2.1 Case Study: Microsoft

Question 1

1.

What where the three areas of Windows development

Answer 1

1. MS-DOS
   * Single User Design
   * 16 Bit
   * No Multitasking
   * Text Based command Interpreter
2. NT
   * New Kernel Technology
   * Designed to largely simulate DOS
   * New CPU capabilities
   * Better Memory Protection
   * NFTS File System
3. Windows modern UI
   * Windows 8 introduces new User Interface
   * Accessible on wide range of Devices

Question 2

How did Microsoft Windows originate?

Answer 2

• The origins of Windows are rooted in an older operating system called MS-DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System).
• The first versions of Windows were extensions of MS-DOS, distinguished by their graphical user interface.

Question 3

What is the significance of the NT kernel in Windows development?

Answer 3

• Increased CPU capabilities
• Better memory Protection
• NTFS File System
• Remained compatible with DOS based applications

Question 4

What changes did Windows 8 introduce in terms of user interface?

Answer 4

• Windows 8 introduced the Modern UI, a redesign aimed at the new generation of computing devices.
• This interface revised many familiar concepts to suit a broader range of devices, initially intended for use with Windows Store Apps.
• Due to user resistance, some traditional elements were reinstated alongside Modern UI features.

Question 5

What are the key components of the Windows kernel structure?

Answer 5

• Interruption handling
• Hardware-related CPU management
• Process and thread management
• Virtual memory management
• Input/output management

It is supplemented by various device drivers and a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) offering machine-oriented interfaces.

Question 6

How does the Win32 API contribute to Windows functionality?

Answer 6

• Standardized access to a comprehensive system library
• Abstracting the system calls in the Windows kernel

Question 7

What are the two main windows File Systems?

Answer 7

• FAT
• NFTS

Question 8

FAT

Answer 8

• Older File System Developed by Microsoft
• Primarily used for Floppy Disks and Hard Drives
• Simplicity and wide compatibility

Question 9

NFTS

Answer 9

• More Advanced File System
• Introduced with Windows NT
• improved support for metadata
• advanced data structures to improve performance, reliability, and disk space utilization.

Question 10

What are the key features of NTFS that are not present in FAT?

Answer 10

Journaling:
* Ensures Integrity of File System structure
* Even in system crash or failure

File permissions and encryption

Disk Quota Management:
* enabling administrators to control how much disk space each user can use.

Compression

Question 11

Why might FAT still be used today?

Answer 11

Compatibility: FAT, especially FAT32, is widely compatible with a vast array of devices and operating systems, including non-Windows systems like macOS and Linux, as well as many embedded systems, cameras, and other portable devices.

Simplicity: For small volumes or devices where the advanced features of NTFS are not required, FAT’s simplicity can result in less overhead and better performance.

Question 12

HAL

Answer 12

Hardware Abstraction layer
Interdace for OS to interact with complex Hardware functions

Question 13

Whats in the Hardware Level of WIndows

Answer 13

• CPU
• MMU
• Interrupt Controller
• Main Memory