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 What is Computer
software ?

 Computer software is a collection of computer

programs and related data that provide the
instructions for telling a computer what to do and
how to do it.
 software is a conceptual entity which is a set of
computer programs, procedures, and associated
documentation concerned with the operation of a
data processing system.
 software refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the
storage of the computer for some purposes.
 In other words software is a set of programs, procedures, algorithms
and its documentation.
 Computer software has facilitated the interaction
 What are the different kinds of computer software?

 Application Software:
 Application software is that, which is designed for the end-users
 a known as end-user programs.
 It employs the capabilities of a computer to execute the tasks that the
user wishes to perform on a computer system
 Educational Software:
 They are used to deliver tests and track progress.
 They are used for educational purposes.
 Training management and classroom management software are some
examples of educational software.
 Enterprise Software:
 It caters to the needs of organization processes and data flow.
 Customer relationship management and supply chain management
software are the well- known examples of enterprise software.
 Enterprise infrastructure software supports the enterprise software systems.
 Information Worker Software:
• It caters to the needs of an individual to manage information pertaining to a project or a single
department.
• Resource management software and documentation tools are some of the popularly used examples
 Media Development Software:
 They are used for the generation of print and electronic media in the educational and commercial sector.
 Image organizers and image editing software, animation software like Flash, audio and video editors as well as
the web development software are some well-known examples
 Product Engineering Software:
 is used in the development of hardware and software products.
 Application programming interfaces and integrated development environments are the well-known examples
 Program testing tools, debuggers, compilers and CAD are some of the other examples
 Simulation Software:
 are used for the simulation of physical and abstract systems.
 Computer simulators that are used for simulating scientific concepts and social ideas, battlefield, vehicle and flight
simulators are some of the popular examples
 Programming Software:
 are used to write programs that control the functioning of a computer system.
 is the building blocks of computer applications.
 System Software:
 is computer software that manages and controls hardware in order to enable application software to perform its tasks.
 performs the functions like transferring data from memory to the disk or delivering text onto a display device.
 Device Drivers:
 are computer programs, which facilitate the interaction of high- level computer programs with the hardware devices.
 Drivers also provide interrupt- handling mechanisms.
 Network Managers: T
 check computer networks, data transfers and log events.
 Virus Scanners:
 scan for viruses on a computer system.
 Also known as antivirus software.
 Data Recovery Software:
 Has the facilities of copying of data files,
 data recovery software supports the user needs of backing up important computer data.
 It allows the user to specify what is to be backed up and when.
 Content-Control Software:
 refers to the software designed for controlling the content that is permitted for the user to access.
 It can determine what content will be available on a particular machine or network.
 Content-control software is commonly used at homes and in schools to restrict the content that can be
accessed over the net by the students.
Types of Computer Software….

The two major types of the computer software are:-

1. System Software:
o It helps in running the computer hardware and the computer system
o is a collection of operating systems; device drivers, servers, windowing systems and
utilities.
o helps an application programmer in abstracting away from hardware, memory and
other internal complexities of a computer.
2.Application Software:
o It enables the end users to accomplish certain specific tasks.
o Business software, databases and educational software are some forms of application
software.
 Types of Application Software

Different Types of Application Software are:-

 Word Processing Software:
 This software enables the users to create and edit documents.
 The most popular examples of this type of software are MS-Word, WordPad, Notepad
 Database Software:
 database software is used to organize the data and enable the database users to achieve
database operations.
 allows the users to store and retrieve data from databases.
 Examples are Oracle, MS Access, etc
 Spreadsheet Software:
 allows users to perform calculations.
 They simulate paper worksheets by displaying multiple cells that make up a grid.
 Examples are Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple Numbers
 Multimedia Software:
 allow the users to create and play audio and video media.
 are capable of playing media files. Audio converters, players,
burners, video encoders and decoders are some forms of
multimedia software.
 Examples of this type of software include Real Player and Media
Player.
 Presentation Software:
 Is The software that is used to display information in the form of a
slide show
 Microsoft PowerPoint is the best example of presentation
software.
 System Requirements for Software Installation

