IPT:HSC Examination Focuses (1 Viewer)

[addoil]

Created this list for any last minute crammers.

This list provides a general summary of the key areas that the HSC papers assess us on (based on all the past papers 01-10) for the three core topics, and two of the option topics (multimedia and TPS).

Personally, I would recommend this as a checklist of whether you know your stuff, and also so that during your exam, especially in those nasty 4-6 marked questions, you will not lack/forget to include important aspects that are expected in your answer.

Project Management:

• People involved: systems analyst, programmer, project manager
• Diagrams: context diagram, data flow diagram, systems flow chart, decision table and tree, data dictionary
• Team management skills: active listening, interviews, surveys, conflict resolution, negotiation, split tasks, Gantt chart, regular meetings
• Feasibility study: technical, operational, economical, schedule
• Development methods: traditional, prototyping, participant, agile, customisation, outsourcing
• Participant training: group training sessions, peer training, online tutorials, operational manual, technical support staff
• Conversions: direct, parallel, phased, pilot
• Test data: volume, simulated, live
• Social and ethical issues: ergonomics, security and backup, privacy, copyright, changing nature of work

Information Systems:

• Information systems: management information system, office automation system, transaction processing system, expert system, decision support system
• Diagrams: schema, data dictionary, structured query language
• Social and ethical issues: security and backup, copyright, privacy, data integrity, data access, data ownership, data warehouse and mining

Communication Systems:

• OSI reference model: application, communication and control, transmission
• Error checking: parity, checksum, cyclic redundancy check
• Topologies: bus, star, ring
• Network hardware: router, switch, hub, bridge, gateway, repeater, wireless access point, modem
• Transmission media: twisted pair cable, coaxial cable, optic-fibre cable, wireless access point, satellite, microwave
• Network administrator tasks: user authentication, administration and security, file management, application tasks, resource management
• Social and ethical issues: lack social interaction, internet security, changing nature of work, current and emerging trends

Multimedia:

• Purpose: education and training, leisure and entertainment, provide information, virtual reality and simulations
• People involved: content provider, system designer, project manager, technical staff
• Media types definitions: sampling rate, sample size, bit depth, bitmap, vector, cell-based animation, path-based animation, morphing, warping
• Hardware: cathode-ray tube monitor, liquid crystal display monitor, touch screen, data projector, head up display
• Software: presentation, application, authoring, web browser, HTML editor
• Diagrams: storyboard, design principles
• Social and ethical issues: copyright, privacy, data integrity, emerging technologies

Transaction Processing Systems:

• Types: real time, batch
• ACID properties: atomicity, consistency, isolation, durability
• Backups: full, partial incremental, partial differential, grandfather-father-son
• Recoveries: backup recover and forward recovery, journal, checkpoint, recovery manager
• Social and ethical issues: changing nature of work, biasness in data collection, dependence on technology, security, privacy, data control

 

[Gigacube]

For communication systems we do not need to know the OSI model. We need to know the one in the IPT syllabus which contains Application level, Communication Control & Addressing level & Transmission level.

For TPS we do not need to know the round robin or towers of Hanoi backups.

 

[fakermaker]

you're a champ!

 

[MrBrightside]

For communication systems we do not need to know the OSI model. We need to know the one in the IPT syllabus which contains Application level, Communication Control & Addressing level & Transmission level.

For TPS we do not need to know the round robin or towers of Hanoi backups.

correct!, it is just a simplified OSI model in the syllabus containing those 3 levels.

 

[jittles]

What questions require reference to the ACID properties

 

[fakermaker]

What questions require reference to the ACID properties

What do you mean questions?

ACID tests are for TPS systems to ensure that they are properly setup.

Atomicity
Consistency
Isolation
Durability

Its like the other TPS characteristics: Reliability, Rapid Response, Inflexibility, Controlled processing

 

[jittles]

What do you mean questions?

What is an example of a question which we would be required to mention this in?

ACID tests are for TPS systems to ensure that they are properly setup.

Atomicity
Consistency
Isolation
Durability

Its like the other TPS characteristics: Reliability, Rapid Response, Inflexibility, Controlled processing

Yeah this is awkward.. My teacher has not mentioned any of those characteristics.
What syllabus outcomes relate to knowledge of the TPS characteristics?

 

[fakermaker]

I have no idea where the syllabus asks for it (i looked briefly and couldnt see), but it doesnt hurt to learn them.

For the characteristics: simply remember Red Rain In Control. (Reliability, Rapid Response, Inflexibility, Controlled processing)

ACID is already an acronym so you should be ok with it.

