PhilNITS IT Passport flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Two's complement

A method for representing negative binary integers: invert all bits of the positive value and add 1. It lets addition and subtraction share one circuit.

XOR gate

A logic gate whose output is 1 only when its inputs differ. It produces the sum bit in a half adder, while AND produces the carry bit.

Cache memory

Small, fast memory between the CPU and main memory that stores frequently used data. It reduces average access time compared with fetching everything from slower DRAM.

RAID 5

A storage configuration that stripes data with parity distributed across all disks. It tolerates one disk failure and continues operating, but a second failure loses data.

TCP versus UDP

TCP is connection-oriented, confirms delivery, and retransmits lost packets. UDP is connectionless with no delivery guarantee, suited to real-time streaming where speed matters more than reliability.

OSI reference model

A seven-layer networking model: physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application. Each layer provides services to the layer above it.

IPv4 address

A 32-bit address written as four decimal octets separated by dots. A /24 prefix fixes the first 24 bits and leaves 256 addresses in that network.

Relational database key

A primary key uniquely identifies each row. A foreign key references a primary key in another table and enforces referential integrity between related tables.

SQL SELECT

The statement that retrieves rows from tables. Clauses such as WHERE filter rows, GROUP BY aggregates them, and ORDER BY sorts the result set.

Public key cryptography

An asymmetric scheme using a key pair: the public key encrypts or verifies signatures, and the private key decrypts or signs. It also supports digital signatures.

SWOT analysis

A framework listing internal Strengths and Weaknesses alongside external Opportunities and Threats. It organizes the situation before strategy is chosen rather than selecting strategy itself.

Porter's Five Forces

A model of industry attractiveness: rivalry among existing firms, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, supplier bargaining power, and buyer bargaining power.

Break-even point

The sales volume at which total revenue equals total cost. In units it equals fixed costs divided by unit price minus variable cost per unit.

Net present value

The sum of future cash flows discounted at the cost of capital, minus the initial investment. A positive NPV means the project adds value.

Payback period

The time needed for cumulative cash inflows to recover the initial investment. It is simple but ignores the time value of money and later cash flows.

BCG matrix

A portfolio chart plotting products by market growth and relative share: stars, cash cows, question marks, and dogs. It guides where to invest or divest.

Core competence

A capability that customers value, is hard for competitors to imitate, and can be applied across several products. It underpins sustained competitive advantage.

CRM

Customer relationship management: strategy and systems for tracking customer contacts, purchases, and preferences to improve retention and tailor sales and service.

SCM

Supply chain management: coordinating procurement, production, inventory, and distribution across suppliers and partners to reduce cost and lead time.

ERP

Enterprise resource planning: integrated software sharing one database across finance, sales, inventory, and HR so departments use consistent, real-time data.

ITIL

A framework of best practices for IT service management covering service strategy, design, transition, operation, and continual improvement. It is not a certification standard.

COBIT

A governance framework for enterprise IT that defines processes and controls aligning IT with business goals, managing risk, and measuring performance.

Critical path

The longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project schedule. It determines the shortest possible project duration, and delay on it delays the whole project.

Earned value management

A technique comparing planned value, earned value, and actual cost. Cost variance is EV minus AC; schedule variance is EV minus PV.

Incident versus problem

An incident is an unplanned interruption or service degradation restored as quickly as possible. A problem is the underlying root cause investigated to prevent recurrence.

Service level agreement

A contract between a service provider and customer specifying measurable service levels such as availability and response time, plus remedies when targets are missed.

CIA triad

Three information security goals: confidentiality limits disclosure to authorized parties, integrity keeps data accurate and unaltered, availability ensures timely access to services.

Least privilege

A security principle granting users and programs only the access rights needed to perform their tasks, limiting damage if an account is compromised.

Multi-factor authentication

Authentication requiring two or more different factor types, such as a password plus a one-time code or fingerprint, so a stolen password alone is insufficient.

RPO and RTO

Recovery point objective is the maximum acceptable data loss measured in time. Recovery time objective is the maximum acceptable downtime after a failure.

Nondisclosure agreement

A contract in which a party promises to keep specified confidential information secret and not misuse it, commonly signed before sharing technical details with partners.

Compliance

Adherence to laws, regulations, standards, and internal policies, such as personal data protection rules. Organizations verify it through audits and documented controls.