NATIONAL

SENIOR CERTIFICATE

GRADE 12

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY P2

FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

MARKS: 150

TIME: 3 hours

This question paper consists of 16 pages.

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INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

1. This question paper consists of SIX sections:

SECTION A: Short questions (15)

SECTION B: Systems Technologies (24)
SECTION C: Communication and Network Technologies (25)
SECTION D: Data and Information Management (27)
SECTION E: Solution Development (25)
SECTION F: Integrated Scenario (34)

2. Read ALL the questions carefully.

3. Answer ALL the questions.

4. The mark allocation generally gives an indication of the number of

facts/reasons required.

5. Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this
question paper.

6. Write neatly and legibly.

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SECTION A: SHORT QUESTIONS

QUESTION 1

1.1 Give ONE word/term for each of the following descriptions. Write only the
word/term next to the question number (1.1.1–1.1.10) in the ANSWER BOOK.

1.1.1 A company that has a permanent, fast connection to the Internet

and sells Internet access and services at a monthly fee (1)

1.1.2 Initiatives to design, use and dispose of technology in an

environmentally friendly way (1)

1.1.3 A series of steps that need to be followed when designing a

database to ensure that no data redundancy occurs (1)

1.1.4 Software that is stored permanently on the ROM chip of a device,

such as a printer, to control the basic operation of the device (1)

1.1.5 A protocol used for the transfer of large files between computers by
means of an Internet connection (1)

1.1.6 Software that translates programming instructions written in a

high-level language into a file with an '.exe' extension that can be
run independently of the programming language (1)

1.1.7 A field of study that involves simulation of human decision-making

processes by a computer system that is programmed to react on
input received from sensors (1)

1.1.8 This component generates pulses at regular frequencies to control

the activities of the motherboard (1)

1.1.9 A technology used by devices to automatically give a notification

that a new message has arrived (1)

1.1.10 The key field in a database table that links to the primary key in
another database table in order to create a relationship between the
two tables (1)

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1.2 Various options are provided as possible answers to the following questions.
Choose the answer and write only the letter (A–D) next to the question
number (1.2.1–1.2.5) in the ANSWER BOOK, for example 1.2.6 E.

1.2.1 The concept of packaging data and procedures into a single object
to prevent access from outside the object is called …

A an object code.
B encapsulation.
C an object program.
D a control structure. (1)

1.2.2 This type of test is performed by end-users and focuses on the

functionality of a system and the validation of the fitness for use:

A Integration
B Systems
C Unit
D Acceptance (1)

1.2.3 A range check ...

A ensures that users enter only alphabetic data into a field.

B determines whether the data entered is within a fixed set of
values.
C ensures that users enter only numeric data into a field.
D verifies that a required field contains data. (1)

1.2.4 The deliberate disruption of computer access to an Internet service

such as the Web or e-mail by overloading the network with a large
number of requests is known as a …

A zombie.
B virus hoax.
C trojan horse.
D denial-of-service attack.

1.2.5 Determine the number of times the instructions inside the nested
loop below will be executed:

Loop with counter1 from 1 to 4

Loop with counter2 from (counter1 + 1) to 5
Instructions to be executed
End loop
End loop

A 10
B 20
C 12
D 9 (1)

TOTAL SECTION A: 15
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SCENARIO

At the end of each year your school updates the stock registers for all departments.
The IT learners have been asked to help with the stocktaking process.

SECTION B: SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGIES

QUESTION 2

The laptop computer used by the Mathematics department for stocktaking purposes
has the following technical specifications and software installed:

15.6" 360o rotating touch-screen monitor

Core i7 4510U 3.1 GHz processor
8 GB DDR3 RAM
1 TB 7200 rpm HDD
USB 3.0 port and USB 2.0 port
HDMI port and an SD card reader
RJ45 LAN jack and Gigabit Ethernet
Bluetooth 4.0
Integrated graphics processor
Windows 8.1 operating system
Instant-on functionality

2.1 Explain why each of the following components is essential for the functioning
of any computer:

2.1.1 ROM (1)

2.1.2 RAM (1)

2.2 State ONE advantage of a touch-screen monitor. (1)

2.3 State ONE disadvantage of using a mechanical/conventional hard disk drive

(HDD) in a laptop computer. (1)

2.4 Windows 8.1 is the operating system on the laptop computer.

2.4.1 State TWO aspects of memory management that the operating

system is responsible for. (2)

