Operating systems

Question 1

Operating system

Answer 1

Collection of systems software that manages the computer. Usually supplied with the computer. Most common operating systems are Windows, Linux, Unix, MacOS, iOS

Question 2

Memory management

Answer 2

The process of organizing the flexible use of the computer’s main memory

Question 3

Paging

Answer 3

The organization of memory into fixed-sized units, called pages. The immediate-access store is organized as a number of physical pages. The logical pages used by the SPU can be assigned by the memory management unit to any page in physical memory

Question 4

Segmentation

Answer 4

The splitting of a large program unto a number of smaller programs or segments. Each segment is a complete program that is executed separately. The function of the large program is achieved by running segments consecutively. Segmentation allows a large program to be executed on a computer with insufficient memory to store the whole program by carving up memory logically rather than physically

Question 5

Virtual memory

Answer 5

Used when sufficient immediate-access store is not available. Part of a disk drive is allocated to be used as if it were main memory. This is very slow, and the software will attempt to use the immediate-access store if possible

Question 6

Interrupt

Answer 6

A signal generated by a source such as an input or output device or a systems software routine that causes a break in the execution of the current routine. Control passes to another routine in such a way that the original routine can be resumed after the interrupt.

Question 7

ISR - Interrupt Service routine

Answer 7

A software routine that hardware invokes in response to an interrupt. ISRs examine an interrupt and determine how to handle it

Question 8

Scheduling

Answer 8

The method by which central processor time is allocated in a multi-access system.

Question 9

Round robin

Answer 9

A scheduling algorithm that deals with each user or task to be processed in turn

Question 10

First come first serve

Answer 10

A scheduling algorithm that deals with each user or task in the order in which they arrive, this can be thought of as a queue

Question 11

Multi-level feedback queue

Answer 11

A complex scheduling algorithm that deals with tasks based on a set of priorities and rules across different league tables, jobs in a certain table get promoted up or down their table based on these rules and can then end up in totally different tables if they relegated.

Question 12

Shortest Job first

Answer 12

A scheduling algorithm that deals with each user or task based on the getting the smaller ones out of the way

Question 13

Shortest remaining time

Answer 13

A scheduling algorithm that deals with each user or task based on a calculating an estimated time remaking to complete

Question 14

Distributed OS

Answer 14

An operating system where the software is spread over a collection of independent, networked, communicating, and physically separate nodes

Question 15

Embedded OS

Answer 15

A highly specialised, often quite limited and cut down operating system design to fit inside a certain type of machine. For example computers in cards, tragic lights, cash machines, POS, elevators, drinks machines etc. In contrast to an operating system for a general-purpose computer, an embedded OS is typically quite limited, often running a single application. However, that single application is crucial to the device’s operation

Question 16

Multi-tasking OS

Answer 16

Any type of system that is capable of running or appearing to run more than one program at a time

Question 17

Real time OS

Answer 17

An operating system intended to serve real-time application process data as it comes in, typically without buffering delays