Most software defines two sets of system requirements: these are

1. minimum and
2. recommended.
Minimum specifications are the absolute minimum requirements for hardware you
should have in your system in order to install and run the OS you have chosen.
 Make sure you have a good margin between your system’s performance and the
minimum requirements.
Recommended hardware specifications are what you should have in your system to
realize usable performance.
 Always try to have the recommended hardware (or better) in your system. If you
don’t, you may have to upgrade your hardware before you upgrade your OS.
Always run Windows on more hardware, rather than less!
 Recommended requirements are almost always of a significantly higher level
than the minimum requirements,
 The most common system requirement's are……

1.Hardware Requirements
 is The most common set of requirements defined by
any operating system or software application
 is the physical computer resources, also known as
hardware.
 A hardware requirements list is often accompanied by a
Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), e
 The various hardware requirements are:-

Architecture
 All computer operating systems are designed for particular
computer architecture.
 Processing Power
 Is also known as central processing unit
 is a fundamental system requirement for any software.
 Is measured in terms of clock speed
 Measured by Giga hertz
 Memory
 Is also known as Random Access Memory (RAM) of a computer
  Secondary Storage
 Also known as hard disk

 Display Adapter
 Enhances the computer graphics like graphics editors and high-end games

 Peripherals
 peripherals include CD-ROM drives, keyboards, pointing devices, network devices, etc .
2. Software Requirements
Software requirements deal with defining software resource requirements
and pre-requisites that need to be installed on a computer to provide
optimal functioning of an application.
 Platform
 platform describes some sort of framework which allows software to run.
 platforms include a computer's architecture, operating system, or
programming languages and their runtime libraries.

 APIs and Drivers

 Web browser
3.Other Requirements
 Determining Client Requirements
 Software
 Licensing
 Organizational Requirements
 Main participants in the installation of software
The main participants in the installation of new software include
Clients or End-Users - the people or group of people for whom the
software is being installed.
 You interview them in order to find out what software they currently
have, and their information needs.

Supervisor- is the person concerned with the overall management and

allocation of support resources, and of all the technical staff working on
the project.
 They communicate with the clients and make sure that they are happy
with the service being provided.
 They are kept informed of the client's requirements.
Computer Support Officer -is the person who receives a
technology-free statement of user requirements from the client and
transforms it into a working computer system that will fulfill the
client's computer and business needs.
 Their role is to install and thoroughly test the software and
hardware before handing it over to the client.
Staff Trainer – is responsible for training all the staff in the use of
the new software and for providing documentation for users to
support them with the ongoing use of the software
Help Desk Staff - their main task is to provide timely advice
(usually over the telephone) to users in the operation of the
hardware and software in use
Network Specialist - the person involved with implementing and
maintaining the network.
 Client Involvement
It is a common belief amongst experienced systems analysts that
the biggest single factor which determines the success or failure
of a system is the amount of client involvement that occurred
when determining the users' requirements
 All the user's requirements are met in the initial investigative phases
 The users are adequately trained with the new software before it is installed
 Management Levels
Clients from different levels of management have
different interests in software applications.
Strong client support and involvement and wise
user decisions are essential to successful
installation and use of software applications.
Users should be involved to different degrees and
in different ways depending on the managerial
hierarchy.
 Management Level Is Classified In To Three Catagories
1.Top-level management is involved with
 Providing initiative and support for the installation of new software
 The appointment of a supervisor
 Ensuring compatibility of the new systems functions and objectives with
the business objectives for the organization
 The allocation of resources and approval of budgets
 The monitoring of progress by review at major checkpoints
 Making decisions from alternatives, making trade-offs and considering
relative costs and benefits
 Satisfaction with the system on the part of all other types of users
 Ensuring that organizational guidelines on purchasing hardware and
software are followed.
2.middle-level management is involved with
 Receipt of regular progress reports so that they can monitor progress and
make decision: to abort or continue
 Appointing a contact person to deal with the needs of the vendor
 Ensuring that software purchased is of appropriate scope for correct and
detailed support of operations and meets the organization’s guidelines
 Advising on managerial requirements that will ultimately assist in
effective decision making
 Approving the purchase of software licenses and indicating the account
from which the money will come
 Ensuring the smooth integration of manual and automated procedures
 Ensuring adequate training and documentation for hands-on
users.
 3.lower-level management is involved with
 Providing relevant information during the data-gathering phases
concerned with the functions that the software application will perform
 Reviewing various user interface designs such as screen forms and
reports
 Assisting system testing and conducting acceptance testing when
requested to do so
 Receiving training when required and reading all appropriate user
manuals
 Ensuring that the supplied documentation is available and kept up-to-date
 Reporting all problems once the system is operational
 Making valid suggestions for enhancements and modifications to the new
system.
 Documenting and Reporting
There are many documents that need to be produced and exchanged
between clients and suppliers of software applications.
Two important documents that are exchanged at the initial stages are the

