BACKGROUND OF THE ORGANIZATION ESOFT is one of the prominent ICT education centers in Sri Lanka which was established in year 2000 with the vision of being the best IT training partner in South East Asia. It is a purely Sri Lankan Company which provides ICT education programmers to the student population in the country. ESOFT has a Quality Management System with ISO 9001:2008 Certification. It is also accredited by the BCS (UK) as an Accredited Course Provider. ESOFT is also an Approved Centre of Ed excel International. (Esoft, 2001) Currently ESOFT is considered as one of the best institutes which provides the platform to the students who wants to sharpen their ICT knowledge throgh a professional experience. It always strive to provide the services to the students all over the country by maintaing a good branch network with over 25 branches maintained islandwide. TASK 01 Identify Machine Components Existing in the Organization A computer system is a system of interconnected computers that share a central storage system and various peripheral devices such as a printers, scanners, or routers. Each computer connected to the system can operate independently, but has the ability to communicate with other external devices and computers. The computer systems mainly consist with major 4 components.
Hardware Software Firmware Liveware
Hardware Hardware is any physical electronic device. Computers, adapter cards and internet cables are examples. It also can be defined as the result of a process that defines the interconnection, configuration, and control of logic devices, input/output circuits, and other electronic devices and circuits. Moreover the hardware components of a computer system are the electronic and mechanical parts. Software Software is a broad term for the programs running on hardware. Familiar kinds of software are operating systems, which provide overall control for computer hardware, and applications, which are optional programs used for a particular job. Software resides on disks and is brought into memory when it is needed. These components of a computer system are the intangible parts. It includes the data and the computer programs. 1
Firmware Firmware is software that is semi-permanently placed in hardware. It does not disappear when hardware is powered off, and is often changed by special installation processes or with administration tools. It is software that is stored in a non-volatile memory device. Liveware Liveware is a slang term used to denote people using (attached to) computers, and is based on the need for a human, or liveware, to operate the system using hardware and software. It’s a term to describe the human system, opposed to hardware or software in a computer. The details of the computer system used at Esoft are given below: Processor RAM VGA Hard disk Sound card Network card Chip type System manufacturer System model Monitor Keyboard Mouse
Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40 GHz 512MB 64MB 40GB SoundMAX digital audio Onboard Intel(R) 82845G graphic controller IBM 8305Q2A CRT monitors
Processor A processor is the logic circuitry that responds to and processes the basic instructions that drive a computer. The term processor has generally replaced the term central processing unit (CPU). The processor in a personal computer or embedded in small devices is often called a microprocessor. Ex: Intel Pentium, Intel dual core, Intel core i3, Intel core i5, Intel core i7
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RAM (Random Access Memory) Random access memory or RAM most commonly refers to computer chips that temporarily store dynamic data to enhance computer performance. It is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor. RAM is much faster to read from and write to than the other kinds of storage in a computer, the hard disk, floppy disk, and CD-ROM. There are mainly two types of RAMs called Static RAM and Dynamic RAM.
SRAM: Static random access memory uses multiple transistors, typically four to six, for each memory cell but doesn't have a capacitor in each cell. It is used primarily for store. DRAM: Dynamic random access memory has memory cells with a paired transistor and capacitor requiring constant refreshing.
VGA (Video Graphics Array) It is the standard monitor or display interface used in most PCs. Therefore, if a monitor is VGAcompatible, it should work with most new computers. The VGA standard was originally developed by IBM in 1987 and allowed for a display resolution of 640x480 pixels. Since then, many revisions of the standard have been introduced. The most common is Super VGA (SVGA), which allows for resolutions greater than 640x480, such as 800x600 or 1024x768. The VGA card generates analog signals to control the electron guns and, therefore, can control the intensity of each gun at varying levels. Current VGA cards are capable of displaying 256 colors and generating 262,144 (256K) colors.
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Hard Disk A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive," "hard drive," or "hard disk drive," those stores and provides relatively quick access to large amounts of data on an electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces. Today's computers typically come with a hard disk that contains several billion bytes (gigabytes) of storage.