2.4.2 State TWO other functions (except memory management) of the

operating system. (2)

2.5 There is no DVD drive in the specifications above.

Give a reason why DVD drives are no longer included in modern devices. (1)

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2.6 What is the purpose of the Ethernet port? (1)

2.7 What effect would the use of a separate graphics processor have on the
functioning of the laptop computer? (1)

2.8 A flash disk is normally plugged into a USB port.

2.8.1 How will a flash disk communicate that it requires the attention of the
operating system? (1)

2.8.2 Explain why a flash disk is known as a plug-and-play device. (2)

2.9 Cache memory is found on, or near, the CPU in a computer.

2.9.1 What is the purpose of cache memory? (2)

2.9.2 Briefly explain what disk caching is. (2)

2.10 ScanDisk, that checks the hard drive for errors, is an example of utility
software on a computer.

2.10.1 Explain the term utility software. (2)

2.10.2 Give an example of utility software that rearranges the files on a disk
for faster retrieval. (1)

2.11 Many applications use complex graphics that require a large amount of RAM
storage when executed.

Explain how virtual memory is used to allow large applications to be executed. (3)

TOTAL SECTION B: 24

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SECTION C: COMMUNICATION AND NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES

QUESTION 3

The school has set up a network for all classrooms and computer centres in the
building. There is a computer in each classroom and each computer centre has
40 computers linked in a network.

Administration building

Eight computers networked

Server

Wireless access
point
Building with Building with
classrooms classrooms

Computer Centre A Computer Centre B

Office with
40 computers file server 40 computers
networked networked

3.1 Motivate the setup of the network by answering the following questions:

3.1.1 What is the primary function of a file server? (1)

3.1.2 A star topology is used in the computer centres.

(a) Describe the term topology. (1)

(b) State TWO advantages of a star topology. (2)

(c) Name ONE network device that is an essential part of a

network using a star topology. (1)

3.1.3 Each computer needs an NIC to be part of the cabled network.

What is the specific role of the NIC in a network, other than

connecting the cables to the computer? (1)

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3.1.4 The following Internet protocol (IP) address has been assigned to
one of the computers in Computer Centre A:

(a) What is an IP address? (1)

(b) Why should another computer on the same network (LAN) not
be assigned the same IP address? (1)

3.2 The server in the administration building is connected to an ADSL Internet line
with a 2 Mbps connection speed. The data package used by the school can
either be capped or uncapped.

3.2.1 Explain the meaning of the term data cap. (1)

3.2.2 The administration staff is complaining about the low bandwidth of

the connection.

What does bandwidth refer to? (1)

3.3 A wireless access point has been installed in the middle of the school grounds
(see diagram on previous page) to enable the computers in the classrooms to
share the Internet connection with the administration building.

3.3.1 Explain a possible problem with sharing the Internet access. (2)

3.3.2 Due to the poor Internet connection, some teachers requested to

have a 3G connection in their classrooms.

What would be a disadvantage of using a 3G connection? (1)

3.4 Stock data is available online to the learners who are helping with the
stocktaking process.

3.4.1 State TWO advantages of storing data online rather than locally on a
hard drive. (2)

3.4.2 Which technique is used to ensure that all the devices have access
to the most up-to-date information when stored data is shared
between devices? (1)

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3.5 With Internet access available on the school grounds, learners are using
e-mail facilities, downloading educational material and attending online
lessons. All these services use specific protocols.

3.5.1 What is a protocol? (1)

3.5.2 Differentiate between a POP3 and an SMTP protocol. (2)

3.5.3 VoIP is also used when lessons are presented over the Internet.

State TWO implications/disadvantages of using VoIP. (2)

3.6 The table below shows some network vulnerabilities and ways/techniques to
solve or prevent these problems.

Choose a solution/preventative measure from COLUMN B that matches the

network vulnerability in COLUMN A. Write only the letter (A–F) next to the
question number (3.6.1–3.6.4) in the ANSWER BOOK, for example
3.6.5 antispam.

COLUMN A: COLUMN B:
NETWORK VULNERABILITY SOLUTION/PREVENTION
3.6.1 Trojan applications that install A locking up server rooms
themselves on the system
B antivirus software
3.6.2 Hacking into the system from
outside the network C encryption

3.6.3 Unexpected breaks in the power D firewall

supply
E UPS
3.6.4 Get access to confidential
information which is sent across F controlled administrative
the Internet rights
(4 x 1) (4)

TOTAL SECTION C: 25

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SECTION D: DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

QUESTION 4

A central database has been created for the school to record the stock items of each
department during the stocktaking process.