1. Project Request form and

2. the Feasibility Report.
 The Project Request form outlines the general requirements of the
client.
 The Feasibility Report determines if the client's needs can be met..
 Continued……..
The first purpose of this report is to
describe in detail the business and computer
requirements of the client. Secondly, the
person or team installing the software will
recommend software and hardware
necessary to successfully fulfill the needs of
the client.
 Continued……..

This report includes:

 System summary-a small paragraph describing what the current system does
 Project summary-chief user name, support officer's name, scope, start date, end date, budget
 Current system summary-system description and deficiencies
 New software constraints and assumptions-performance requirements, hardware constraints,
software constraints and any interfaces to other automated systems, backup and recovery
requirements, security and privacy issues
 Performance requirements and acceptance constraints-workload and volume, system
growth, response times, data access and data validation new software alternatives-
description of each alternative
 Improvements to the business-improvements in service, increases in income, reductions in
cost
 New software impacts-hardware, software, organizational and operational
 Unit Two
Obtain Software or Software upgrade
 Source of software’s
Sources of software are

 Newspapers
 The Internet
 IT consultants
 IT department
 Computer suppliers
 Other sources of information may include industry
colleagues, contacts and organisations
Every piece of software installed in a computer has
clearly specified system requirements,these are:-
Operating system requirements (whether Windows or
Macintosh or Unix or other)
Minimum size of RAM required
Minimum size of free disk space on a hard disk
required
Depending on the type of software, there could be a
list of additional requirements such as CDROM,
sound card, specified screen resolution and so forth.
 Continued……

Note: Before you proceed with software installation,

you need to ensure that the client's computer satisfies
all system requirements.

Verification of Technical Specifications

To help determine if the new software is suitable

we will need to research the technical
specifications and functionality
 Software Prerequisites

Prerequisites are conditions that will ensure the

correct running of a software application.
Software prerequisites may include:

Specific system requirements such as hardware or operating

systems [but these are listed as system requirements]
The prior installation of another software package
Services such as security and access systems, networks,
Internet connections, and so on.
Here are some examples of software prerequisites:
 System Requirements

The system requirements may include:

 The hardware platform
 The operating system
 Resource requirements (CPU, memory)
 Storage capacity for the software and data
 Hardware devices such as a mouse, CD ROM drive,
printer, backup device, modem.
 Minimum specifications for hardware such as screen
resolution
 Continued……
These system requirements ensure that software is
installed and run in an appropriate environment.
 System incompatibility

System incompatibilities are mismatches between the

software and the system configuration and or other
installed software.

System incompatibilities may prevent the software

being installed or prevent the software from operating
as expected
 Continued……
For example, many applications are only available
for a single operating system. Some of the powerful
graphic design tools can only be run on the
Macintosh platform

Another example is programs that have been written

for a specific computer chip. For example Windows
programs are designed and built to run on Intel
processors
  Contacting Vendors

The information collected on vendors and products can

be extensive
Information required from vendors will include:
 A list of prerequisites for installation and operation of the product
 A list of system requirements
 Support and maintenance services, requirements or arrangements
 Vendor details including history and client list for references
 Licensing details and options
 Product pricing and costs (including ongoing)
 Any conditions regarding evaluation of the software (installation
restrictions etc)
Continued……

It is also good practice to send your

requirements specifications to the vendor and
have them respond with how their software
product addresses each requirement.
Licensing requirements

