Quiz 1 Flashcards
Provides basic computing resources
Hardware
Defines the ways in which the system resources are used to solve the computing problems of the users
Application programs
A set of software frameworks that provide additional services to application developers
Middleware
A software-generated interrupt caused either by an error or a user request
Trap/exception
Request to the OS to allow user to wait for I/O completion
System call
Contains entry for each I/O device indicating its type, address, and state
Device-status table
Determines the logical interaction between the device and the computer
Disk controller
Copying information into faster storage system
Caching
Manages the execution of user programs to prevent errors and improper use of the computer
Control program
Understands the device controller and provides the rest of the operating system with a uniform interface to the device
Device driver
A wire that CPU hardware has that the CPU senses after executing every instruction
Interrupt-request line
Interrupt request line that is reserved for events such as unrecoverable memory errors
Nonmaskable interrupt
Interrupt request line that can be turned off by the CPU before the execution of critical instruction sequences that must not be interrupted
Maskable interrupt
Interrupt mechanism in which each element in the interrupt vector points to the head of a list of interrupt handlers
Interrupt chaining
Enables the CPU to defer the handling of low-priority interrupts without masking all interrupts and makes it possible for a high-priority interrupt to preempt the execution of a low-priority interrupt
Interrupt priority levels
Holds the addresses of the interrupt service routines for various devices
Interrupt vector
How various hardware and software resources are shared.
Resource utilization
“The one program running at all times.”
Kernel
Provides access between components and shared memory/communication among processors, main memory, and I/O modules
System bus
Temporary storage location for frequently accessed data
Cache
Storage that is infrequently written to and is nonvolatile
Firmware
Storage systems that are slow enough and large enough that they are used only for special purposes
Tertiary storage
Provides a uniform interface between controller and kernel
Device driver
Controls the operation of the computer and performs its data processing functions.
Processor
What is a processor referred to ask when there is only one?
Central processing unit (CPU)
Moves data between the computer and its external environment, which consists of a variety of devices, including secondary memory devices, communications equipment, and terminals
I/O modules
Determines which cache location a new block of data that is read into the cache will occupy
Mapping function
Chooses, within the constraints of the mapping function, which block to replace when a new block is to be loaded into the cache and the cache already has all slots filled with other blocks
Replacement algorithm
Enables programmer to minimize main memory references by optimizing register use
User-visible registers
Used by processors to control operating of the processor and used by privileged OS routines to control the execution of programs
Control and status registers
Register that specifies the address for the next read or write
Memory address register (MAR)
Register that contains data written into memory or receives data read from memory
Memory buffer register (MBR)
Bit set by processor hardware as a result of operations
Condition codes/flags
