PHY-206

Computer Programming and

Numerical Methods

Lecture 2

Introduction to Computer Software

Anup Majumder
Assistant Professor
Department Of Computer Science and Engineering
Jahangirnagar University
 Outline
● Computer Architecture
● Computer Software
– System Software
• OS
• Translation Program
• Utility Program
– Application Software
● Computer Viruses
– Types of Viruses
– How do you know if you have a virus?

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Computer Architecture

Copyright © 2000 by Brooks/Cole Publishing Company

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A division of International Thomson Publishing Inc.
 What is Software?
● Computer software, or simply software, is a generic
term that refers to a collection of computer instructions
that tell the computer what to do and how to do it.
● Software is a program executed by computer.
● Computers process data under the control of sets of
instructions called computer programs
● Basically two Types:
– System Software
– Application Software

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 Software Classifications
● Application software
– Easy-to-use programs designed to perform specific tasks
● System software
– Programs that manages resource(CPU, input/output/storage)
and support the execution and development of other programs
– Mediates between application software and computer hardware
– Three major types
• Operating systems
• Translation systems
• Utility programs

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 System Software
● System software coordinates the various parts of the
computer system and mediates between application
software and computer hardware.

● The system software that manages and controls the

computer’s activities is called the operating system.

● Other system software consists of computer language

translation programs that convert programming
languages into machine language and utility programs
that perform common processing tasks

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 Operating System
● Operating System is a software, which makes a
computer to actually work. It is the software that enables
all the programs we use.
● The Operating System organizes and controls the
hardware.
● Operating System acts as an interface between the
application programs and the machine hardware.
● Examples:
– Windows
– Linux
– Unix and
– Mac OS
– etc.,
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 OS: Major Functions
● Allocation and Assignment
– The Operating System allocates resources to the application
tasks in the execution queue.
– It provides locations in primary memory for data and programs
and controls the input and output devices such as printers and
telecommunication links.
● Scheduling
– Thousands of pieces of work can be going on in a computer at
the same time.
– The Operating System decides when to schedule the tasks that
have been submitted and when to coordinate the scheduling in
various areas of the computer so that different parts of different
tasks can be worked on at the same time.
– The Operating System must schedule these tasks according to
organizational priorities. For example, on-line order processing
may have priority over a task to generate mailing lists and labels. 8
 OS: Major Functions
● Monitoring
– computer system activities
– tracking status of tasks
– performs error control
– provides system security

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 Capabilities of OS
● Multiprogramming (Multitasking)
– A method of executing multiple programs concurrently using the
same computer;
– Two or more programs are active at the same time, but they do
not use the same computer resources simultaneously;
– Example: CPU executing one program while input/output needs
of other programs are serviced
– Switching among programs occurs rapidly giving the impression
that all programs are executing simultaneously.
TRADITIONAL
MULTIPROGRAMMING
SINGLE-PROGRAM SYSTEM
ENVIRONMENT (WINDOWS)
(DOS)
PROGRAM 1
OPERATING

PROGRAM 1 PROGRAM 2
OPERATING
SYSTEM

SYSTEM
PROGRAM 3

UNUSED MEMORY
UNUSED MEMORY
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 Capabilities of OS
● Multiprocessing
– Two or more parallel processors in system;
– Program can be divided to be processed by multiple CPUs;
– Can process large programs more rapidly (e.g., supercomputing).

● Virtual storage
– primary memory appears to the user to be larger than it really is;
– technique for handling programs efficiently;
– dividing programs into small fixed-portions (pages) or
variable-length portions (segments) with only a small portion
stored in primary memory at one time;
– CPU is utilized more fully;
– large size and number of programs can be executed.

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 Capabilities of OS
● Time sharing
– share of computer resources by many users simultaneously by
spending a fixed amount of CPU time (e.g. time slice of 2
milliseconds) on each user before moving to the next user;
– as CPU operates in nanoseconds, much work can be
accomplished within 2 milliseconds.