Verification of licensing requirements

Whenever you install a piece of software on
a computer you must ensure that you
comply with the legal obligations outlined in
its license agreement
 Software Licensing
 Is a legal instrument (by way of contract law)
governing the usage or redistribution of software
 Allowing an individual or group to use a piece of
software. Nearly all applications are licensed
 Some are based on the number machines on which the
licensed program can run whereas others are based on
the number of users that can use the program
 An agreement to operate software, to operate a certain
number of copies and to make one backup copy
License Key
 A software license key is a pattern of numbers
and/or letters provided to licensed users of a
software program.
 License keys are typically created and delivered
via a license generator once a software user has
paid for the software and has agreed to the
conditions of use and distribution as legally
specified in the software license.
Software Piracy
 Is The illegal copying of software.
 Refers to ways of obtaining software without
the permission of the software holder
 Illegal copying of software is done in order to :
 Use more copies on more computers
 Make the software available on a network
 Use a copy for personal use
 Distribute copies to friends
 Sell copies to others
 Use parts of the program in another program Copies are made
legally for the following reasons:
 One backup copy to be used only if the original gets damaged
 Targets – Games & Application packages
 Copyright and Intellectual Property

Copyright – the exclusive right given by law for a

certain number of years to people (authors) to print,
publishes, and sells copies of their original work.

 This original work is their intellectual property.

 Types of Software License
Registerware:

Refers to computer software which

requires the user to give personal
information through registration in
order to download or use the
program.
Shareware/Demoware

Refers to copyrighted commercial software

that is distributed without payment on a
trial basis and is limited by any
combination of functionality, availability,
or convenience.
Freeware
Computer software that is available for
use with no cost or for an optional fee.
Freeware is different from shareware,
where the user is obliged to pay.
Open Source Software (OSS)

defined as computer software for

which the human-readable source
code is made available under a
copyright license
 Continued……

This permits users to use, change, and

improve the software, and to redistribute it in
modified or unmodified form
 Abandonware

 refers to software that is no longer

available for purchase or that is at least a
certain amount of years old.
 Licensing Rules for Commercial Software Applications
All commercial software comes with licensing
agreements which are displayed before you
install the software.
Although it is a lengthy document full of legal
terms and statements, you should read it
carefully to know your own or your customer's
rights and obligations in regard to the software .
 Continued……
 If you install shrink-wrapped software, you will find
licensing rules printed on the envelope containing the
software, or on an additional page provided with the
package. You should read these rules before breaking the
seal of the package containing the software.
In addition, the same rules are repeated and displayed on
the screen at the beginning of the installation process. You
usually have to read and accept these rules if you wish to
complete the installation.
 Continued……
If you purchased your software online and have
downloaded it to a computer, its licensing
agreement will be included and displayed at the
beginning of the installation.
 Continued……
More recently, software developers have begun including
the license agreement as part of the installation of the
program. When you go to install the program, the license
agreement appears on your screen and you are asked to
accept the terms and conditions before you are allowed to
proceed with the installation of the program. Because you
have to click on the accept button to proceed with the
installation, these types of license agreements have become
known as click-wrap licenses.
required details to be recorded during software installation

1.Name of the software installed

2.Version number
3.Information whether it is up grade or original software
4.License number
5.License details
6.Vendor name and contact phone number
7.Date of installation
8.Asset/serial number of the computer on which it is installed
9.Name and contact phone number of a person installing the
software
the benefit of Documenting licensing details

 It is evidence that the installation was completed

correctly
 It simplifies troubleshooting and maintenance
tasks
 It proves that your customer is a legal user of the
software
 Role of Software Installation Instructions and Manuals

A wizard - is a user friendly interactive program designed

to simplify and control software installation.
 Before you attempt to install any software you must
carefully read the installation instructions provided with
the software.
 Information included in the installation instructions
always lists a detailed description of steps required for
correct installation
 Continued……
 Installation instructions now are being replaced by
installation "wizards
A wizard is capable of checking technical features of
a computer on which it is installed, and making
appropriate changes without user intervention. It is
also able to inform you about detected limitations of
the computer system which may cause problems
during the installation or operation of the software..
 Continued……
 Its interactivity is very basic. That is, it uses
simple dialogue boxes where the user can
make a selection, type text or just click a
button
Dialog boxes demonstrate the type of interactivity
provided by installation wizards.
It is not a full sequence of an installation wizard but a
set of selected screens with options typically provided
by an installation wizard.

