Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management

(SLITHM)

Computer Studies

FONT OFFICE OPERATIONS

PROFESSIONAL LEVEL

Version 1.0
Definition of an Information System:

Information systems are combinations of hardware, software, and telecommunications

networks that people build and use to collect, create, and distribute useful data, typically in
organizational settings.

Components of Information Systems

1. Hardware: Computer-based information systems use computer hardware, such as

processors, monitors, keyboard and printers.
2. Software: These are the programs used to organize, process and analyze data.
3. Databases: Information systems work with data, organized into tables and files.
4. Network: Different elements need to be connected to each other, especially if many
different people in an organization use the same information system.
5. Procedures: These describe how specific data are processed and analyzed in order to
get the answers for which the information system is designed.

The first four components are part of the general information technology (IT) of an
organization. Procedures, the fifth component, are very specific to the information needed to
answer a specific question.

Types of Information System

The many different types of information systems can be divided into categories based on where
they are used in the hierarchy of an organization.
Components of the Computer System Unit

Registers, Cache Memory, Buses

Motherboard — the primary device of the system unit. All other devices are connected to it.
The motherboard unites all computer devices (video card, RAM, sound card, hard drive, etc.)
and links them together, subsequently regulating their close-knit work.

Processor is an incredibly complex chip that performs billions of mathematical calculations per
second. It is also called a central processing unit (CPU).

Hard Drive — a mechanical drive that works on the principle of magnetic recording, is the
central storage of data on most computers.

Video Card (Graphics Adapter) — graphics accelerator, a computer component responsible

for generating and displaying images. Modern Video Cards support HDMI (High-Definition
Multimedia Interface), VGA (Video Graphics Array), and DVI (Digital Visual Interface).

Power Supply — a component that converts electrical energy into direct current required by
the computer.

RAM (Random Access Memory) — system memory. The RAM is connected directly to the
motherboard and carries out a fast exchange of information with the processor.

Registers
Registers are small amounts of high-speed memory contained within the CPU. They are
used by the processor to store small amounts of data that are needed during
processing, such as:

Cache
Cache is a small amount of high-speed random access memory (RAM) built directly
within the processor. It is used to temporarily hold data and instructions that the
processor is likely to reuse. This allows for faster processing as the processor does not
have to wait for the data and instructions to be fetched from the RAM.

Buses
A bus is a high-speed internal connection. Buses are used to send control signals and
data between the processor and other components.

References:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3q5zWCw8J4
Task performed by the operating System

File management and process scheduling.

The OS allocates resources and prioritizes which programs should receive the resources and in
what order

Processor and memory management.

The OS allocates the computer’s memory to a process when needed and deal locates it when
the process is finished.

Error detection.
The OS detects, tracks and debugs errors in the computer’s other programs.

Security.
The OS uses passwords to protect the computer’s programs and data from unauthorized
access.

Types of Operating Systems

1. Batch Operating System

Batch operating system is a type of operating system which does not communicate or interact
with the computer directly. It is helpful when computer processes are very lengthy and time-
consuming. It speeds up the process by combining together similar types of jobs and runs them
as a group.

There is an operator in this kind of operating system which is used to club similar jobs having
the same requirement and is responsible to sort jobs with similar needs.

Eg: BankSystem, Payroll System, etc

2. Multitasking or Time-Sharing Operating System

This type of operating system enables people who are in two different shells to use the
computer system at the same time. The processing time is termed time sharing as it is shared
among multiple users.

Each task is allotted some time (known as Quantum) to execute its work. After the allotted time
interval is over the operating system switches over to the next task

Ex: UNIX, Multics

3. Distributed Operating System

In distributed operating systems communication networks are used, because of which various
interconnected computers are able to communicate with each other.
It is basically a system software over a collection of communicating and physically separate
computation nodes.

Multiple Central Processes are used by the system to serve multiple users and real time. It
enables resource sharing and is fault tolerant.

Ex: LOCUS, etc.

Distributed Operating Systems are of two types:

a. Client-Server Systems

These types of systems consist of two components: a client & a server. Usually, there
are more than one client and one server. The communication starts when the client
sends a request to the server and the server responds back to the request of the client.

b. Peer-to-Peer Systems

These types of systems enable users to access some resources that are shared on other
computers and similarly to share files that are present in their computer.
4. Network Operating System

Network Operating System runs on a server and makes the system capable of managing data
and other networking functions. It helps to connect various independent computers over a
network.

NOS is a specialized operating system for a network device that manages multiple requests for
inputs parallelly and provides the necessary security in a multiuser environment

NOS may also offer directory services and an email system or network management and
multiprotocol routing capabilities.

Ex: Mac OS X, Novell NetWare, Microsoft Windows Server

2003/2008/2012/20016/2019

5. Embedded Operating System

These systems are specialized operating systems. They are designed to perform a particular
task for a given device that is not a computer.

The main aim of an embedded operating system is to run the code by which the device can do
its job. These operating systems are designed to be compact, efficient at how much the
resources are used and most reliable.

Mostly the hardware that is running the embedded operating system is very limited in case of
the resources such as RAM and ROM. Hence systems made for embedded hardware tend to be
very specific.
6. Real-Time Operating System

Real-time operating systems serve the real-time systems which means that the system is
subjected to real time where the response should be guaranteed within a specific timing
constraint and so in this type of operating system the time constant is very less.