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 Application Software
■ Application software makes computer popular and easy to
use
■ Common application software:
– Microsoft Word, Word Perfect
– PowerPoint
– Netscape, Internet Explorer, Chrome
– PhotoShop, Photo-Paint
– Quick Time
– Dreamweaver

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Computer Software Relationships

User
Application Programs
Interface

User
Operating System
Interface

User Basic Input and Output Services

Interfac (BIOS)
e • needed for a computer to boot up

Computer Hardware
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Computer Viruses

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 Computer Viruses

● A computer virus is an application program designed and

written to destroy other programs.
● It has the ability to:
– Link itself to other programs
– Copy itself (it looks as if it repeats itself)
● Examples
– ABC
– CIH
– Ransomware
– Spyware
– Adware

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 Viruses and Virus Protection
● A virus program
– Infects programs, documents, databases
and more …
– It is man-made
– It can hide and reproduce
– It can lay dormant (inactive) and then
activate

Anti-virus programs can

help 17
Sources of Computer Viruses
● Three primary sources
– The Internet
• Via downloads and exchanges
– Diskettes
• Exchanging disks
– Computer networks
• Can spread from one network to
another

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How do you know if you have a virus?
● Unexpected pop-up windows
– Unexpected onscreen ads are a typical sign of a virus infection.
Not only are they annoying, other malware may lurk inside poised
to wreck further havoc. Never click on a suspicious pop-up –
even if it says ‘a virus was detected’. This is an example of
rogueware, which asks you to pay for a program to remove a fake
virus but may in fact allow even more malware to be downloaded.

● Slow start up and slow performance

– If your PC is taking longer than normal to start or programs are
taking ages to open, then your PC may have a virus. If your
computer’s performance is sluggish, check first that it isn’t due to
a lack of RAM memory or hard disk space. If not, the culprit may
be a virus.

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How do you know if you have a virus?
● Suspicious hard drive activity
– An excessively active hard disk where it makes continual noise or
constantly spins – even though you’re not using your computer
nor have any programs running – can be a sign your PC is
infected with a virus.

● Lack of storage space

– If you suddenly find yourself devoid of storage space on your hard
drive, a virus may be doing its utmost to make your computer
unusable.

● Missing files
– Some malware cause problems by deleting files and programs or
moving them around. Some may encrypt your files so you aren’t
able to open them.
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How do you know if you have a virus?
● Crashes and error messages
– If programs start opening and closing automatically, your system
freezes or shuts down for no reason, or you see odd error
messages, then you may have a virus infection.

● High network activity

– If your internet connection is very active even when you’re not
using it, a virus may be busy sending information back and forth
across the internet.

● Email is hijacked
– If friends start receiving emails or instant messages from your
social networks asking them to click on an attachment or link, it’s
likely that a virus is attempting to spread to other computers via
your accounts. If so, change your passwords immediately.
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How do you know if you have a virus?
● Browser woes
– Your web browser becoming sluggish, your home page changing
or being redirected to unusual websites are all warning signs of a
computer virus infection.

● Security attacks
– Some viruses are designed to disable your computer’s protection.
So, if you can’t open or install an anti-virus program or your
firewall, your computer may be infected.

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 Virus Protection
▪The software package distributed with new PCs
always includes an antiviral program.

▪The best way to cope with viruses is to

recognize their existence and use an antiviral, or
antivirus program.

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 Purposes of Computers

1- Store a large amount of data and

information for a long period of time.

2- process data and information in high

accuracy level .

3- Speed in processing data/information.

4- Sharing of information over network.

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 Characteristics of Computers

Data Information
Computer
Knowledge

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 Information Processing System
● Data is a collection of independent and unorganized or
raw facts.

● Information is the processed and organized data

presented in a meaningful form.

● Data Processing is the course of doing things in a

sequence of steps.

● Knowledge is arrangement of information and classifying

information of the same type or the same topic.

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● e. g.

-2 4 0 -3 10 (data)
|| sort
\/
v
-3 -2 0 4 10 (information)

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Processing data produces
information, and processing
information produces
knowledge.

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