4.1 The following tables have been designed for the database:

tblDepartment
tblStockItems
Key FieldName
1 Key FieldName
DepartmentID ItemID
DepName ItemName
DepContactName ItemQuantity
DepExtensionNum ∞ ItemCost
DepartmentID

Example of data in the tblDepartment table:

tblDepartment
DepartmentID DepName DepContactName DepExtensionNum
D12 Afrikaans Mrs De Bruin X201
D15 History Mr J Pillay X206
D16 Civil Technology Mr K Mahlangu X214

Example of data in the tblStockItems table:

tblStockItems
ItemID ItemName ItemQuantity ItemCost DepartmentID
Desktop
A1 4 R2 500 D12
MN073X
Laptop
B2 3 R8 000 D17
HP 64 bit
Laptop
B4 5 R4 500 D06
Acer 32 bit
Printer
C5 2 R2 090 D12
HP F370M
Scanner
D6 1 R1 050 D11
LG253
Laptop Computer
B5 1 R6 300 D16
Lenovo i5

NOTE:

• The ItemQuantity field refers to the number of items for each item
indicated in the ItemName field.
• The ItemCost field refers to the cost of a single item.

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4.1.1 Suggest a suitable data type for the ItemCost field. (1)

4.1.2 Use the data in the tables (on the previous page) and give an
example that explains the one-to-many relationship that exists
between the tblDepartment and the tblStockItems tables. (2)

4.1.3 Write SQL statements for each of the following queries:

(a) Display all details from the tblStockItems table sorted in

alphabetical order by ItemName. (3)

(b) An HP F370M printer of the Afrikaans department (D12) was

left off the stock list and must be included.

Change the existing number of printers for this specific

department by updating the quantity. (4)

(c) Display the department name and the total stock value for
each department in a new field called TotalValue. (6)

4.1.4 An incomplete SQL statement that displays a list of all the laptop
computers and the number of laptop computers is given below.

SELECT ItemName, ItemQuantity FROM

tblStockItems WHERE ___(a)___

Write only the missing code at (a) to complete the statement. (2)

4.2 Due to the number of people who need access, the database has been
moved from a stand-alone desktop to a server. DBMS software was installed
on the server to handle access to the database.

4.2.1 Expand the acronym DBMS. (1)

4.2.2 Name TWO actions that the DBMS software allows the user to
perform on the data in the database. (2)

4.3 Larger businesses will use a database distributed over several servers.

4.3.1 Give TWO reasons why it might not be feasible to have a larger
number of users accessing a single database on a single server. (2)

4.3.2 Name TWO models that can be used for data synchronisation in a
distributed database. (2)

4.3.3 Explain how transaction processing ensures data integrity in a

distributed database model. (2)

TOTAL SECTION D: 27

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SECTION E: SOLUTION DEVELOPMENT

QUESTION 5

The IT learners are writing programs to assist with the stocktaking process.

5.1 A two-dimensional array called arrStock has been used to record the
quantities of the four items for the four departments, as shown in the table
below.

NOTE: The array contains only the values shown in the table below.

Afrikaans History Tourism Design Total

Desktop 4 0 12 0
Laptop 0 2 1 5
Printer 2 1 1 0
Scanner 0 1 0 1

Write pseudocode to calculate the total stock per item and store these values
in the array. (5)

5.2 Various errors can occur while coding and executing a program.

5.2.1 The three common types of errors are syntax, logical and runtime
errors.

Identify the type of error for each process in the table below.
Write down only the correct answer next to the question numbers
(5.2.1(a)–5.2.1(c)).

TYPE
ERROR
OF ERROR
MESSAGE
ERROR
(a) No semicolon entered at the end of an Missing
instruction semicolon
(b) The stock value is calculated incorrectly as No error
stockValue = quantity – itemPrice message
(c) A variable is created as an integer data
type to store the number of items. When
the program runs, the user enters the word
'seventeen' instead of the number 17 in Data-type
the GUI component. mismatch (3)

5.2.2 When writing methods, parameters are sometimes used to obtain

values from the calling statement.

