[Year 12 Its] 2006 exam post mortem

Sat Nov 11 11:22:25 EST 2006

Hi Mark,

 Fantastic effort and no we don't have a current coroner except that I would 
try to throw in my comments on problematic questions only and we would take 
specific questions a little further after discussion. You are welcome to be 
the new coroner.

Section A comments I would make :

Q 1 Agree part (b) is ambiguous and type of network can have multiple 
descriptions. I felt client/server was my immediate thought due to the 
presence of the fileserver. The presence of a modem would indicate a gateway 
to an external link ( a WAN link) meaning this office is a LAN. The small 
geographic area and interconnected devices would also suggest LAN is a fair 
answer. So either LAN or Client/Server network.

Q 3. Switch and modem are totally different devices . A switch concentrates 
nodes in a LAN and a modem concentrates different LANs by linking them 
creating a WAN. A modem accesses a WAN link.

Your explanations are good Mark, except the statement about " They are 
commonly used to split one cable into many cables, like an electrical 
powerboard. " when referring to a switch. Your explanation is probably 
closer to a hub's definition as a switch does not split one cable but rather 
joins a number of separate cables through micro-segmentation at a hardware 
level and then breaks the micro segments once the data has finished 
transmitting.
A hub is actually one cable inside the box with extended parts to plug in 
nodes. So in that sense it does split one cable into many cables. A switch 
does not operate that way, hence the efficiency and lack of collisions in 
data transmissions.
 I won't get into the digital phone lines and DSLAMs and other technical 
aspects of how some modems operate at the digital level. However, it is good 
to mention the broadband signal aspect of cable modems which carry a number 
of different signals ( data, TV, telephony ) and the modem accesses the data 
band.  These are all IMHO.

Q 4.  I would specify the location of each activity. Eg. Virus scanning on 
the server would be a service running on a NOS usually provided by a third 
party but running as a service. On the client workstation the service would 
be provided by the OS of the workstation or even a third party application.
 In the Admin column I would add auditing logs of resource usage, allocation 
of resource usage limits eg printing, internet usage.  Since there is only 1 
of each required we have plenty to choose from.

Q5. Welcome to the next ambiguous question . As you correctly point out we 
don't know when the internet connection was installed. Is it analysis or is 
it evaluation ? They should accept both answers.

Q6. b) Since a DFD is a logical diagram ( vs a physical one such as System 
Flowchart ) the nature and type of the storage ( HDD, DVD, tape, serial , 
sequential or random access file , or even filing cabinet or manilla 
folder ) are not specified. Data store is the right answer without any 
qualification.
     c) I would agree with 1 of your data flows from the external entity ( 
Warehouse ) to the OPS ( online purchasing system overall ).  One rule with 
DFDs is that data flows cannot occur directly between external entities - 
they must go via a process. So I would send the invoice/receipt data flow 
from the warehouse back to the OPS system and the third mark would probably 
go to the data flow from the OPS system to the customer. There is an 
excellent book(let) covering this with nice gentle exercises ( System 
Documentaion Methods by Judy Adams ( Eastern House Tel 92136605 ) good for 
DFDs, System Flow Charts, etc ). I use it and love it.

Q7. When are we going to use the correct term for alphanumeric data type in 
programming languages as STRING instead of text ?

Q 8. ROM is changeable depending on the way it has been designed to be 
changed eg. EEPROM, PROM etc. I guess the Read Only aspect to ROM is really 
referring to the user during normal operation of the computer.

Q 9. The worst question in the exam as a router does not make a network more 
efficient - only more secure ( this is effectiveness) .  A router does not 
save time or effort in the operation of a network , be that for setup of a 
router or processing packets as it takes longer for a router to deal with 
data ( packets, layer 3 )  then it does for a switch ( frames , layer 2 ). A 
router splits up a network . A router is concentration device for different 
networks- it joins different networks or splits up networks into multiple 
sub-networks. A switch is a LAN concentration device - it connect different 
devices into one LAN.
The question does not say anything about a LAN having 2 departments where 
one should not see the other. A hierarchical design of a network would have 
access group switches concentrating each department's nodes. A number of 
these access group switches would be concentrated or connect to a backbone 
switch ( probably fibre optic media ) . The router would then come off the 
backbone switch or one access group switch as the gateway of the LAN to the 
outside world.
 So I would argue a router does not make a large network more efficient. A 
backbone switch with access group (departmental ) switches would make a 
network more efficient but not a router. A router requires different 
addressing schemes for each LAN that is connected to it. I will say more 
about this at a later time unless I am gagged.

Q10. Agree wholeheartedly.

 All of the above are my Humble Opinion. I do not intend to harm or upset, 
just help.

Welcome again Mark. I look forward to your presence on this list with 
enormous enthusiasm.

Best Wishes

Kevork Krozian
Mailing List Creator and Administrator
kevork at edulists.com.au
www.edulists.com.au
Tel: 0419 356 034
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark Kelly" <kel at mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au>
To: <is at edulists.com.au>
Sent: Friday, November 10, 2006 11:44 PM
Subject: [Year 12 Its] 2006 exam post mortem

> Hi all
>
> I don't want to stand on anyone's toes, but I thought I'd prepare for 2007 
> by having a bash at the 2006 IS exam.
>
> Then I thought I might as well do a post mortem.
>
> I extend my apologies for the presumptuous post mortem if there is an 
> existing IS exam coroner. I know I'm the new kid on the IS/SoD block.
>
> I've had a go at Section A so far.  Would appreciate feedback, especially 
> on the more parochial aspects such as interpretation of key words in IS 
> questions.
>
> All the fun of the fair is at
>
> http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au/la/it/ipmnotes/exam/IS2006/index.htm
>
> Please be gentle.  I haven't taught IS before.
>
> (And yes, I know the "IPM" in the URL is now anachronistic.  I spent a 
> good ten minutes arguing with myself whether to rename the directory 
> ITNOTES - but link inertia made me leave it as it was.  One quick 
> directory rename equals a thousand 404's for other people.)
>
> Cheers
>
> Mark K
>
> -- 
> Mark Kelly
> Manager - Information Systems
> McKinnon Secondary College
> McKinnon Rd McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
> Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085
> School Phone +613 8520 9000 << new number!
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>
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>
> I'm always spick, but I'm never span.
>
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