Computer Systems & Architecture

The computer has become an integral part of our lives. Apart from the computer you use to write your coursework and to communicate with friends, there is the computer technology embedded in your co ee maker that detects how hot to brew your co ee, in your mobile telephone, in the ticket reader that deducts your bus fare directly from your bus pass, in the ATM (automatic teller machine) that disposes your money for the week, etc. The list is huge and is getting longer each day. A computer system consists of hardware components that have been carefully chosen so that they work well together and software components or programs that run in the computer. The main software component is itself an operating system that manages and provides services to other programs that can be run in the computer. Computer architecture is a speci cation detailing how a set of software and hardware technology standards interact to form a computer system or platform. In short, computer architecture refers to how a computer system is designed and what technologies it is compatible with. As with other contexts and meanings of the word architecture, computer architecture is likened to the art of determining the needs of the user/system/technology, and creating a logical design and standards based on those requirements.