Types Of Operating System

Question 1

What is a distributed operating system?:

Answer 1

• A parallel processing system which spreads the load over multiple computer systems.
• A single job is split up into tasks and each is run on a separate computer, coordinated by the operating system.
• A program can be run by the user that uses data or resources from any other

Question 2

What are some key features of distributed operating systems?

Answer 2

• A program can be run by the user that uses data or resources from any other
• User can access more computational power with the illusion of working with a single processor.

Question 3

What is an advantage to distributed operating systems?

Answer 3

• No need to writing or training programs differently

Question 4

What is a disadvantage to distributed operating systems?

Answer 4

Programmer has no control over the task distribution as this is entirely handled by the OS.

Question 5

What is a multi tasking system?

Answer 5

Can run on a standalone computer.

• Can run many jobs simultaneously, switching between them so that each one appears to be the only one running.

Question 6

What is a multi user, multi tasking system?

Answer 6

• A single powerful mainframe or supercomputer is connected to dozens or hundreds of terminals all using the mainframe CPU.
• Each gets a slice of processor time according to a scheduling algorithm.

Question 7

What is a mobile phone?

Answer 7

A multi tasking computer that has its own operating systems.

Question 8

What are mobile operating systems?

Answer 8

Operating systems used on smartphones, tablets PDAs and other mobile devices.

Question 9

What does the main operating system ( mobile phones ) do?

Answer 9

Runs the user interface and application software.

Question 10

What does the low level proprietary real time operating system run?

Answer 10

Radio and other hardware

Question 11

What is a disadvantage to low level systems?

Answer 11

They have a range of security vulnerabilities.

Question 12

What are the main features of an embedded operating systems?

Answer 12

• Minimal User interface
• Accepts input from sensors, sends output to control devices
• There is not any RAM, so it will not need a memory management system.
• No permanent data storage devices to be managed.

Question 13

Where are real time operating systems typically used?

Answer 13

Safety critical environment.

Question 14

What are some features of real time operating systems?

Answer 14

• Must respond very quickly to any inputs or sensors
• Must be able to deal with many inputs simultaneously
• Must have fail safe mechanisms designed to detect and take appropriate action if a hardware component fails
• Must incorporate redundancy, if one component fails it must switch to back up hardware.

Question 15

What is the BIOS?

Answer 15

Stored in ROM::
Boots the computer at start up:
• Initialises and tests hardware
• Loads the operating system into RAM

Question 16

What is a device driver?

Answer 16

• A computer program that provides a software interface to a particular hardware.

Question 17

What is a driver?

Answer 17

A program that provides an interface for the OS to interact with a device.

Question 18

Why are drivers needed?

Answer 18

Drivers are hardware dependent and OS specific

• Drivers are needed to allow the OS to control hardware devices.

Question 19

What do device drivers do?

Answer 19

Enable operating systems to access hardware functions without needing to know the details of the hardware being used

Question 20

How does the driver communicate with the device?

Answer 20

Via the system bus or communications subsystem to which the hardware connects.

Question 21

What is a virtual machine?

Answer 21

Any instance where software is used to take on the function of the machine.