17.3 Information Systems Task-Wise Hardware Involved
Performance
Information system is a combination of three wares: userware, software, and
hardware, UW, SW, and HW, respectively (Fig. 17.5).
Thus information processing system might be described in terms of performance
of all three: UW, SW, and HW, as they all are involved in information processing.
It means that in the long-run performance and efficiency of the system depends on
userware, software, and hardware performance.
Their combination might have very peculiar form and mix. In terms of Fig. 17.5,
userware, software, and hardware might be connected to perform task as shown in
Fig. 17.6.
For real-time systems (and embedded systems especially), or general applications, computer systems over 30 years user features were ignored in terms of
overall system performance; it is great regret, we now press much more buttons and
click more clicks than 20 years ago achieving very disputable advantage, if any.
This is a subject of special study in UW-SW-HW systems. Here, we spend some
more time and analyze details of HW only. However, SW, especially system
software (further SSW) has serious impact on performance of hardware, it will be
also shown further.
Performance is about task completion in time allocated. The same principle of
task allocation and analysis might be applied further down, to the whole system
INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM
USERWARE
SOFTWARE
HARDWARE
Fig. 17.5 Information
system components
INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM
USERWARE
SOFTWARE
HARDWARE
y
x
Fig. 17.6 Information
system box: x + time = y as
three components, S, H, U
17.3 Information Systems Task-Wise Hardware Involved Performance
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