Motherboard The motherboard represents the logical foundation of the computer. In other words, everything that makes a computer a computer must be attached to the motherboard. From the CPU to storage devices, from RAM to printer ports, the motherboard provides the connections that help them work together. The most common motherboard design in desktop computers today is the AT, based on the IBM AT motherboard. A more recent motherboard specification, ATX, improves on the AT design. In both the AT and ATX designs, the computer components included in the motherboard are:
The microprocessor (Optionally) coprocessors Memory basic input/output system (BIOS) Expansion slot Interconnecting circuitry
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Sound Card A sound card (also known as an audio card) is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. The term sound card is also applied to external audio interfaces that use software to generate sound, as opposed to using hardware inside the PC. Sound cards are being used to functions such as Games, Audio CDs, Watch movies, Audio conferencing, Creating and playing Midi, Educational software, Business presentations, Record dictations, Voice recognition etc…
Network Card A network card is a piece of hardware that permits a computer to participate in a computer network. There are different kinds of networks, such as Ethernet or wireless LAN. Other types of network cards include Token Ring network cards. Ethernet network cards most often use RJ-45 jacks. Wireless network cards usually have no external connections other than a possible antenna jack. The network card is the physical interface between the computer and cable. It converts the data sent by the computer into a form which can be used by the network cable, transfers that data to another computer and controls the dataflow between the computer and cable. It also translates the data coming from the cable into bytes so that the computer's CPU can read it. This is why a network card is an expansion card inserted into an expansion slot.
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Monitor The computer monitor is an output device that is part of your computer's display system. A cable connects the monitor to a video adapter (video card) that is installed in an expansion slot on your computer’s motherboard. This system converts signals into text and pictures and displays them on a TV-like screen (the monitor). Today, the most common type of monitors which are being used are the he LCD monitor, which is thin, flat, and lightweight. It is a newer technology than CRTs (Cathode-Ray Tube). The quality can be the same or even better than a CRT, but this type of monitor usually costs more than a CRT.
Keyboard One of the main input devices used on a computer, a PC's keyboard looks very similar to the keyboards of electric typewriters, with some additional keys. Mouse Mouse is the device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. A mouse is a small object you can roll along a hard, flat surface.
References www.pcbuyerbeware.co.uk www.techterms.com 6
www.tpub.com www.howstuffworks.com www.harddiskhome.com www.webopedia.com www.techiwarehouse.com
TASK 02 Evaluate the Performance of the Selected System A good computer system can make a real impact on the effective management of an organization. The evaluation of performance of a computer system could be done from the perspectives of both developers and users, of complex systems of hardware and software. In here, the evaluation of the computer system of the Esoft has been done using both the aspects of software and hardware. According the system prevailing in the organization, the following evaluations could be done.
When it comes to the processor which is used in the computer lab, it was observed that the processor type is Pentium(R) 4 CPU 2.40 GHz. This is enough for the day today usage of the lab such as simple Microsoft office works using word, excel etc… But if the students want to use software like Photoshop, illustrator etc… the capacity of the processor is not enough since it makes the processing speed low.
The capacity of the RAM used in the computer lab is 512 Mb which sometimes not giving proper processing speeds for the students in the case when they try to open several windows together. If the RAM level could be increased by the organization, the students would get a more processing speed than the current one.
The VGA card which is used in the Esoft computer lab is with the capacity of 64 Mb where it provides enough capacity for the day today usage of the lab. But when it comes to the current situation of the industry very high capacity VGA cards are available such as 2 GB cards. Therefore if the lab could adopt a card with such a capacity it will be easy for the students when using high resolution programs such as multimedia programs.
The main lab is using a hard disk of 40 GB. This is actually an enough storage capacity for the lab since the students are not using any heavy files in the lab such as films, computer games etc…
In the main lab Esoft is using CRT monitors for the machines and this can give both the advantages and disadvantages. But in most of the cases most desktop computer systems 7
sold now by default come with LCD monitors. Therefore this can be compared with the LCD monitors. The primary advantage that CRT monitors held over LCDs was their color rendering. The contrast ratios and depths of colors displayed were much greater with CRT monitors than LCDs. The other advantage that CRT monitors held over LCD screens is the ability to easily scale to various resolutions. While these two items may play an important role for CRT monitors, there are disadvantages as well. The biggest of these are the size and weight of the tubes. An equivalent sized LCD monitor is upwards of 80% smaller in size and weight compared to a CRT tube. The larger the screen, the bigger the size difference. The other major drawback deals with the power consumption. The energy needed for the electron beam means that the monitors consumer and generate a lot more heat than the LCD monitors.
