Flashcards
Describe the role of the Object manager in Windows
The Object manager creates, manages, and deletes Windows objects representing resources like processes, threads, and synchronization objects.
What is the function of the Windowing and graphing system in Windows?
The Windowing and graphing system implements the graphical user interface (GUI) controls and illustrations.
How does the Plug-and-play manager contribute to Windows operation?
The Plug-and-play manager determines and loads the drivers required to support specific devices.
Define the responsibility of the Power manager in Windows
The Power manager coordinates power consumption among devices and can reduce power usage by shutting down idle devices or setting the processor to sleep.
Describe the role of the Security reference monitor in Windows
The Security reference monitor enforces access validation and audit rules for protected objects like files, processes, and I/O devices.
What is the function of the Virtual memory manager in Windows?
The Virtual memory manager manages virtual addresses, physical memory, and paging files on disk.
How does the Configuration manager contribute to Windows operation?
The Configuration manager implements and manages the system registry, storing system-wide and per-user settings.
Define the purpose of the Advanced local procedure call (ALPC) facility in Windows
The ALPC facility implements an efficient cross-process call mechanism for communication between local processes and subsystems.
Describe the Windows Kernel in the context of the OS
The Windows Kernel is considered the core software of the operating system.
Describe the role of the Kernel in an operating system.
The Kernel controls the execution of processors, manages thread scheduling, process switching, exception and interrupt handling, and multiprocessor synchronization.
What is the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) responsible for in an operating system?
The HAL isolates the OS from platform-specific hardware variances, making each computer’s system bus, DMA controller, interrupt manager, system timers, and memory controller appear the same.
Define User-mode Processes in an operating system.
User-mode Processes include special system processes, service processes, device drivers, and environment subsystems that provide different operating system environments.
How do Device drivers contribute to an operating system?
Device drivers are dynamic libraries that extend the functionality of the Windows Executive by including hardware device drivers that translate user I/O function calls into specific hardware device I/O requests.
Describe the role of Environment subsystems in an operating system.
Environment subsystems provide different operating system environments and support POSIX and Win32 subsystems by containing processes shared among all applications.
What are User applications in an operating system?
User applications include executable programs (EXE) and dynamic link libraries (DLLs) that provide the functionality a user needs to make use of the system.
Explain the function of the Shell in a classic UNIX system.
The Shell supports system calls from applications, other interface software, and components of the C compiler, allowing interaction with hardware.
Describe the development history of the classic UNIX system.
The classic UNIX system was developed at Bell Labs, partly written in assembly language, and later converted into C language.
Describe the original name of UNIX and its meaning.
UNIX was initially called Uniplexed Information and Computing Service (UNICS).
Define the three levels of the architecture of classic UNIX.
The three levels are User level, Hardware level, and System kernel.
How does a classic UNIX system handle concurrent access to data structures by multiple processors?
Classic UNIX lacks the ability to protect its data structures from concurrent access by multiple processors.
Do modern UNIX systems have a modular architecture?
Yes, modern UNIX systems have a modular architecture.
Describe the role of the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) in the development of UNIX.
BSD played an important role in the development of UNIX design theory and in releasing commercial UNIX products.
Define the components of a modern UNIX system kernel.
Components include process control, memory management, device drivers, and hardware control.
How are common facilities in a modern UNIX system implemented?
Common facilities are implemented as loadable modules that can be automatically loaded and unloaded.
Describe the structure of the Linux operating system.
The Linux operating system is composed of independent loadable modules that provide various functions and services.
Describe the characteristics of Linux loadable modules.
Dynamic linking allows modules to be loaded and linked into the kernel while it is executing, and stackable modules are arranged hierarchically.
What is the significance of System V Release 4 (SVR4)?
It was a joint development by AT&T and Sun Microsystems to provide a uniform platform for commercial UNIX deployment.
Define loadable module in the context of operating systems.
A loadable module is an object file whose code can be linked and unlinked from the kernel at runtime, implementing specific functions.
How did Linux operating system originate?
It started as a UNIX variant for the IBM PC architecture, created by Linus Torvalds and released on the Internet in 1991.
Do Linux loadable modules run in kernel mode?
Yes, they are executed in kernel mode on behalf of the current process.
Describe the collaborative development process of Linux.
Numerous programmers and developers have collaborated over the Internet to enhance the Linux operating system.
What are some components of the Linux kernel?
Components include signals, character device drivers, system calls, block device drivers, processes and scheduler, network device drivers, virtual memory, file systems, physical memory, network protocols, interrupts.
How is Linux described in terms of its modularity and configurability?
It is highly modular, easy to configure, and runs on various hardware platforms, providing optimal performance.
Explain the concept of stackable modules in Linux.
Modules act as libraries when referenced by higher modules and as clients when referencing lower modules in a hierarchical order.
Describe the Android operating system.
The Android operating system is a Linux-based system originally designed for mobile phones, consisting of a software stack that includes a modified version of the Linux kernel, middleware, and key applications.
What is the role of the Linux kernel in an Android operating system?
The Linux kernel in an Android operating system is responsible for core system functions, scheduling, security, memory management, process management, network stack, and driver model.
How does the Android operating system utilize the Linux-based kernel?
The Android operating system relies on the Linux-based kernel for essential system functions and services, while excluding drivers that are unsuitable for mobile environments to keep the system smaller.
Define AOSP in the context of Android development.
AOSP stands for Android Open-Source Project, which is a source code that developers and enthusiasts use to create and distribute their own modified versions of the Android operating system.
Do you know the history behind the development of the Android operating system?
Android, Inc. initiated the development of the Android operating system and was later acquired by Google in 2005.
Describe the community involved in Android development.
Android development has an active community of developers and enthusiasts who contribute to the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP) to create and share their customized versions of the operating system.
