Resource limitations: Difference between revisions

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! Resource  !!  Description || Consequence of limiting...
! Resource  !!  Description  
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| Primary memory || Primary Storage is the area in the computer where data is stored for quick access by the computer's processor. RAM is often synonymous with this term. || Your computer looks to grab information from different places, such as the RAM. If you don't have enough RAM storage, the OS will have to store information in places such as the secondary memory, which is much slower. This is called swapping. As such you will experience drops in frame rate and/or performance.
| Primary memory || Please read this article about [[Primary memory]].
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| Secondary storage || Secondary storage is storage that is non-volatile, meaning that the data is kept even when the device is turned off. The data within a secondary storage device is also held until deleted or overwritten. Examples of secondary storage devices are: Hard Drives (HDD), Solid-State Drive (SSD), Floppy Disks and USB Drives. || Once you run out of secondary storage, such as on your HDD and SSD. Your operating system will notify you that you have run out of space and you will not be able to continue downloading any data. If one of your programmes requires you to create a save, you will not have enough data, limiting the functionality of the programme. If you are also running out of primary storage, the operating system will not be able to store information on the Hard Drive. 
| Persistent storage || Please read this article about [[Persistent storage]]
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| processor speed || Measures in MHz (megahertz) and GHz (gigahertz), this is the number of instructions per second that the processor can execute. The CPU asks the OS for specific tasks using a bootloader (a bootloader is a computer program that loads the operating system when the computer powers on) and interrupts. Interrupts are signals to the processor that alerts the processor to a high-priority condition requiring the interruption of the current task the processor is executing.  || If the processor is slow and you trying to open modern type games that require a lot of CPU power, the game's FPS will run low. Usually the CPU runs at a couple of % of its capacity, since the user is using software that doesn't require a lot of CPU power, such as chrome notepad, microsoft word etc.  
| CPU || When the OS runs a piece of software it has to find the program files on the storage drive, load them into main memory, and instruct the CPU to start executing the program from the beginning.
<br />
In each case, the OS performs the same sequence of steps:
 
# the program code is found on the storage drive
# a section of RAM is reserved for the program and space is allocated for the program's data
# the program code is copied from storage into the reserved space in the memory
# the CPU program counter is set to the memory location of the first instruction in the program, and execution begins
 
<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/ztcdtfr/revision/3</ref>
 
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| bandwidth || Bandwidth, which is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time, is expressed in multiples of bits per second in digital devices. In analog devices, it is expressed in hertz. A "bus" with low bandwidth can hamper a fast hard drive. The operating system allocates bandwidth to each program, input or output method. ||  LIMITATIONS- For example, in WIFI we can have a limited amount of bandwidth, so if it is used up, everything becomes a lot slower. Also, if a lot of people connect to the same internet source, the bandwidth has to be shared between them, which also makes the connection slower.
| Network || Bandwidth, which is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time, is expressed in multiples of bits per second in digital devices. In analog devices, it is expressed in hertz. A "bus" with low bandwidth can hamper a fast hard drive. The operating system allocates bandwidth to each program, input or output method.
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| screen resolution || Number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It is usually quoted as width × height for example, "1024 × 768." The Screen resolution depends on the operating system (OS), as such one can change the screen resolution through the OS. || Limited Screen Resolution results in lower quality of image/video, as well as differences in screen size.  However, a lower resolution can also result in higher frame rate, as the resolution itself will eat up less RAM. One good example of limited screen resolution would be gaming, in which the quality of visuals would deteriorate, shift the sizes of individual objects, and improve the framerate of the game itself.
| Display server || A display server or window server is a program whose primary task is to coordinate the input and output of its clients to and from the rest of the operating system, the hardware, and each other<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_server</ref>. The IB might call this screen resolution.
 