Readme file - contains additional information

about the software. (Usually it is saved as Readme
or Readme.txt).
 Policies and Obligations of Software Suppliers

 Help Desk Staff: Provide timely advice to

users (over the phone).
 Continued……

All software developers provide some kind of support for

users of their product. The levels of support vary; some
suppliers offer free support, and others may charge some
fee for their service. Also, the same software developers
may offer different level of support for each product they
sell. If the software requested by your client is a
commercial product, it is recommended that you check
the level of provided support prior to purchasing the
software.
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 Installing New or Upgrading Software
Upgrading software
 The term upgrade refers to the replacement of a
product with a newer version of the same product.
 It is most often used in computing and consumer
electronics, generally meaning a replacement of
hardware, software or firmware with a newer or better
version, in order to bring the system up to date.
 Continued……

 Common software upgrades include changing the

version of an operating system, of an office suite, of an
anti-virus program, or of various other tools.
 Risks of Upgrading
 Although developers produce upgrades in order to improve a
product, there are risks involved—including the possibility that
the upgrade will worsen the product.

The Risks includes

 Upgrades of hardware involve a risk that new hardware will not be
compatible with other pieces of hardware in a system.
For example, an upgrade of RAM may not be compatible with existing
RAM in a computer.
• Other hardware components may not be compatible after either an
upgrade or downgrade, due to the non-availability of compatible
drivers for the hardware with a specific operating system.
 Continued……

Upgrades of software introduce the risk that the

new version (or patch) will contain a bug, causing
the program to malfunction in some way or not to
function at all
We generally separate software upgrades into two categories:

1.Service releases or bug fixes and

2.New software versions.
For service releases or bug fixes, we tend to
upgrade as soon as they are released since they
usually make the software more stable and
reliable.
For new software versions, we should use four
criteria to determine whether we want to
upgrade
 Is our current version no longer supported?

 Does the new version have some features that will

make my work more efficient?
 Has the software been out long enough to detect any
significant problems?

Will I run into file format compatibility issues?

Installing Software
 Some software can be executed by simply copying it to a
computer and executing it with no further argument
 Simply no installation procedure as such is required.

 Other programs are supplied in a form not suitable for

immediate execution, and require an installation
procedure
Continued……
Installation may include
 unpacking of files supplied in a compressed form,
 copying them to suitable locations,
 tailoring the software to suit the hardware and the user's
preferences,
 providing information about the program to the operating
system, and so on

 The installer may test for system suitability and available

mass storage space.
Continued……
Installation usually implies that once installed, the
program can be executed again and again, without the
need to reinstall before each execution. Some software
does not need installation at all. There is server-based
software that mimics locally-installed software, and can
be run inside of a web browser, using only the local
system's cache. This allows portability among computers
with access to the server. This technique is often referred
to as cloud computing.
Common operations performed during software
installations include creation or modification of:

 Shared and non-shared program files

 Folders/directories
 Windows registry entries
 Configuration file entries
 Environment variables
 Links or shortcuts
 Continued……
 The operating system of your computer is an important factor to
be considered when you install any software.
 The operating system is the program that is contrived to run the
computer software on your computer.
 The operating system is responsible for managing the computer
software and hardware.
 Before you install computer software, the first important step is
to check the configuration of your computer.
 Also, check the hardware and software requirement of the
software you are installing.
 Continued……
 The configuration of your computer must match the
requirements of the software to be installed.
Note:-Sometimes, the software to be installed is
compressed in a .RAR or.ZIP file.
 In these cases, before you install the software you have
to uncompressed all the installation files and folders.
 To uncompressed the files and folders, ensure that you
have a decompression software application installed on
your computer.
Types of Installations

Silent Installation
 Is an Installation that does not display
messages or windows during its progress.
Unattended Installation
 Is Installation that is performed without
user interaction during its progress
 with no user present at all, except eventually
for the initial launch of the process
 Self-Installation
 Is Unattended installation, without the
need of initial launch of the process
Clean Installation
Given the complexity of a typical installation there are many factors
that may interfere with its successful completion. In particular files
that are left over from old installations of the same program or an
unstable situation of the operating system may all act to prevent a
given program from installing and working correctly. An installation
performed in absence of such interfering factors (which may vary
from program to program) is called a clean installation.
Flat Installation
Is An installation of a program
performed from a copy (called a flat
copy) of its original media contents
(mostly CDs or DVDs) to a hard
drive, rather than directly from the
media.
Network Installation
 Is An installation of program
from a shared network drive.
You could consider the same installation
schedule as of hardware maintenance such as

 quiet periods (for example, during

holiday periods)
 before or after normal office hours
 while the client/user is out of the office
 when the client will not be needing
their computer
 n d
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T h