Finally the keyboard and the mouse can be evaluated as good since both provides the enough support for the users of the lab. The type of mouse used by the lab is the optical type which allows application easier. But this could be advanced to the laser mouse type for it to be more easy application. Especially when it comes to the Photoshop application, the mouse type should be a very user friendly one.
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TASK 03 Contrast the Functions and Features of Different Types of Operating System An operating system is a program designed to run other programs on a computer. A computer’s operating system is its most important program. It is considered the backbone of a computer, managing both software and hardware resources. Operating systems are responsible for everything from the control and allocation of memory to recognizing input from external devices and transmitting output to computer displays. They also manage files on computer hard drives and control peripherals, like printers and scanners. The operating system of a large computer system has even more work to do. Such operating systems monitor different programs and users, making sure everything runs smoothly, without interference, despite the fact that numerous devices and programs are used simultaneously. An operating system also has a vital role to play in security. Its job includes preventing unauthorized users from accessing the computer system.
Types of Operating Systems
Real-time Operating System: It is a multitasking operating system that aims at executing real-time applications. Real-time operating systems often use specialized scheduling algorithms so that they can achieve a deterministic nature of behavior. The main object of real-time operating systems is their quick and predictable response to events. They either have an event-driven or a time-sharing design. An event-driven system switches between tasks based of their priorities while time-sharing operating systems switch tasks based on clock interrupts.
Multi-user and Single-user Operating Systems: The operating systems of this type allow a multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Time-sharing system can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a computer through the sharing of time. Single-user operating systems, as opposed to a 9
multi-user operating system, are usable by a single user at a time. Being able to have multiple accounts on a Windows operating system does not make it a multi-user system. Rather, only the network administrator is the real user. But for a Unix-like operating system, it is possible for two users to login at a time and this capability of the OS makes it a multi-user operating system.
Multi-tasking and Single-tasking Operating Systems: When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is grouped under a single-tasking system, while in case the operating system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is classified as a multi-tasking operating system. Multi-tasking can be of two types namely, pre-emptive or co-operative. In pre-emptive multitasking, the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates one slot to each of the programs. Unix-like operating systems such as Solaris and Linux support pre-emptive multitasking. If you are aware of the multi-threading terminology, you can consider this type of multi-tasking as similar to interleaved multi-threading. Cooperative multitasking is achieved by relying on each process to give time to the other processes in a defined manner. This kind of multitasking is similar to the idea of block multi-threading in which one thread runs till it is blocked by some other event. MS Windows prior to Windows 95 used to support cooperative multitasking.
Distributed Operating System: An operating system that manages a group of independent computers and makes them appear to be a single computer is known as a distributed operating system. The development of networked computers that could be linked and communicate with each other, gave rise to distributed computing. Distributed computations are carried out on more than one machine. When computers in a group work in cooperation, they make a distributed system.
Embedded System: The operating systems designed for being used in embedded computer systems are known as embedded operating systems. They are designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. They are able to operate with a limited number of resources. They are very compact and extremely efficient by design. Windows CE, FreeBSD and Minix 3 are some examples of embedded operating systems.
Functions of Operating Systems The main functions of an OS include:
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In a multitasking operating system where multiple programs can be running at the same time, the operating system determines which applications should run in what order and how much time should be allowed for each application before giving another application a turn. It manages the sharing of internal memory among multiple applications. It handles and monitors input and output to and from attached hardware devices, such as hard disks, printers etc… It sends messages to each application or interactive user (or to a system operator) about the status of operation and any errors that may have occurred. It can offload the management of what are called batch jobs (for example, printing) so that the initiating application is free from this work. On computers that can provide parallel processing, an operating system can manage how to divide the program so that it runs on more than one processor at a time. Scheduling the activities of the CPU and resources to achieve efficiency and prevention of progress.
