Circuit and Packet Switching, User-Defined Data Types - (A2 Level)

Total Marks - 75 Name: ............................................. Date: ...../...../........

(1) (a) A network can be set up using a star topology. Give three features of a star topology.
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(b) (i) Describe what is meant by circuit switching.
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(ii) The table shows statements that relate to circuit switching, packet switching or both. Tick
(✓) one or more boxes in each row to show whether the statement applies to circuit
switching, packet switching or both.

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(2) An email is sent from one email server to another using packet switching.
(a) State two items that are contained in an email packet apart from the data.
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(b) Explain the role of routers in sending an email from one email server to another.
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(c) Sending an email message is an appropriate use of packet switching. Explain why this is
the case.
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(d) Packet switching is not always an appropriate solution. Name an alternative
communication method of transferring data in a digital network.
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(e) Name an application for which the method identified in part (d) is an appropriate solution.
Justify your choice.
Application ................................................................................................................................
Justification ...............................................................................................................................
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(3) (a) Explain what is meant by circuit switching.
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(b) There are many applications in which digital data are transferred across a network. Video
conferencing is one of these. For this application, circuit switching is preferable to the use of
packet switching. Explain why this is so.
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(c) A web page is transferred from a web server to a home computer using the Internet.
Explain how the web page is transferred using packet switching.
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(4) Emails are transmitted across the Internet using packet switching and routing tables.
(i) Give four items of data in an IP data packet.
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(ii) Describe two benefits of using packet switching.
Benefit 1 ............................................................................................................................
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Benefit 2 ............................................................................................................................
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(iii) Give two items of data stored in a routing table.
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(5) (a) A web browser is used to request and display a page stored on an internet web server.
Explain how each of the following items is used in this event.
(i) Packet: .........................................................................................................................
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(ii) Router: ........................................................................................................................
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(iii) TCP/IP: ......................................................................................................................
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(b) The Internet can be used for video conferencing. Data can be transmitted over the Internet
using either packet switching or circuit switching.
(i) State two problems that could arise if video conferencing were to use packet switching.
Problem 1 ..........................................................................................................................
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Problem 2 ..........................................................................................................................
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(ii) Explain what is meant by circuit switching.
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(iii) Explain how the use of circuit switching overcomes the problems you have identified in
part (i).
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(6) (a) Consider the following user-defined data type:

TYPE LibraryBookRecord
DECLARE ISBN : INTEGER
DECLARE Title : STRING
ENDTYPE
(i) Write a pseudocode statement to declare a variable, Book, of type LibraryBookRecord.
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(ii) Write a pseudocode statement that assigns ‘Dune’ to the Title of Book.
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(b) The user-defined data type LibraryBookRecord needs to be modified by adding the
following fields:
• a field called Genre which can take two values, fiction, or non-fiction
• a field called NumberOfLoans which can be an integer value in the range 1 to 99
Write the updated version of LibraryBookRecord.
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(c) A pointer is a variable that stores the address of a variable of a particular type. Consider
the code, which uses the following identifiers:

IntVar ß 57 // assigns the value 57 to the integer

// variable IntVar
IntPointer ß @IntVar // assigns to IntPointer the address of the
// integer variable IntVar
Temp2 ß IntPointer^ // assigns to variable Temp2 the value at an
// address pointed at by IntPointer
IntPointer^ ß Temp1 // assigns the value in the variable Temp1 to
// the memory location pointed at by IntPointer
The four assignment statements are executed. The diagram shows the memory contents after
execution.

Use the diagram to state the current values of the following expressions:
(i) @Temp2 .........................................................................................................................[1]
(ii) IntPointer .......................................................................................................................[1]
(iii) IntPointer^ ....................................................................................................................[1]
(iv) IntPointer^ = Temp2 + 6 ...............................................................................................[1]

(d) Write pseudocode statements that will achieve the following:

(i) Assign the value 22 to the variable Temp2.
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(ii) Place the address of Temp1 in IntPointer.
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(iii) Copy the value in Temp2 into the memory location currently pointed at by IntPointer.
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(7) (a) Describe the purpose of a user-defined data type.
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(b) Define, using pseudocode, the following enumerated data types:
(i) SchoolDay to hold data about the days students are usually in school.
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(ii) WeekEnd to hold data about the days that are not school days.
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(c) Define, using pseudocode, the composite data type ClubMeet. This will hold data about
club members that includes:

• first name and last name

• the two days they attend:
○ one on a school day
○ one not on a school day.

Use the enumerated types you created in part (b).

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