Unit 1: Page 8: The Role of the Operating System Flashcards
What are the five main roles of the operating system.
- Networking
- Security
- Memory management
- Multitasking
- Device Drivers
Describe Networking
- Operating systems simplify networking in a computer. The operating system implements a number of networking technologies. ( TCP/IP, traceroute, device drivers)
Describe the TCP/IP stack.
The set of protocols used for transmitting data over the internet. The data transmission takes place in layers.
What does TCP stand for?
Transmission Control Protocol.
What does IP stand for?
Internet Protocols.
What is the OSI Model?
The standard model used to explain how computers network.
Describe Security.
A number of features are commonly built into an operating system to help improve security
Give three examples of security features built into operating systems.
- User authentication
- Antivirus and firewall software
- Backup facilities
Describe Memory Management
The operating system manages the computers resources, such as its memory.
For Memory Management, what does the operating system track?
- Which processes to allocate memory to.
- How much memory to allocate to each process.
- When to un-allocate memory
- Transferring data to the pagefile on to the HDD to free RAM.
Describe Multitasking.
Most operating systems allow you to run more than one application simultaneously.
Describe Device Drivers
An operating system comes with generic device drivers that work with a variety of different peripheral devices, allowing them to communicate with your computer.
However, most hardware comes supplied with specific drivers to take full advantage of the hardware’s capabilities.