The operating system used by the Esoft lab is the Microsoft windows XP professional version 2002 in service pack 3. It increases the security, performance, stability better than to Windows XP. Windows XP Professional primarily for software professionals and entrepreneurs all the features of XP Professional come with more high tech features. Microsoft launched XP to introduce a completely user friendly graphical interface that was complete stable, Microsoft XP boot process is so quick that within seconds the applications open up a second major advantage. Microsoft XP runs on almost every computer with AMD or an Intel processor. Windows XP is Microsoft one of the best operating system till date. References homepages.uel.ac.uk www.comptechdoc.org cinformation.blogspot.com www.wisegeek.com www.buzzle.com
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TASK 04 Understand How to Customize Operating System By searching about the history files of the main lab, the following findings were gathered regarding the operating system. In the past they have used Microsoft Windows 98 and Windows XP operating system in the laboratory. And now in the main lab, the operating system is the Microsoft windows XP professional version 2002. In the period of using windows 98, the performance was low. But due to the increase in student population as well the innovation in the software field they used new operating system like Microsoft Windows XP. This is helpful for the students to make use with the new software rather than working with windows 98. Yet the usage of the windows XP even expired based on the new technology. Therefore a suggestion can be made to introduce ether windows 7 or vista as the new operating system for the Esoft lab. TASK 05 Investigate and Identify the Key Components for a Computer System for Particular Users The investigation of the particular components and the users of the computer system were done by using the particular system in the Esoft computer labs. Accordingly, the description of the system components and the particular users can be identified as follows. Main Computer Lab The users of the main lab are mainly the Ditec students while sometimes the ICDL students do. Apart from that if any student wants to browse internet they should use the computer main lab in order of getting their task done. Therefore this lab is not in a need of having the high performance computers for the students. Thus they use the Pentium 4 machines and the computers have 512MB RAM, 64MB VGA cards, network cards and optical mouse etc… Since most of the students use internet from this main lab all the machines are being networked by the administrators. Therefore the network card has become one of the most essential 12
components for the main lab. But when it comes to the RAM capacity of the main lab, the RAM size is being used is 512MB which sometimes makes the process of data processing speed low. Therefore there is a need of increasing the Ram level of the main computer lab in order to get the students the ease of using the lab. For example when the students using the programs like Photoshop, it is easy if the computer RAM level is been increased up to the level where students can get the task done more easily. High processing speed of the machine also will make the time consumption of the students in lab low where lot of them will get the chance of using the computer main lab.
Lab No. 01 The main purpose of the Lab No. one is to have applications like Oracle and Networking. Therefore the system which is been used in this lab is with high performance computers like with dual core processors, 2GB RAM with LCD monitors and the operating system is Windows 7. As per the components of the system mainly the high speed RAM i.e. 2 GB is used in the lab to make the users very easy to process with the above applications. This is because both the RAM and the VGA card should be with a good speed and a capacity to process with the applications such as Oracle. Yet there is one drawback which can be identified in this lab. i.e. not having the internet facility. Due to this reason students have to always go for the main computer lab to browse with the internet. But if they can use the same lab at the same time to browse the internet also it will give the time efficiency as well the effectiveness of the work been done. Lab No. 02 The students who use the lab no. 2 are the person who follows the courses such as BCS plus, HND and O/L ICT courses. The main components of these computers are the RAM and the VGA card been used for the machines. The speeds of these components are enough for the applications since these students go up to the level of multimedia and C sharp applications. Therefore this lab doesn’t in a need of having high performance computers like in lab no. 1. Apart from these applications in this lab, sometimes the accounts and hardware classes also conducted by the lecturers. By and large, it is visible that the key components used in theses labs depend upon the users as well as the applications used by the users in order to perform their tasks.
