Operating System

Fundamentals
Operating System
 System that allows users or the application programs
they are using to interact with the computer hardware in
an easy and convenient manner.

Major Function of an OS
 It creates a virtual machine interface between the
user/application program and the hardware.
 It acts as the computer’s resource manager or resource
allocator.
 It functions as the program launcher.
 Two Parts of OS
User make
 Kernel – is the heart Computer User
a request
and soul of the to the OS
through
operating system Shell checks user’s
the shell
request for validity
and correctness
Shell
and then passes it
 Shell – is the part of to the kernel
the operating Operating
Kernel
system that serves System
as the interface
between users and Kernel performs
the kernel. requested service

Kernel and the Shell

Command-line interface (CLI)
 Require users to type the commands at a prompt
Graphical User Interface (GUI)

 Users enter commands by either using drop-down menus

or by clicking on icons using a mouse pointer
 Service provided by an OS
 Program Execution
 Loads a program into memory
 Executes the program
 Handles program’s execution
 Provides a mechanism for process synchronization
 Provides a mechanism for process communication
 Access to I/O devices
 Read or write operation with any file or any specific I/O device
 Provides the access to required I/O device when required
 Service provided by an OS
 File System Management
 Program needs to read a file or write a file
 OS gives permission to the program for operation on file
 Permission varies from read-only, read-write, denied and so on.
 OS provides an interface to the user to create/delete directories
 OS provides an interface to create the back up of file system
 Error Handling
 OS constantly checks for possible errors
 OS takes an appropriate action to ensure correct and consistent
computing
Service provided by an OS

 Communication
 Two processes often require data to be transferred
between them
 Both the processes can be on one computer or on
different computers, but are connected through a
computer network.
Core Components of an OS

 Process Manager
 Memory Manager
 File Manager
 I/O Manager
History of Operating Systems
Serial Processing (first generation)
 There were no operating systems, so these computers
were “bare” machines.
 Computers can only be used by one person at a time.
 There were no keyboards during this time so user
commands are entered by using toggle switches.
 High-level programming languages were developed
and entered into the computer by using punched cards

 There were no fixed or hard disks.

History of Operating Systems

Batch Systems (second generation)

 Similar jobs are grouped together and processed as a
batch.

Multiprogrammed Systems (third generation)

 Multiprogramming, which means concurrent execution
of two or more programs by a single CPU, was
implemented.
Multiprogramming Scheme
Program 1 Program 2 Program 3

When
program 1
performs
an I/O
operation, Program 2
the CPU
starts performs
executing I/O
Program 1 program 2 operation When
performs
program 2
I/O performs Program 3
operation an I/O
operation, performs
the CPU I/O
starts operation
executing
program 3

When program 3 performs an I/O operation, the CPU starts executing

another program (if there are other programs waiting for execution) or go
back to program 1 if its I/O operation has finished
History of Operating Systems
Time-sharing Systems (fourth generation)
 OS during this time were designed to be time-sharing or
multitasking operating systems
The OS
Operating
usually
Systems
occupies
the first part
User Process 1
of main
memory
User Process 2

User Process 3

Main Memory

Sharing of Main Memory among

User Processes and Operating System
Other Types of Computer Systems

Personal Computer Systems

 There computers were designed as single-user systems.

Multiprocessor Systems
 These are computer systems with more than one CPU

Two kinds of multiprocessor systems:

1. Symmetric Multiprocessor (SMP)
2. Asymmetric Multiprocessor (AMP)
Block Diagram of a Symmetric
Multiprocessor System
Processor Processor Processor
…
1 2 n

Interconnecting Bus

This is the set of wires

that connect the
processors to the
main memory, I/O
Main I/O devices and to each
Memory Devices other
Block Diagram of an Asymmetric Multiprocessor
System Local Local Local
…
Memory 1 Memory 2 Memory n Only
processor n
has access
to the I/O
devices

Processor Processor Processor I/O

…
1 2 n Devices

Interconnecting Bus
Other Types of Computer Systems
Networked and Distributed Systems
 Network OS allow the sharing of resources among
computers connected in a network.
 In distributed systems, there is a high level of
transparency in such a way that the entire system is
perceived by a user as one big, powerful computing
machine instead of several cooperating computers.

Goals of a distributed operating system:

 Transparency
 Parallelism
 Reliability
Other Types of Computer Systems

Real-time Systems
 These are computers that operate on a very strict
constraint.

Handheld Systems
 These are characterized by being battery powered,
having slower processors compared to PCs and having
smaller memory.