Assignment4

I/O System
1. What are maskable and non maskable interrupts.
Maskable Interrupt: An Interrupt that can be disabled or ignored by the
instructions of CPU are called as Maskable Interrupt.
Eg: RST6.5,RST7.5,RST5.5 OF 8085 are maskable Interrupts.

Non-Maskable Interrupt: An interrupt that cannot be disabled or ignored by

the instructions of CPU are called as Non-Maskable Interrupt.
Eg:Trap of 8085
2. What are six steps of DMA transfer?

3. What are blocking and non blocking I/O?

Blocking - process suspended until I/O completed
a. Easy to use and understand
b. Insufficient for some needs
Nonblocking - I/O call returns as much as available
c. User interface, data copy (buffered I/O)
d. Implemented via multi-threading
File System
1. What are differences between sequential and random access?
Sequential access
a. read all bytes/records from the beginning

b. cannot jump around, could rewind or forward

c. convenient when medium was magnetic tape
Random access
d. bytes/records read in any order
e. essential for database systems
2.What are basis file system operations?
Create a file
Write to a file
Read from a file
Seek to somewhere in a file
Delete a file
Truncate a file
Distributed operating systems
1. What is distributed operating systems?
Distributed Operating System is a model where distributed applications
are running on multiple computers linked by communications.
EXAMPLE:
IRIX operating system

2. What are loosely coupled and tightly coupled systems?

By loosely coupled systems, we mean that such computers possess no
hardware connections at the CPU - memory bus level, but are connected by
external interfaces that run under the control of software.
Tight coupling is when a group of classes are highly dependent on one
another.
Scheduling
1. Shortest Job First (Non preemptive)
The SJF algorithm associates with each process the length of its next CPU
burst
When the CPU becomes available, it is assigned to the process that has the
smallest next CPU burst (in the case of matching bursts, FCFS is used)
Two schemes:
a. Nonpreemptive once the CPU is given to the process, it cannot be
preempted until it completes its CPU burst
b. Preemptive if a new process arrives with a CPU burst length less
than the remaining time of the current executing process, preempt.
This scheme is know as the Shortest-Remaining-Time-First (SRTF)

2. First Come First Served

Simplest scheduling policy
Also known as first-in-first-out (FIFO) or a strict queuing scheme
When the current process ceases to
3. What are long term medium term and short term schedulers ?
Long-Term Scheduler:
Determines which programs are admitted to the system for processing
Controls the degree of multiprogramming
the more processes that are created, the smaller the percentage
of time that each process can be executed
may limit to provide satisfactory service to the current set of
processes
Medium-Term Scheduling:

Part of the swapping function

Swapping-in decisions are based on the need to manage the degree of

multiprogramming

considers the memory requirements of thE swapped-out

processes

Short-Term Scheduling:

Known as the dispatcher

Executes most frequently

Makes the fine-grained decision of which process to execute next

4. What are preemptive and non preemptive scheduling?

Nonpreemptive

once a process is in the running state, it will continue until it

terminates or blocks itself for I/O

Preemptive:

currently running process may be interrupted and moved to ready

state by the OS

preemption may occur when a new process arrives, on an interrupt, or

periodicallY