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TASK 06 A New Computer System to the Organization to Increase the Efficiency and Reduce the Cost Any organization may suppose to introduce new computer systems in order to increase the performance and to reduce the cost of its operations. In order to do so there are mainly three steps available in developing a new computer system. Therefore if the organization wish to have a good computer operating system it is important to follow the following steps of obtaining it. Requirement analysis Hardware design Software design Requirement Analysis
Size and the structure of the system When designing the computer system the size and the structure of the system is the first thing to be considered. In order to decide the structure of the system it is vital to see the space available to implement the computer system at the organization. And also the structure will also have an impact on the users as well. Though the space may enough for the computers are being used it should definitely match with the requirement of the number of students who wish to use each of the computer lab at a time. If the organization wants to have a networked system it is important to decide upon the type and structure of the network which they suppose to install. For example; additional hardware needed such as a backup severs
Role of each user The needs of the users are the next important thing when it comes to a computer system. Whatever the system developed by the organization, if it is not matched with the 14
requirements of the users it will not be an effective system. Since this is the proposal to design a system for the main computer lab depending on the students who are using the computers, it can be suggested that there is no need of having computers with lot of capacity to have high performance. In most of the times the main lab is been used by the Ditec students and they do not require very high end computers.
Additional requirements and hardware needs Apart from the hardware which is currently been used at the lab it is important to see the requirements of additional hardware which are to be used in the computer lab. For example if we need to have roll back servers in the lab a feasibility analysis should be conducted to see whether it is worthwhile to have these additional hardware. We have to see whether the separate cost will have a benefit to the organization providing more effectiveness to the system.
Cost and budget limitation One of the most important aspects is the financial constraint when implementing a new system. There are obviously budget limitations in any organization and they wish to get the best advantage over the cost they are going to incur with the new project. Therefore the proposal for the new computer system should be discussed with the branch manager in order to verify that there are enough financial support is there in implementing the project.
Hardware Design
Machine Speed Change in the machine speed makes the tasks easy. But it will be a very time wasting and very expensive investment. If the lab users want to have a great speed at the machine, it is better to increase the speed. But if the lab is for the general purpose, not for hard applications there is no necessity of increasing the machine speed. The machine speed depends on several factors such as processor speed, RAM capacity and speed, BUS speed and software compatibility etc…Since the proposed new system will be implemented at the main lab and the lab is been used by mainly the ditec students the current machine speed will give the same benefit rather than increasing the speed with a huge investment.
Data storage capacity Data storage capacity depends on the users and the purpose of using the computer system. If the system is used just for simple applications like word processing a lesser 15
data capacity will be enough as 40 GB. But if the users are supposed to have applications like videos, multimedia and huge software, it will increase the requirement level of the data storage capacity. Therefore not for the all machines, I would suggest a higher storage capacity for example 160 GB capacity for certain machines in the main lab in order to use it for the high resolution applications.
Special hardware requirements In complete computer system sometimes want special hardware requirements. Ex – printers, scanners, bar code reader etc. This special hardware should be considered before designing the system. When selecting to hardware we have mention about the following things: -
Cost of the hardware Quality of the hardware Efficiency Compatibility Availability in the market
Therefore when selecting any special hardware the above criteria should be considered very carefully in order to get success with the implementation of the new computer system. Software Design Installation of the correct software to the computer system is also very important as much as the hardware system components. Therefore it is very vital to select the correct software needed by the users of the lab. Installation of the unnecessary software will reduce the storage capacity of the machines rather giving any benefit to the users. In the main lab ditec students just want to have very simple applications such as the office applications. Therefore I would suggest having more than one version of office packages like Microsoft Office 2003 and Microsoft Office 2007.
Selecting an operating system When design a computer system choosing good operating system is very important because all other applications run based on the operating system. When selecting the operating system we must thinking about the following things. The hardware and network compatibility Compatibility with other software to be used Cost Mention above things we can choose useful operating system.
Indirect software requirements 16
Sometimes students need special software to work with the particular assignments. But we should install this software in a reliable mode to the system. But most of this software comes under the system software such as; Ex – Anti virus Firewall Utility software (Esoft) New Computer System to the Esoft Main Lab According to the analyzed scenario above the suggested system for the Esoft main lab can be mentioned as follows. This new system was designed for the main lab and mainly for the ditec students who use main lab system for their learning. This is the computer system Processor Intel dual core 2.0 GHz processor RAM 1 GB DDR2 VGA 64 MB Hard disk 80 GB Sound card Onboard Network card Onboard Monitor CRT monitors Keyboard PS2 or USB keyboard Mouse Optical mouse One printer to the whole lab One DVD writer to whole lab The suggested software are as follows: Operating system Software
Microsoft windows XP professional Avast antivirus guard Windows sever 2003 (sever computer) Windows office packages 2003 and 2007 Photoshop CS 2 and CS 3 Visual Basic Macromedia flash C sharp Google chrome web browser.
