Flashcards - Computer Systems Week 9_ Operating Systems Overview
What is bootstrapping?
Bootstrapping is the process of starting up a computer by loading a set of instructions when it is first turned on.
What is the first program that loads on almost all computer systems?
The first program is referred to as the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS).
What does the BIOS perform?
The BIOS performs diagnostic tests such as the Power-On Self-Test (POST).
What is the role of an Operating System?
The Operating System manages all the software and hardware on the computer.
What are processes in the context of Operating Systems?
A process is an instance of a program that is currently running.
What does a process consist of?
A process consists of executable machine code, memory, resource descriptors, security attributes, and processor state.
What is the first state of a process when it is created?
The initial state of a created process is ‘waiting’.
What happens when a process needs to wait for a resource?
It is assigned the ‘blocked’ state while waiting.
What are the types of processes based on CPU burst?
Processes can be input/output bound or CPU bound.
What is context switching in Operating Systems?
Context switching is the process of saving and restoring the state of a CPU so that multiple processes can share the CPU.
What is the main aim of CPU scheduling?
The main aims of CPU scheduling include maximizing CPU utilization and throughput while minimizing waiting and response times.
What does First Come First Served (FCFS) scheduling depend on?
FCFS scheduling depends on the order in which processes arrive.
How does Shortest Job First (SJF) scheduling work?
SJF schedules the shortest CPU bursts first based on estimation.
What is Round Robin CPU scheduling?
Round Robin CPU scheduling allocates a fixed time slice to each process in a queue.
What is the difference between static and dynamic priority in CPU scheduling?
Static priority is fixed for a process, while dynamic priority can change over time based on various factors.
What is an I/O device driver?
An I/O device driver translates high-level requests to specific hardware instructions for devices.
What is the purpose of buffering in I/O operations?
Buffering is used to cope with mismatches in device speed and transfer size.
What are the types of buffering used by the OS?
Types of buffering include single buffering, double buffering, and circular buffering.
What does the term ‘system call’ refer to in Operating Systems?
A system call is a way for programs to request services from the operating system.
What is the ‘kernel’ in an Operating System?
The kernel is the core component of the Operating System that interacts directly with the hardware.
What does ‘multitasking’ mean in an Operating System?
Multitasking refers to the ability of the OS to manage multiple processes simultaneously.
What is a ‘task manager’ in an operating system?
A task manager is a system utility that provides information about running processes and system performance.
What is a ‘process control block’ (PCB)?
A PCB is a data structure used by the OS to store all information about a process, including its state and resources.