Name TWO aspects that must be taken into consideration when

providing the arguments (actual parameters) in a call statement. (2)

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5.3 Each line of the text file called StockDetails.txt is used to store the room
number, the description of the items and the quantity of the stock item issued
to the room.

The format of the data in each line of the text file is as follows:

<Room number>;<Description>#<Quantity Issued>

Example of data in the text file:

101;Laptop#5
102;Whiteboard#1
101;Whiteboard#1
102;Tablet#25
104;Tablet#20
:

5.3.1 The following incomplete algorithm has been supplied:

1. Open the text file StockDetails.txt for

reading
2. Counter  0
3. Loop until the end of the StockDetails.txt
file
4. …

The number of tablets and the room numbers where the tablets are
used must be stored in two parallel arrays.

Complete the algorithm to read the text file and populate the arrays
with the room numbers and the stock quantity of tablets issued to
those room numbers.

NOTE: Do NOT rewrite the first three statements of the algorithm. (6)

5.3.2 Although the text file was created and the filename was spelt
correctly, when trying to access the file from another program the
following message was displayed:

Give a possible reason why this message was displayed. (1)

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5.4 The following pseudocode was given to develop a program that must
generate four numeric values:

arrNumbers is declared as an array that can store the four numeric values as
integer values.

j  1
Loop from first position of array to last position of
array
k  square(j)
arrNumbers[loop counter]  number of values + k
if j modulus 2 = 0 then
arrNumbers[loop counter]  round(arrNumbers[loop
counter - 1]/3)
j  j + 1

NOTE: The modulus operation gives the remainder as a result of division by

an integer.

Redraw and complete the trace table below to determine the four numeric
values in the arrNumbers array if number of values has a value of 4.

number loop arrNumbers[loop

j k j modulus 2 = 0?
of values counter counter]
4
(8)

TOTAL SECTION E: 25

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SECTION F: INTEGRATED SCENARIO

QUESTION 6

The learners who are helping with stocktaking are using their own mobile devices to
record data and to communicate with each other and the administrators.

6.1 Surveillance cameras and other mechanisms have been installed in the
school buildings as part of the security process to monitor all the stock.

6.1.1 Name TWO security techniques that the school could implement to
provide access control to the server room. (2)

6.1.2 The Mpeg 4 compression standard used for the recorded security
videos uses lossy compression.

(a) Explain the benefit of using compression. (2)

(b) Briefly explain what lossy compression entails. (1)

6.1.3 The administrators used an audit trail to keep track of the stock
throughout the year.

(a) Explain what an audit trail is. (1)

(b) Name TWO types of information that should be recorded for

audit purposes. (2)

6.2 Encryption is used when data about stock values are communicated over the
Internet.

6.2.1 What does it mean to encrypt data? (2)

6.2.2 A technique such as SSL uses public/private key encryption.

Briefly explain the difference between the public key and private key
in this security standard. (3)

6.3 The school principal wants to be able to access security video footage after
school hours from his home. School staff members and security personnel
from outside the school also need access to this material.

6.3.1 Suggest TWO different techniques that will make secure access to
the server containing the security video footage possible. (2)

6.3.2 Differentiate between an intranet and an extranet. Also, indicate who

would be included in an intranet and an extranet in this context. (2)

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6.4 Learners spend a lot of time using their mobile devices to do stocktaking.

Suggest TWO ways in which the learners can extend the battery life of their
mobile devices while they are using these devices. (2)

6.5 Some of the stock items have been fitted with RFID tags.

6.5.1 Briefly explain what RFID technology is. (2)

6.5.2 State TWO advantages of using RFID technology when doing

stocktaking. (2)

6.6 Bluetooth technology is used to transfer the data from the mobile devices to
the data server.

6.6.1 Explain what Bluetooth technology is. (2)

6.6.2 Give ONE reason why Bluetooth is a suitable technology to use in

this case. (1)

6.7 The database administrator has decided to rent a server from a cloud-based
service in which to store the stock database.

6.7.1 To what does a cloud-based service refer? (1)

6.7.2 Using cloud-based services is a form of outsourcing.

Explain what outsourcing is in this context. (2)

6.7.3 State TWO benefits for the school if they were to outsource the data
server. (2)

6.7.4 Companies that provide cloud services split the resources of a

powerful machine between users to make it appear as if each user
has access to his/her own web server.

What is this technique called? (1)

6.7.5 State TWO duties of the database administrator. (2)

TOTAL SECTION F: 34
GRAND TOTAL: 150

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