References Esoft. Computer Platfroms.
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TASK 07 Produce a Plan That Checks the Main Hardware and Software Components Using Standards Techniques Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software implementation. Test techniques include, but are not limited to, the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs (errors or other defects). Software testing can be stated as the process of validating and verifying that a software program/application/product: 1. meets the requirements that guided its design and development; 2. works as expected; and 3. can be implemented with the same characteristics. Software testing, depending on the testing method employed, can be implemented at any time in the development process. However, most of the test effort occurs after the requirements have been defined and the coding process has been completed. As such, the methodology of the test is governed by the software development methodology adopted. There are certain methods of software testing and mainly there are two methods which can be identified. Black box testing Black-box testing, also called behavioral testing, focuses on the functional requirements of the software. That is, black-box testing enables the software engineer to derive sets of input conditions that will fully exercise all functional requirements for a program. Black-box testing is not an alternative to white-box techniques. Rather, it is a complementary approach that is likely to uncover a different class of errors than white-box methods. Black-box testing attempts to find errors in the following categories: 18
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
incorrect or missing functions, interface errors, errors in data structures or external database access, behavior or performance errors, and initialization and termination errors.
White box testing White box testing is used to test areas that cannot be reached from a black box level. White box testing (a.k.a. clear box testing, glass box testing or structural testing) uses an internal perspective of the system to design test cases based on internal structure. It requires programming skills to identify all paths through the software. The tester chooses test case inputs to exercise paths through the code and determines the appropriate outputs. In electrical hardware testing, every node in a circuit may be probed and measured; an example is in-circuit testing (ICT). Hardware Testing In the hardware testing Common Test Platform (CTP) also called Open Test Standards (OTC). These are the testing methods for the test computers and other electronic system. After testing the computers and electronic systems, it is to be marketed as complete products. The Common Test platform ensures coherence in hardware and software test from the conceptual through manufactures. Computer contain with a complex electronic systems like circuits. Common Test Platform is quality assurance program. A common standard increase the efficiency of the production and minimize. References www.guru99.com www.webopedia.com buildsecurityin.us www.grid-tools.com Esoft. Computer Platfroms.
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TASK 08 Produce User Documentation for Your System Students are not allowed to use mobile phones inside the laboratory. Please keep silence inside the laboratory. Inside the laboratory new user can follow this user guide he/she can use computer system properly. These are the main points.
Adjust your chair Position your keyboard and mouse Position your computer monitor How to logon the computer How to work with computer programs
Adjust your chair Move the backrest to locate the lumbar support to the curve in your lower back and lock the backrest into place. Provide a full support to your back when using the computer. Lower the desk height to your elbow height when you are seated on the chair. To become this position you can change the height of the chair using the lever in down right side the chair. Position your keyboard and mouse Keyboard Should locate the keyboard around more than 8cm in from the desk edge it may be reduced neck angle when looking between the keyboard and monitor. Mouse Your forearm should rest on the desk when your hand is on the mouse this is the correct way to using mouse. Position your computer monitor 20
Locate the monitor an L shaped desk parallel with the keyboard location. And you must adjust the distance of your face and monitor like face of the monitor is at least full arms length away from your seated position.
How to logon the computer When the new students join with the Esoft in any course, every course has a separate username and password to logon the computer system. For the students who joined for the Ditec course, the username depend on the batch no of the course. For example if a student joined with Ditec 24 batch, the username created like “ditec024” and the password creating without zero like “ditec24******” How to work with computer programs After logon the computer you can use any program in the system like Microsoft Office, Photoshop etc. And the special thing is you can save files in my document and in any course you have separate space for save files, in that place you can create new folder with your name and you can save your all files in that folder. But you can’t save files in C drive and you can’t install new software to the system because you are not logon as an administrator. If you have any doubt about the how to operate the system any lecture in the organization help for you and another special thing is after using the computer system you have to log off the system and exit the laboratory.