Basically:

Rapid Response - low wait time, only seconds between data input and its processing
Reliability - transaction should not fail half way through
Inflexibility - has a set structure. Eg: when people send money, you dont want them to be able to choose which information is required.
Controlled processing - Not 100% sure, but its something to do with the existing company structure. Eg: if only managers can enter data, system wont allow any other transactions.

Atomicity - if one step fails, they all fail
Consistency - data entered cannot be changed
Isolation - one transaction doesnt affect another
Durability - the transaction is permanent

Feel free to correct me, this is from memory.

 

[splash_me]

Does anyone here study the Decision Support Systems option topic?
Kinda freaking out right now. D':

 

[Uzername]

Rapid Response - low wait time, only seconds between data input and its processing
Reliability - transaction should not fail half way through
Inflexibility - has a set structure. Eg: when people send money, you dont want them to be able to choose which information is required.
Controlled processing - The processing of a TPS is designed in such a way as to support an organisation's operations. If certain roles and responsibilities are given to certain people, then the TPS must maintain & enforce this requirement.

Atomicity - if one step fails, they all fail
Consistency - transforming the data from one valid state to another: e.g., if a transaction with a bank is made, the same amount is debited & credited.
Isolation - one transaction doesnt affect another
Durability - the transaction is permanent
Feel free to correct me, this is from memory.

just a few changes..
anyways, i still really don't understand database schema relationships. (many to one, one to one, many to many). i mean, i know what they refer to and i can answer simple questions, but in an exam can you still be right even though you label something differently? can there technically be more than 1 right answer?

EDIT: also, why in the 2010 paper did they ask 'Define an RFID' in Transaction Processing Systems? I looked in the syllabus, and RFID comes under Automated Manufacturing Systems!!

 

[jittles]

Do we need to know how to calculate an image file size????

 

[fakermaker]

just a few changes..
anyways, i still really don't understand database schema relationships. (many to one, one to one, many to many). i mean, i know what they refer to and i can answer simple questions, but in an exam can you still be right even though you label something differently? can there technically be more than 1 right answer?

EDIT: also, why in the 2010 paper did they ask 'Define an RFID' in Transaction Processing Systems? I looked in the syllabus, and RFID comes under Automated Manufacturing Systems!!

Cheers!

In terms of the schema info, I suck at it as well.

However, I know the two most common are 1 to M and M to M. 1 to 1 is very rare, but can occasionally appear.

I think its best to look at the top of the table and think, can there be a duplicate entry of any entry in this field.

Eg: a Customer ID in Customer table is a 1 because each user has their unique ID.
a Customer ID in a loans table is a Many because each customer can have many loans.

I'm not 100% sure, but this seems logical to me.

Any yes, the RFID question would have sucked, but I guess its pretty logical. Radio Frequency Identification. Radio = wireless but need direct line of sight. Throw in some examples, give some pros and cons...3/3.

 

[jittles]

EDIT: also, why in the 2010 paper did they ask 'Define an RFID' in Transaction Processing Systems? I looked in the syllabus, and RFID comes under Automated Manufacturing Systems!!

Collecting on transaction processing:
hardware, including:
Automatic Teller Machines (ATM)
barcode readers
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags

 

[fakermaker]

Do we need to know how to calculate an image file size????

No calculators allowed so you dont need to know the answer, but know the formulas.

Image is simple:

Resolution x bit depth

Eg the size of a image with 1024 x 768 resolution at 24 bit depth.

1024 x 768 x 24 = 18874368 bits

To get to Mb: divide by 8 for bytes. Then divide by 1024 for kb, then 1024 again for Mb.

Audio is also pretty easy:

Sample rate x Sample size x Number of channels.

Eg: for a 1 minute stereo song with a sampling rate of 44.1khz with a sample size of 20bits

44100 x 60 x 2 x 20 = 105840000 bits.

To get this in Mb, divide by 8 to get into bytes. Then divide by 1024 to get into kilobytes. Finally divide by 1024 again to get into mb. = 12.6mb


Video is a little trickier, but almost identical to images.

Frame rate x resolution x bit depth x running time (seconds)

Therefore, the size f a 1 hour movie at 25fps, bit depth of 32 and with a resolution of 1024 x 768:

25 x 1024 x 768 x 32 x (60 x 60) = 2.26 x 10^12

Divide by 8, 1024, 1024, 1024 = 263gb (should have chosen smaller numbers).

Been studying all day... again, correct me if im wrong!

 

[Jeleina]

The chance to work with power and governmental policies to get things accomplished. This requires the chance to recognize the actual mechanics or the provider relating to how you can constructively work with politics power.

 

[swagmeister]

Bump, and mods please sticky