User and file management - questions and answers
Q1. Describe what is meant by a single-user, multi-tasking operating system, with examples.
This kind of operating system is designed so that a single user is accessing the system at any one time, and can be doing many things at the same time (multi-tasking). for example, they might be playing some music, sending messages, working on a document, receiving an email and sending a printout, all at (apparently) the same time. Laptops and personal computers run single-user, multi-tasking operating systems (Windows, Linux, Mac OS etc). Note that these kinds of devices can have different user accounts. It's just that only one of them can be using the computer at a time, which is why we call it a single-user operating system.
Q2. Explain why an employee only sees the data they need from a company's database to enable them to do their job.
If the data is personal data about people, the Data Protection Act 1998 requires companies to keep data private and use it only for the purpose state. Therefore 'views' stop casual access. If the data is commercially sensitive, a company needs to protect their data, to stop rival companies stealing it and gaining a commercial advantage.
Q3. What does a user typically need to be able to login to a network?
A login and password is required to authenticate a user.
Q4. Explain how a Network Manager uses user groups and inheritance to set up many users on a network.
The Network Manager sets up a User Group for each type of person. He then assigns rights and permissions to each of the user groups. He then makes individuals a member of a group. The indivisual inherits all of the rights and properties of the group they are a member of. Individuals can also be given extra special rights just for the individual, on top of the user rights they inherited.
Q5. What is another name for a directory and sub-directory?
Folder and sub-folder.
Q6. What is meant by the root directory?
The root directory is the first directory on a drive. All other folders and sub-folders are held within the root drive but the root drive is not held within any other drive.
Q7. What is the difference between a physical drive and a logical drive?
A physical drive is the actual drive, which you can touch. Logical drives are drives that are part of a physical drive, but appear to be a completely independent physical drive.
Q8. What is meant by a path? Give an example.
The path tells you what directories you have to go through(starting with the root directory) to get to a particular file. E.g. H: \ School \ ICT \ Introduction.doc
Q9. Describe with examples what metadata is kept about a file.
Metadata might include:
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- the type of file it is
- what program is used to open this file when you double click on it
- the path of the file
- the size of the file
- when the file was created, last modified and last accessed by the user
- Whether it is read only, or whether it can be written to as well (the access rights for a file).
Q10. What are file permissions?
File permissions define who can do what with a file. For example, whether they can even see the file, whether they have the right to delete it or to edit it.