BBCM 1023 Management Information System

Assembling an effective, efficient computer system requires an

understanding of its relationship to the information system and the
organization. The computer system objectives are subordinate to, but
supportive of, the information system and the needs of the organization

Describe how to select and organize computer system components to

support information system (IS) objectives and business organization needs

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 2

When selecting computer devices, you also must consider the
current and future needs of the information system and the
organization. Your choice of a particular computer system
device should always allow for later improvements

Describe the power, speed, and capacity of central processing and

memory devices
Describe the access methods, capacity, and portability of secondary
storage devices
Discuss the speed, functionality, and importance of input and
output devices
Identify popular classes of computer systems and discuss the role of
each

PRINCIPLES OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS, SEVENTH EDITION 3

Computer Systems:
Integrating the Power of
Technology
Computer system
◦ Special subsystem of an organization’s overall information system
◦ Integrated assembly of devices used to input, process, store, and output
data and information

Hardware
◦ Any machinery—most of which use digital circuits—that assists in the input,
processing, storage, and output activities of an information system

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Hardware Components
1. Central processing unit (CPU)

2. Input devices

3. Output devices

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Hardware Components
(continued)
4. Communications devices

5. Primary storage devices

6. Secondary storage devices

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Figure 3.1: Computer System
Components

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Hardware Components in
Action
Step 1: Fetch instruction

Step 2: Decode instruction

Step 3: Execute instruction

Step 4: Store results

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Figure 3.2: Execution of an
Instruction

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 Processing and Memory Devices:
Power, Speed, and Capacity

System unit: houses the components responsible for processing—the CPU and
memory

All other computer system devices are linked either directly or indirectly into
the system unit housing

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 Processing Characteristics
and Functions
Machine cycle time is measured in:

◦ Microseconds (1 millionth of a second)

◦ Nanoseconds (1 billionth of a second)

◦ Picoseconds (1 trillionth of a second)

◦ MIPS (Millions of Instructions Per Second)

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 Processing Characteristics
and Functions (continued)
Clock speed: electronic pulses that affect machine cycle time

◦ Hertz (Hz): one cycle (pulse) per second

◦ Megahertz (MHz): millions of cycles per second

Microcode: elementary circuits and logical operations a processor performs

when executing instructions

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Figure 3.3: Clock Speed and the
Execution of Microcode Instructions

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Wordlength and Bus Line
Width
Bit: a binary digit (0 or 1)

Wordlength: number of bits the CPU can process at any one time

Bus line: physical wiring that connects the computer system

components

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Physical Characteristics of
the CPU
CPU: collection of digital circuits
Electrical current flows through silicon
Moore’s Law: transistor densities on a chip double every 18 months
Superconductivity: property of certain metals that allows current to
flow with minimal electrical resistance
Optical processors: computer chips that use light waves instead of
electrical current to represent bits

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Figure 3.4: Moore’s Law

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 Complex and Reduced
Instruction Set Computing

Complex instruction set computing (CISC): chip design that places as many
microcode instructions into the central processor as possible

Reduced instruction set computing (RISC): chip

design that involves reducing the number of microcode instructions built into
a chip to an essential set of common microcode instructions

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Memory Characteristics and
Functions: Storage Capacity

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Types of Memory
Random access memory (RAM): temporary and volatile

Types of RAM

◦ EDO (Extended Data Out)

◦ DRAM (Dynamic RAM)

◦ SDRAM (Synchronous DRAM)

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Types of Memory
(continued)
ROM (read-only memory): usually nonvolatile

Types of ROM
◦ PROM (programmable read-only memory)

◦ EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory)

Cache memory
◦ High-speed memory that a processor can access more rapidly than main
memory

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Figure 3.5: Basic Types of Memory
Chips

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Figure 3.6: Cache Memory

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 Multiprocessing
Multiprocessing: the simultaneous execution of two or more instructions
at the same time

Massively parallel processing

◦ Speeds processing by linking hundreds or thousands of processors to operate

at the same time, or in parallel

◦ Can coordinate large amounts of data and access them with greater speed

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Figure 3.7: Massively Parallel
Processing

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Secondary Storage
Secondary storage: offers advantages of nonvolatility, greater capacity,
and greater economy

Access methods, storage capacities, and portability required are

determined by the information system’s objectives

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Table 3.1: Cost Comparison for
Various Forms of Data Storage

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Access Methods
Sequential access: retrieval method in which data must be retrieved in
order; devices used are called sequential access storage devices (SASDs)

Direct access: retrieval method in which data can be retrieved in any

order; devices used are called direct access storage devices (DASDs)

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Secondary Storage Devices
Magnetic tapes

Magnetic disks

Virtual tape

Optical discs

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Secondary Storage Devices
(continued)
Digital versatile disk (DVD)

Memory cards

Flash memory

Expandable storage

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Figure 3.12: Storage Area
Network

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 Input and Output Devices:
The Gateway to Computer
Systems

Through input and output devices, people provide data and instructions to
computer and receive results from it

Selection of input and output devices depends on organizational goals and

information systems objectives

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Characteristics and
Functionality
Data: can be human- or machine-readable

Data entry: process of converting human-readable data into machine-

readable form

Data input: involves transferring machine-readable data into the

system

Source data automation: involves capturing and editing data where

the data is initially created and in a form that can be directly input to a
computer

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Input Devices
Personal computer input devices

◦ Keyboard

◦ Mouse

Voice-recognition devices

Digital computer cameras

Terminals

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Input Devices (continued)
Scanning devices

Optical data readers

Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) devices

Point-of-sale (POS) devices

Automated teller machine (ATM) devices

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Input Devices (continued)
Pen input devices

Light pens

Touch-sensitive screens

Bar-code scanners

Radio-frequency identification (RFID)

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Output Devices
Display monitors

Liquid crystal displays (LCDs)

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Output Devices (continued)
Printers and plotters

Music devices

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Computer System Types,
Selecting, and Upgrading

Computers can be classified as either special purpose or general purpose

Special-purpose computers: used for limited applications by military and

scientific research groups

General-purpose computers: used for a wide variety of applications

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Computer System Types
Handheld computers

Portable computers

Thin client

Desktop computers

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Computer System Types
(continued)
Workstations

Servers

Mainframe computers

Supercomputers

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Selecting and Upgrading
Computer Systems
Hard drive considerations

Main memory considerations

Printer considerations

DVD burners

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Summary
Hardware: machinery that assists in the input, processing, storage, and
output activities of an information system
Hardware components include central processing unit (CPU), input and
output devices, communications devices, primary storage devices, and
secondary
storage devices
Random access memory (RAM): temporary and volatile (Main
Memory)
Read-only memory (ROM): usually nonvolatile (secondry Memory)

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Summary (continued)
Multiprocessing: simultaneous execution of two or more instructions at
the same time
Sequential access: records must be retrieved in order
Direct access: records can be retrieved in any order
Examples of secondary storage devices: magnetic tapes and disks,
optical disks, and DVDs
Enterprise storage options: attached storage, network-attached
storage (NAS), and storage area network (SAN)

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Summary (continued)
Examples of input devices: keyboards, mice, voice-recognition devices,
terminals, scanning devices, and touch-sensitive screens
Examples of output devices: display monitors, liquid crystal displays
(LCDs), printers, and plotters
Computers can be classified as either special purpose or general
purpose
Computer system types: handheld computers, portable computers,
desktop computers, workstations, servers, etc.

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