2007 HSC Paper - Section III

Section III of the 2007 HSC Paper consists of 4 option topic questions with sub-questions a, b and c, with a and b divided into sub-questions i and ii. Only two of these questions must be answered, the option topics covered here being Transaction Processing Systems and Multimedia Systems. This page provides dot-point answers to each question and a reference that can justify each answer. As such, this page is best used in conjunction with the paper open in a separate window or tab.

References follow the following format:
 * (Area of study) [source] page number/url


 * [1] Refers to 'Information Processes and Technology HSC Course' by Peter Ware + Paul Cheleski + Bill Chivers
 * [2] Refers to 'Information Processes and Technology HSC Course' (2007), by Sam Davis
 * [3] Refers to 'Information Processes and Technology The Preliminary Course' (2004), by Sam Davis
 * [4] Refers to non-textbook resources such as websites.

Question 25a(i)
[1] p82, p144
 * Data Validation refers to the real-time checking of data to ensure it is reasonable and meets certain criteria.
 * An example of data valiation is the use of data forms to ensure data is entered in the correct format

Question 25a(ii)
[1] p142-143
 * Real-time processing refers to the processing that occurs as data arrives, e.g. a thermostat sending temperature-change data to an environmental control computer.
 * Batch processing refers to the group processing of previously collected data, requiring no human interaction e.g. scheduling multiple computer tasks to run at a set time.

Question 25b(i)

 * An external/off-site backup storage of the data would allow backing the data up from the central database. That is, the important data, and given that the external database is able to accommodate the amount of data from the central database. This may be used in the case of losing the data to a fire, in which a copy of the data is in another place. The backup medium may include an external hard drive, or a magnetic type to store the data. A proper recovery procedure is also needed to be in place.
 * Assuming that the person is known to the health department, then the database could contain the information regarding the person. It slows the process, however, but it still allows said person access to the benefits of a person with a smart card. In the absence of a smart card, the person may give his or her details to the department and a search engine may be used in the system in order to identify any records of said person. The department would confirm the identity by asking a question regarding the data of the person. For example: Their address, name, or date of birth.

Question 28a(i)
A heads-up display device is a device which allows for the displaying of data onto a transparent screen so that a viewer does not need to look away from a certain angle to view the data. Heads-up display devices are less intrusive than heads-up display headsets which generally used for 3d projection rather than viewing information. Heads-up display devices are found in military planes and on some pilot helmets to assist in information reading (the pilots do not need to move their view away from in front, allowing for greater efficiency).

[1] p286-287; [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head-up_display

Question 28a(ii)
Morphing refers to the animation technique wherein one image appears to turns into another, the image altered pixel-by-pixel through the sequence, while distortion refers to the editing of a single image to alter its final appearance.

[1] p279

Question 28b(i)
[420 x 320 x 8] / 8 x 1024 [4] http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/ipt/mm_systems/3289/image_file_size.htm
 * The 420 x 320 represents the amount of pixels onscreen (the screen size is 420 by 320)
 * The first 8 comes from the 256 colours having a bit depth of 8 (2^8 = 256)
 * The 8 x 1024 represents conversion from bytes to kilobytes