We can also say it is a time-bound system and so if the processing is not done in the allotted
time or within the defined constraints the system is most likely to fail.

Eg: Industrial control systems, Scientific experiments, Air traffic control systems, etc.

References :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACsLvXuaKxw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5qiHoU8TgU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLst_k_eWkE
Storage Types and Devices

Cloud storage

While not exactly a device per se, cloud storage is the newest and most versatile type of
storage for computers. “The cloud” is not one place or object, but rather a huge collection of
servers housed in data centers around the world. When you save a document to the cloud,
you’re storing it on these servers.

Because cloud storage stores everything online, it doesn’t use any of your computer’s secondary
storage, allowing you to save space.

External HDDs and SSDs

You can get both HDD and SSD devices as external drives. These generally offer the largest
storage capacity among external options, with external HDDs offering up to 20 TB of storage
and (reasonably-priced) external SSDs offering up to 8 TB of storage.

External HDDs and SSDs work in the exact same way that their internal counterparts do. Most
external drives can connect to any computer; they’re not tied to one device, so they’re a decent
solution for transferring files across devices.

Optical storage devices

Another common type of storage is optical storage, which uses lasers and lights as its method
of reading and writing data.
Ex:
Blu-ray disc
CD-ROM disc
CD-R and CD-RW disc.
DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW disc.

Magnetic storage devices

Today, magnetic storage is one of the most common types of storage used with computers.
This technology is found mostly on extremely large HDDs or hybrid hard drives.

Ex:
Floppy diskette
Hard drive
Magnetic strip
SuperDisk
Tape cassette
Zip diskette
Solid-state storage devices

Solid-state storage (flash memory) has replaced most magnetic and optical media as it becomes
cheaper because it's the more efficient and reliable solution.

Ex:
USB flash drive, jump drive, or thumb drive.
CF (CompactFlash)
M.2
Memory card
MMC
NVMe
SDHC Card
SmartMedia Card
Sony Memory Stick
SD card
SSD
xD-Picture Card

Types of Memory

RAM, or Random Access Memory, is responsible for holding raw forms of data that are either
waiting to be processed or stored to disk, as well as running the installed operating system. The
major disadvantage RAM has is that once a device is shut down, all unwritten data is lost.

ROM, or Read Only Memory, cannot be changed. Unlike RAM, it is permanent data that is used
to instruct a device what processes to use when starting up. ROM allows a CPU to make use of
installed hardware, disk drives and other system critical components every time it is booted up,
as RAM is only usable when a machine is powered.

CMOS holds data very well with minimal power, meaning that it can retain important system
configuration data for a device even when it is powered off. Unlike ROM however, CMOS can be
updated and changed through the use of plug and play devices.

Cache gives a CPU fast access to resources by anticipating how much RAM is needed for a
task, before allocating that amount for the CPU to use. This means the CPU does not have to
draw from the RAM directly, which would slow processes down.

Virtual memory is a simulated form of RAM using excess storage space and is commonly used
to run large or RAM-intensive programs and software.

What is a content management system (CMS) ?

A content management system, often abbreviated as CMS, is software that helps users create,
manage, and modify content on a website without the need for specialized technical knowledge.

In simpler language, a content management system is a tool that helps you build a website
without needing to write all the code from scratch (or even know how to code at all).
Types of content management systems (CMS)

Nearly every CMS is comprised of two parts—the front end and the back end. The front end is
the part the user interacts with. It’s how websites are visibly structured and styled. The front
end brings HTML, CSS, and JavaScript together to deliver rich, interactive content that’s styled
to match your company’s branding.

The back end of a CMS is the application that is used to post new content to a website. The
process begins by accessing a web interface to easily add, create, and publish content to your
CMS’s front end. Rather than knowing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, you create content in an
interface similar to Microsoft Word. The back end then stores this content in the database and
publishes it to the front end of the website.

Together, these two systems comprise the CMS. They allow you to publish content without
understanding web technologies or building your web application from the ground up.

Ex:
Joomla, Drupal, Magento (for eCommerce stores), Squarespace, Wix, TYPO3

The following are some of the different types of content management systems that are
available today.

1. Coupled CMS
A coupled CMS is often referred to as a traditional CMS. It offers a fully accessible back
end that connects to and modifies a website’s database and publishes content to a
styled front end.

2. SaaS CMS
A SaaS CMS is also a complete, end-to-end solution, but unlike coupled CMS, SaaS CMS
is hosted in the cloud. Which means that it requires no actual setup, installation, or
preconfigured web hosting.

3. Decoupled CMS
In a decoupled CMS, the presentation part of the website is “decoupled” from the back
end. The delivery system sits between the presentation of the website and accesses the
back end through an application programming interface (API).

4. Headless CMS
A headless CMS has only a back-end system that accesses a database and stores
content with a custom-built, front-end web application. It offers greater flexibility than a
decoupled CMS, but it also requires considerably more work than any other option. A
headless CMS also usually requires a developer to design, create, and connect a front-
end application.
Automation Application and new innovations in Hotel Industry

References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ha2iZ_iaiiA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T10yIfcPFuw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnGpSZmj-cA