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Introduction, role and function of operating system

Subject: Computer Science

Home Grade 11 Computer Science Operating System Operating System

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Overview

This note contains the roles and functions of operating system. An operating system is an integrated set
of programs that controls the resources (the CPU, memory, I/O devices etc.) of the computer system. It
provides an interface to its users, which is more convenient to use than the bare machine.

Note

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Introduction, role and function of operating system

Operating system

Introduction and Role of Operating System

Source: www.sriwilaiponmanee.com

Source: www.sriwilaiponmanee.com

An operating system is an integrated set of programs that controls the resources (the CPU, memory, I/O
devices etc.) of the computer system. It provides an interface to its users, which is more convenient to
use than the bare machine. Making a computer system more convenient to use and managing the
resources of the computer system are the two primary objectives of an operating system. An operating
system is a collection of programs that controls the overall operation of the computer system. Operating
system controls and coordinates the use of the hardware among the various application programs for
the various users. So it acts as an interface between the user and the computer hardware.

An operating system manages and coordinates the function performed by the computer hardware,
including the CPU, input/output devices, secondary storage device, and communication and network
equipment. The operating system is the most important program that runs on a computer. For every
purpose, a computer must have an operating system to run other programs. It performs basic tasks,
such as recognizing input from the keyboard, sending output to display units, keeping track of files and
directories on the disks, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. The
operating system also hides the complexities of the hardware from a user.

The operating system is also defined as a program suite of programs that control the input and output
devices. The primary goal of an operating system is to maximize the productivity of a computer system
by operating it in the most efficient manner and minimizing the amount of a human intervention
required. MS-DOS, MS Windows 3.1, UNIX, LINUX, MS Windows 2000, etc. are the examples of an
operating system.

The function of an operating system are described below:

IO Management

Input/output (IO) is an essential element for the operation of any computer. It allows the computer to
interact with peripheral devices such as a keyboard, mouse, terminals (like modem, TV card, and NIC
card), disks or tapes (CD, DVD, and Floppy disk), printer etc.

Fig: IO Management

Source: www.slideshare.net

Command interpreter

The command interpreter reads the commands that a user types at a terminal, interprets them, and
translate them into a detailed set of instructions that the computer hardware can understand. It varies
from one OS to another. Every OS must provide command interpreter of its operation.

Fig: Command Interpreter

Data Management:

Data management allows organizing their data into logical groupings called files. Earlier, only a few of OS
provide data management, containing limited flexibility and usefulness. At present, most of the OS
provides this feature.

Fig: Data management

Source: www1.pgcps.org

Memory

Memory management is the function responsible for managing the computer's primary memory.
Memory is a large array of words or bytes, each with its own address. When the user requests to the
CPU for read/write operation, OS determines the amount of memory required for the program
instructions and data. Then, OS allocates required memory to load the program and data into RAM.
When a program terminates, its memory space is free and the same memory area can be allocated to
another program.

Fig: Memory Management

Source: www.slideshare.net
Process Management

Process management is the process by which operating systems manage processes, threads, enable
processes to share information, protect process resources and allocate system resources to processes
that request them in a safe manner. It finds the status of processors and processes (Traffic controller),
chooses a job (job scheduler), chooses process in the job (process scheduler), allocates the processors to
the process (dispatcher), and free the processor when the process is executed.

Fig: Process Mnagement

Source: businessenote.com

Device Management

The device management allocates a device to a process. It finds the status of device, channels and
control units, finds answer to questions like which process, which device how much and allocates the
device to the process (IO Scheduling), initiates the IO operation and finally free the device when the
process is completed.

etutorials.org

Fig: Device Management

Source: etutorials.org

File Management

The file management keeps track of all information on files. It is an opens and closes files. It finds and
records the following for all files: location, size, usage (attributes) status etc. It also finds as to which
process wants which files, checks through the protection routine, opens the file if allowed, and allocates
it to the process. Finally, it closes the file when the process is executed. Processor management is at a
low level which is very near to the machine whereas file management is at a higher level which is very
near to the user.
buisinessfordummies.weebly.com

Figure: File management

Source: buisinessfordummies.weebly.com

Time sharing

Time sharing management is a function of OS which involves the CPU to allocate the time to a number
of users on the same computer. it is generally found in network operating system. As the number of
users increases the response time for each terminal declines. Time sharing creates the illusion to the
each user so that they are the sole user of the system because the speed of the CPU compared to that of
the monitor and terminal, which is so much faster. thereby giving each time slice for each user to
operate the program interactively. Time sharing manages the time of CPU. Time sharing checks for CPU
requests from higher-priority processes that are made every 10 milliseconds.

Figure: Time sharing

Source: www.edwardbosworth.com

Security

The security feature protects one user from another and the OS as a whole from all users. Its main
function is to make sure that only authorized users to get access from the computer, and the users only
do things they are authorized to do. Larger OS provides some kind of security but the degree varies from
one OS to another.

www.securitynewspaper.com

Figure:Security Policy

www.securitynewspaper.com

Deadlock prevention
During the processing, a situation can arise in which a resource (hardware or software) shared by two or
more processes cannot continue because the resource required by a process is held by another. This
situation is known as deadlock. For example: if process 1 is allocated to resource A and later it requests
resources B, and process 2 is allocated to resource B and later it requests to resource A. in this situation,
neither process 1 nor process 2 will be executed. Such a situation is known as deadlock.

OS ensures that the above condition does not hold, and thus prevents it from deadlock. It takes suitable
action by the careful allocation of resources so that deadlock can be avoided. If deadlock cannot be
avoided. OS detects it and tries to recover from it.

Fig: Deadlock prevention

Source: cis-linux1.temple.edu

Interrupt handling

An interrupt is a signal from a device attached to a computer or from a program within the computer
that causes the main program that operates the computer (the operating system) to stop and figure out
what to do next. Almost all personal (or larger) computers today are interrupt-driven- that is, they start
down the list of computer instructions in one program (perhaps an application such as a word
processor) and keep running the instructions until either (A) they can't go any further or (B) an interrupt
signal is sensed. After the interrupt signal is sensed, the computer either resumes running the program it
was running or begins running another program.

msdn.microsoft.com

Figure:Interrupt Handling

msdn.microsoft.com

Virtual storage:

In a multiprogramming system, there can be many programs located in the memory along with the
operating system. If the program is larger than main memory of the computer, operating system uses
free space of secondary memory which is termed as virtual memory. It is not necessary to have the
entire program in primary storage at one time, only the part on which the computer is working is
needed. The area of secondary storage used for storing pages is called virtual storage.

www.austgreenenergy.com.au

Figure: Virtual Storage

www.austgreenenergy.com.au

(Shrestha & Manandhar, 2014)

Bibliography

Shrestha, R. P., & Manandhar, s. (2014). Computer Essential. Kathmandu: Ashmita publication.

Khanal, R., & Rokka, P. (2013). Computer Essentials I. Putalisadak, Kathmandu: Asmita's Publication.

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