Computer systems Flashcards
Operating system
software that controls the computer’s hardware and software resources - acts as a bridge between user and computer hardware
Application Programming Interface (API)
layer of software that allows application programs to call on the services of the operating system
Memory management
optimizes the use of the computer or device’s internal memory so that memory is allocated efficiently between processes that are running
Processor scheduling
determines the order in which processes will be executed, which allows for multi-tasking
Scheduler
OS module responsible for making sure that processor time is used as efficiently as possible
Virtual memory
process of optimizing RAM storage by borrowing hard drive space
Backing store management
tracks where files and programs are stored and which parts are available for storage - allows user to move, delete and protect files and folders from unauthorised access
Peripheral management
ensures efficient communication with I/O devices and manages functionality issues
Interrupt handling
process of handling interrupt signal from a peripheral or software program that disrupts OS processing of its current list
Multi-tasking
appearance of running more than one application in memory simultaneously
Machine code
uses only zeros and ones to represent instructions
Accumulator
register inside the processor in which arithmetic calculations are carried out
Opcode
part of the instruction that specifies which operation the processor should perform
Operand
contains value/set of values relevant to opcode - can be actual data or reference to memory location of data
Assembly language
allows programmers to write human-readable code that represent binary equivalent in machine code
