Operating Systems Flashcards
What is an operating system (OS)?
Software tasked with managing hardware and software resources, serving as an interface between users and the computer’s hardware.
Name four types of operating systems based on task management.
Batch OS, Multiuser OS, Multitasking OS, Multiprocessing OS.
What is a Batch OS?
An OS that allows a single user to perform one task at a time.
What is a Multiuser OS?
An OS that allows multiple users to utilize the computer’s resources simultaneously.
What is a Multitasking OS?
An OS that allows multiple tasks to execute simultaneously.
What is a Multiprocessing OS?
An OS where two or more CPUs work together to manage the computer’s functions.
Name three types of operating systems based on user interaction.
Distributed OS, Real-Time OS, Mobile OS
Name the main functions of an operating system.
Process management, memory management, I/O management, file management, networking, job accounting, and communication management.
What is process management?
The creation, scheduling, and termination of processes
What is memory management?
Managing memory space for programs.
What is I/O management?
processes and techniques used by an operating system to manage input and output operations. This involves coordinating the communication between the system’s hardware (like disks, keyboards, and network interfaces) and software to ensure efficient and reliable data transfer.Monitoring and controlling connected devices.
What is file management?
Managing naming, sharing, storage, and retrieval of files.
What is job accounting in an OS?
Tracking time and resources used by processes.
What is a daemon?
A program that runs as a background process.
What is a process in the context of an OS?
A program under execution.
Name the seven states a process can be in.
New, Ready, Waiting, Executing, Blocked, Suspended, Terminated.
What is a Process Control Block (PCB)?
A data structure containing information about a process, such as process state, program counter, CPU registers, and I/O status.
What does the program counter in a PCB do?
Saves the address of the next instruction to be executed.
What is the role of CPU scheduling information in a PCB?
It contains details like process priority.
Name the types of storage managed by memory management.
Primary storage (on-CPU: registers, cache; off-CPU: RAM, ROM) and secondary storage (long-term storage).
What is virtual memory?
A strategy using hard drives to expand RAM capacity.
What is paging?
Dividing memory into pages and loading them into free frames in physical memory.
What is segmentation in memory management?
Dividing memory into segments based on program structure.
What is swapping in memory management?
Moving processes between primary and secondary storage.
What is the role of the Memory Management Unit (MMU)?
Translates virtual addresses to physical addresses.
What is the purpose of the Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)?
Speeds up the translation of virtual addresses to physical addresses.
What does I/O management oversee?
Coordination and management of I/O operations and devices.
What is the role of device controllers?
They connect devices through buses and manage communication with the OS.
What is an I/O traffic controller?
Keeps a record of the status of devices, units, and channels.
What is an I/O scheduler?
component of an operating system that determines the order in which I/O operations (like reading from or writing to a disk) are processed
What does an I/O device handler do?
Manages device interruptions and oversees data transfer.
What is file management responsible for?
Efficient storage, retrieval, and protection of data on secondary storage.
Name three file system operations.
Organizing files hierarchically, defining file naming syntax, and controlling access to files.
Name file systems used by Windows, MacOS, Linux, and Unix.
Windows: FAT32, exFAT, NTFS
MacOS: FAT32, exFAT, HFS+, APFS
Linux: ext2, ext3, ext4, FAT32, exFAT
Unix: UFS, ext2, ext3, ext4, ZFS
