Software Deconstruct
NOTE : This article has been written for a specific purpose and a specific audience.
What is a software. Simply speaking it is a series of instructions to a piece of hardware to perform certain tasks. Hardware by itself cannot do anything until instructed by a set of instructions. A simple storage device like a Hard Disk Drive also has a built in software called Firmware.
Types of Software based on architecture
There are three broad types of software. Standalone, Web Based application and Client Server configuration.
- A Standalone software is installed and used on a single PC
- A Web based Application or software is one that can be accessed by a Web Browser like Internet Explorer. The end user is now platform independent.
- Client Server configuration means that at the client end there is an application or EXE file installed which interacts with the server to carry out transactions.
Types of Software based on configuration
We can have the broad three types as follows.
- Enterprise Software or Custom made software. A software or application made specifically for a purpose or specific needs of an organisation
- Commercial Off the Shelf Software or COTS. A common purpose software or application designed and sold with the single aim of global sales. Periodically revised and support is also provided for buyers or users.
- Open Source Application Software. A software with the source code open to public.
Software repair approach to a Desktop PC
A Desktop PC will typically have a Windows or Linux OS installed with office application suite like MS Office. It may have a couple of other software like antivirus or Disk Cleaner tools. It will also have a specialised software like photo or video editing. Trouble shooting of the OS primarily means patch updates or disk cleanups. The technician can also check for missing drivers and some non functional software. Antivirus or Internet Security Suites updates and scan is important.
Software repairs to a Server PC
A tech with simple training may handle a Desktop PC with ease. But for a Server PC, only proper training gives the tech to handle server repairs with confidence. Hardware failure in servers is rare. So it all boils down to settings and configuration like RAID or Management Consoles for running services or role of the server.
Software repairs to Enterprise or custom application
Integrated Development Environment or IDE is used to develop applications. An IDE can be a paid one like MS Visual Studio or a free one like NetBeans or Eclipse. With the source code available, any programmer can easily carry out modifications to the software. Patch management is easy, even when source code is not available. A custom application can run on any standalone system almost endless.
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