References www.monash.edu.au
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TASK 09 Produce a Security Policy for Your System Computer security is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of your computer. Computer security is a branch of computer technology known as information security as applied to computers and networks. The objective of computer security includes protection of information and property from theft, corruption, or natural disaster, while allowing the information and property to remain accessible and productive to its intended users. These are the ways of security in computing. Trust all the software to abide by a security policy but the software is not trustworthy Trust all the software to abide by a security policy and the software is validated as trustworthy Trust no software but enforce a security policy with mechanisms that are not trustworthy Trust no software but enforce a security policy with trustworthy Computer security will be attacked by any of these methods mentioned below: - Hardware failure - Virus attacked - Application errors - User errors - Facing disasters Therefore as per the new system of security in the computer lab following areas are suggested: Maintaining Backups A backup or the process of backing up refers to making copies of data so that these additional copies may be used to restore the original after a data loss event. Backups have two distinct purposes. The primary purpose is to recover data as a reaction to data loss, be it by data deletion or corrupted data. Data loss is a very common experience of computer users. The secondary purpose of backups is to recover data from a historical period of time within the constraints of a user-defined data retention policy, typically configured within a backup application for how long
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copies of data are required. The suggested storage Medias for the backups is hard disk, other removable disks, rewritable CDs and DVDs and network locations.
Data Recovery Data recovery means by recovery lost or damage data again for that we made have to use special software and techniques. These are the recovery methods to be followed: - Hardware repair - Disk imaging - Consistency checking - Data carving Antivirus Software Using antivirus software we can prevent detects and removes computer viruses. And it also removes adware, spyware and malwares. Using that software we can secure data from viruses. As a result of virus attacked some time unauthorized person have to chance access our programs without permission and computer speed become very slow. Therefore in the suggested system, antivirus software also has been included for the security purpose of the system. Access Controlling Controlling the access of the information for users is another way to have a great security over the information been used. Sometimes unauthorized people may do unnecessary processing of information and this can be controlled by restricting the access of information for the users. For some files only lecturers will have the access and the students will be permitted to access certain data only. Insure the Organization In order to have the security over the physical components of the organization it is wise to have a insurance been made over the organization. This will cover the firm in a situations where they face natural disasters, fire etc… This will also make them free from the financial constraints in such situation.
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References Esoft. Computer Platfroms. www.wikipedia.org
TASK 10 Demonstrate That the System Meets Health and Safety Many students use computers or visual display units (VDUs) as part of their course. Most suffer no ill-effects. VDUs don't give out harmful levels of radiation and rarely cause skin complaints. For example, students might suffer from strain in the back of the hand due to excessive 'mouse' clicking, or stress or neck ache if you use a VDU without a break for a long time. Problems like these can be avoided by a well-designed computer lab environment. For the health and safety of the students following suggestions could be made. The display screen This should:
display well-defined characters of adequate size and spacing have a stable image
have easily adjustable brightness and contrast
tilt and swivel easily to suit the user
be free from glare and reflections
use a separate base for the screen, or an adjustable table.
The keyboard This should:
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be tiltable and separate from the screen to allow the user to adopt a comfortable working position have a space in front to provide support for the hands or arms of the user
have a matt surface
have clearly legible symbols on the keys.
The work surface The work surface should:
provide adequate space for the user have a low reflective surface
be of adequate size to allow the screen, keyboard, etc to be flexibly arranged
have a stable, adjustment document holder, which should be at the same level as the screen and at the same viewing distance.
The work chair This should have a seat that is adjustable in height, with a seat back adjustable in height and tilt. A footrest should be available. The workstation/environment The workstation must do the following:
provide sufficient space for the user or the operator to alter position comfortably lighting must be adequate with suitable contrast between the screen and background
glare and reflections on the screen should be avoided
windows should be fitted with adjustable coverings to alter the daylight level.
References www.atl.org.uk www.learninglink.ac.uk http://ictknowledgebase.org.uk/healthandsafety https://msds.open.ac.uk/your-record/health.htm 25
