DSST DSST Computing and Information Technology Flashcards

Clock speed measures cycles per second (GHz). IPC indicates how many instructions one cycle completes. A higher IPC means more work per cycle, so a CPU with lower clock speed but higher IPC may outperform one with higher clock speed but lower IPC.

Examers expect you to explain why raw clock speed isn’t the sole performance indicator, highlighting the role of microarchitecture and instruction execution efficiency.

RAM: volatile, fast, allows random access – ideal for active data. ROM: non‑volatile, read‑only, stores firmware. Flash (e.g., SSDs): non‑volatile, persistent, high storage density.

Recognizing these storage types and their benefits helps you answer questions about system configuration and hardware trade‑offs.

An inode stores metadata (owner, permissions, timestamps, blocks). File names map to inodes via directory entries. This separation allows efficient permission checks, hard links, and quick metadata access without traversing directories.

Understanding inodes aids in diagnosing file system issues and understanding OS-level data organization, a common exam focus.

Commercial software offers vendor support and compliance guarantees; open‑source offers flexibility and lower cost but may require in‑house expertise. Choose commercial when uptime and legal compliance dominate; open‑source when customization and budget matters.

Knowing when each choice applies helps assess licensing, support, and cost considerations, key to practical IT decisions.

TAPE: slow sequential access, highly cost‑effective, suitable for cold archival backup. SSD: fast random access, durable, used for primary storage, OS, and frequently accessed data.

The contrast highlights storage hierarchy choices, an essential concept for both hardware and OS exam questions.

Encapsulation bundles data and methods into a class, restricting external access to internal state through access modifiers.

Encapsulation is foundational for modular code design, a key concept examined in the DSST CIT 3 test.

Both queue elements, but a stack follows LIFO (last‑in, first‑out), whereas a queue follows FIFO (first‑in, first‑out); stacks suit recursive calls, queues fit print‑job ordering.

Distinguishing these structures helps answer algorithm and data‑structure questions on the exam.

Use switch when evaluating a single variable against many constant values; if‑else is preferred for ranges, complex conditions, or non‑constant comparisons.

Knowing the strengths of each control structure lets you write clear, bug‑free code, a recurring exam theme.

Singleton guarantees one instance of a class; implemented with a private constructor, a static instance variable, and a public getInstance() that lazily creates the object.

Singletons are classic design‑pattern questions; recalling implementation details saves time during the test.

O(log n) – each iteration halves the search space, yielding logarithmic time for a sorted array.

Binary search is a staple example for complexity questions, so the exam often tests Big‑O recognition.

Security ethics examines moral principles guiding responsible practices, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and accountability while mitigating harm.

Understanding ethical frameworks helps determine acceptable security actions and justify policy choices.

A malware that changes its code with each infection to evade signature‑based detection.

The exam tests knowledge of adaptive malware and detection counter‑measures.