* The OS X operating system uses Quartz Compositor as a display server and of a window manager in the windowing system.
* The Windows operating system uses the Desktop Window Manager to render the graphical user interface
* The Linux operating system might use X11, wayland, mir or other display server and windows manager.  
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disk storage || Disk storage is a storage mechanism where data is recorded using various methods : Electronic, magnetic, optic or mechanical. Disk storage is stored by a computer processor and communicates within a computer with the use of input and output operations (I/O). Disk storage is managed by the operating system by determining when to read and write from a storage point. || Without adequate disk storage, the operating system will not be able to swap out from memory (RAM) to secondary storage (disk storage). Also, you will not be able save files, or write and changes to a file onto disk.  
File system || In computing, a file system or filesystem (often abbreviated to fs), controls how data is stored and retrieved. Without a file system, data placed in a storage medium would be one large body of data with no way to tell where one piece of data stops and the next begins. By separating the data into pieces and giving each piece a name, the data is easily isolated and identified. Taking its name from the way paper-based data management system is named, each group of data is called a "file". The structure and logic rules used to manage the groups of data and their names is called a "file system".<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system</ref>
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| sound processor || Sound card - provides input an output of audio signals to and from a computer. Most sound cards use a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), which converts recorded or generated digital data into an analog format. The output signal is connected to an amplifier, headphones, or external device  || Puts the burden of having to process sound on the CPU, slowing down the system as a result. Overall sound quality drops
| Sound server || A sound server is software that manages the use of and access to audio devices (usually a sound card). It commonly runs as a background process.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_server</ref>
 
 
* The OS X operating system uses CoreAudio process to manage sound
* The Windows operating system uses Audio Processing Object Architecture
* The Linux operating system might use PulseAudio
 
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| graphics processor || A graphics processing unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display device.<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_processing_unit</ref>  || Low quality graphics, drops in frame rate due to the processor not being able to render assets fast enough, graphical glitches due to the assets not being rendered fast enough
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| cache || Cache memory is a small-sized type of volatile computer memory that provides high-speed data access to a processor and stores frequently used computer programs, applications and data. It is the fastest memory in a computer, and is typically integrated onto the motherboard and directly embedded in the processor or main random access memory (RAM).|| Consequences of limited cache memory could be slower executions of tasks and lags in graphics. This is caused by the need to switch to slower storage options like RAM which is farther away from the CPU so is therefore slower.
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| Network connectivity || Network connectivity is connecting to another client on a network.  || If network connectivity was limited, it would cause you to have Internet connection slowed down, which causes the systems the user is connecting to, to respond with a certain delay.
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Revision as of 21:20, 3 March 2020

Resource Management[1]

A system resource is any usable part of a computer that can be controlled and assigned by the operating system so all of the hardware and software on the computer can work together as designed. System resources can be used by users, like you, when you open programs and apps, as well as by services which are usually started automatically your operating system. Note: A system resource is sometimes called hardware resource, computer resource, or just resource.[2]

What would the consequences be if we limited...[edit]

Resource Description
Primary memory Please read this article about Primary memory.
Persistent storage Please read this article about Persistent storage
CPU When the OS runs a piece of software it has to find the program files on the storage drive, load them into main memory, and instruct the CPU to start executing the program from the beginning.


In each case, the OS performs the same sequence of steps:

  1. the program code is found on the storage drive
  2. a section of RAM is reserved for the program and space is allocated for the program's data
  3. the program code is copied from storage into the reserved space in the memory
  4. the CPU program counter is set to the memory location of the first instruction in the program, and execution begins

[3]

Network Bandwidth, which is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a fixed amount of time, is expressed in multiples of bits per second in digital devices. In analog devices, it is expressed in hertz. A "bus" with low bandwidth can hamper a fast hard drive. The operating system allocates bandwidth to each program, input or output method.
Display server A display server or window server is a program whose primary task is to coordinate the input and output of its clients to and from the rest of the operating system, the hardware, and each other[4]. The IB might call this screen resolution.
  • The OS X operating system uses Quartz Compositor as a display server and of a window manager in the windowing system.
  • The Windows operating system uses the Desktop Window Manager to render the graphical user interface
  • The Linux operating system might use X11, wayland, mir or other display server and windows manager.
File system In computing, a file system or filesystem (often abbreviated to fs), controls how data is stored and retrieved. Without a file system, data placed in a storage medium would be one large body of data with no way to tell where one piece of data stops and the next begins. By separating the data into pieces and giving each piece a name, the data is easily isolated and identified. Taking its name from the way paper-based data management system is named, each group of data is called a "file". The structure and logic rules used to manage the groups of data and their names is called a "file system".[5]
Sound server A sound server is software that manages the use of and access to audio devices (usually a sound card). It commonly runs as a background process.[6]


  • The OS X operating system uses CoreAudio process to manage sound
  • The Windows operating system uses Audio Processing Object Architecture
  • The Linux operating system might use PulseAudio

Standards[edit]

  • Identify the limitations of a range of resources in a specified computer system.
  • Describe the possible problems resulting from the limitations in the resources in a computer system.

References[edit]