ISQA424 Midterm Exam Info & Review

1. ISQA424 Midterm ExamInfo & Review Spring 2001

2. Overview • Exam covers first-half of term (ch 1,2,3,4,6) • Anything in the book is fair game • it’s good to have read it, and to read it over to clarify anything that didn’t make sense before • Anything in the lectures is fair game • lectures highlight chapter content • things covered twice (lecture & book) are probably important (hint, hint) • if the book and RCK disagree, go with RCK • You’ll have the whole period • but probably won’t need it continued

3. Midterm format • Multiple choice, True/False (1 pt. each) • quick hits on terms, acronyms and details • Fill-in-the-blank (2 pts. each) • good way to test terms/concepts • Short essay (variable weights) • much like “case projects” (from text)in miniature • don’t write a book, but do be complete • point is to show me you understand the concept • good way to ask about tradeoffs • … and a couple extra credit questions

4. Midterm format • Closed-book, closed-notes • no note cards or summary sheets, either • Bring a Scantron™ sheet • form 882-ES, available in bookstore • bookstore is probably open, in case you forget • fill in the dots carefully • judgment of the machine is final • Bring a Scantron-compatible pencil • Essays can be pencil or pen

5. How to prepare • Be familiar with the material • book has review questions in each chapter (we’ll do many of those in class today) • Be familiar with terms • book has key terms at end of each chapter, glossary near the end • don’t try to memorize everything (esp. when hints given in lecture) • do, however, be prepared to understand terms in a question, and/or use them in your answer continued

6. How to prepare • Study main concepts • NT features, goals • network - topology (logical and phys), media, cabling, protocols, tradeoffs among alternatives • storage - hardware, system design, partitions, fault tolerance • this is not an all-inclusive list • Use ISQA424 list for questions • groupthink is a good thing • remember grade adjustment for list use • or, E-mail me if you prefer continued

7. How to prepare • Rob’s philosophy • If you grok* the material, you can derive many answers • figure them out by relating concepts • or from context of the problem • Some details aren’t worth memorizing • hints given in lecture • … but some details are essential (of course!) • be conversant with any term • understand how details affect decisions • *grok (gr¼k) tr.v. Slang. To understand profoundly through intuition or empathy. [Coined by Robert A. Heinlein in novel Stranger in a Strange Land.]

8. NT overall goals/features sharing resources client/server appls. Server HW CPU, memory, bus NIC and disks Server Configuration planning, installing, configuration choices workgroup/domain Networks topology/media protocols design issues & tradeoffs Storage filesystems partitioning, volumes fault tolerance (mirror, duplex, striping) backups & tradeoffs virtual memory Study Guide

9. Questions?