the complete system/product;
Or else a further prototype should be created in order to develop the
satisfactory system/product;
etc.

d. Award [1] for identifying a problem and [1] for a discussion, for two [4]
problems, up to [4 max].

Data loss/data corruption; When moving data, from one storage device
to another (via network/ cables or transferred by people), data could be
corrupted/lost and not useful anymore;

Incompatibility of data formats; Necessary to translate from one format


to another, to be able to use the data in the new system which causes
delays/performance issues in business/office operation;

e. Award up to [3 max]. [3]

Example answer 1
Two systems are running simultaneously so that operations are not
disrupted; This is a costly operation; Because both systems and all their
resources should be maintained / More staff should be hired;

Example answer 2 Safe way of validating the new system; Running two
systems could be cheaper; Than losing all data in case of failure;

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