Chapter 1

Operating System –
Overview

By Kindu T.
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 What is an operating system?

A program that acts as an intermediary between a user of a computer and the computer
hardware.
Operating system goals:
 Execute user programs and make solving user problems easier.
 Make the computer system convenient to use.
Use the computer hardware in an efficient manner.
Resource allocator – manages and allocates resources.
Control program – controls the execution of user programs and operations of I/O devices .

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 Operating Systems(cont..)
Some examples of operating systems are:
UNIX
 MS-DOS
 MS Windows
Windows/NT
 OS/2
Mac OS.
Windows XP,7,8,8.1,10
Almost every computer system has An operating system and it is an
important part of the system.
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 Computer System Components

1. Hardware – provides basic computing resources (CPU, memory, I/O devices).

2. Operating system – controls and coordinates the use of the hardware among the
various application programs for the various users.

3. Applications programs – define the ways in which the system resources are used to
solve the computing problems of the users (compilers, database systems, video games,
business programs).

4. Users (people, machines, other computers).

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Abstract View of System Components

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 Why operating system?
o To hide details of hardware by creating abstraction.
o To allocate resources to processes (Manage resources).
o Provide a nice and effective user interface

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 Functions of an operating System.
Memory Management
Processor Management
Device Management
File Management
Security
Control over system performance
Job accounting
Error detecting aids
Coordination between other software and users

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 Process Management
o A process is a program in execution. A process needs certain resources,
including CPU time, memory, files, and I/O devices, to accomplish its
task.
o The operating system is responsible for the following activities in
connection with process management.
o Process creation and deletion.
o process suspension and resumption.
o Provision of mechanisms for:
o process synchronization
o process communication

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 Main-Memory Management
o Memory is a large array of words or bytes, each with its own address.
It is a repository of quickly accessible data shared by the CPU and I/O
devices.
o Main memory is a volatile storage device. It loses its contents in the
case of system failure.
o The operating system is responsible for the following activities in
connections with memory management:
o Keep track of which parts of memory are currently being used and by whom.
o Decide which processes to load when memory space becomes available.
o Allocate and DE allocate memory space as needed.

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 Secondary-Storage Management
o Since main memory (primary storage) is volatile and too small to
accommodate all data and programs permanently, the computer system
must provide secondary storage to back up main memory.
o Most modern computer systems use disks as the principle on-line
storage medium, for both programs and data.
o The operating system is responsible for the following activities in
connection with disk management:
o Free space management
o Storage allocation
o Disk scheduling

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 Device Management
• An Operating System manages device communication via their
respective drivers. It does the following activities for device
management:
 Keeps tracks of all devices. The program responsible for this task is
known as the I/O controller.
 Decides which process gets the device when and for how much time.
 Allocates the device in the most efficient way.
 De-allocates devices.

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 File Management
o A file is a collection of related information defined by its creator.
Commonly, files represent programs (both source and object forms) and
data.
o The operating system is responsible for the following activities in
connections with file management:
o File creation and deletion.
o Directory creation and deletion.
o Support of primitives for manipulating files and directories.
o Mapping files onto secondary storage.
o File backup on stable (nonvolatile) storage media.

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 Other Important Activities
• Following are some of the important activities that an Operating System
performs:
Security -- By means of password and similar other techniques, it prevents
unauthorized access to programs and data.
Control over system performance -- Recording delays between request for a
service and response from the system.
Job accounting -- Keeping track of time and resources used by various jobs and
users.
Error detecting aids -- Production of dumps, traces, error messages, and other
debugging and error detecting aids.
Coordination between other software and users -- Coordination and assignment
of compilers, interpreters, assemblers and other software to the various users of the
computer systems.
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Operating System Services

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 Operating System Services
• Program execution – Provides services to load, execute, and terminate programs. It
manages the execution of multiple processes or threads, scheduling them for execution on
the CPU, and allocating resources such as memory and input/output devices as needed.
• I/O operations – Manage input and output operations, including handling requests to
read from or write to devices such as disks, keyboards, monitors, and network interfaces.
• File-system manipulation – Provide services for creating, deleting, reading, and writing
files, as well as organizing and managing directories or folders.
• Communications – exchange of information between processes executing either on the
same computer or on different systems tied together by a network. Implemented via
shared memory or message passing.
• Error detection and handling – Detects errors that occur during program execution or
hardware operation and provides mechanisms for error handling,
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 Additional Operating System
Services
• Resource allocation – Operating systems manage system resources such as
CPU time, memory, disk space, and network bandwidth, allocating these
resources among competing processes or users based on priorities and
resource availability.
• Accounting – keep track of and record which users use how much and what
kinds of computer resources for account billing or for accumulating usage
statistics.
• Protection and security – Operating systems enforce security policies to
protect system resources and data from unauthorized access or modification.
This includes mechanisms such as user authentication, access control lists, file
permissions, encryption, and firewall configuration.

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 Basic Operating System Components
The basic components of an operating system include:
1. Kernel: The kernel is the core component of the operating system. It provides
essential services such as managing memory, CPU scheduling, handling system
calls, and managing input/output operations.
2. File System: The file system organizes and manages the storage of data on disk
or other storage devices. It provides a hierarchical structure for organizing files
and directories, as well as mechanisms for reading, writing, and deleting files.
3. Device Drivers: These are software components that enable the operating
system to communicate with hardware devices such as printers, keyboards,
mice, disk drives, and network adapters. They provide a standardized interface
for the operating system to control and interact with hardware devices.
4. User Interface: Provides a way for users to interact with the operating system
and its applications. This includes GUI and CLI.
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 Basic Operating System Components…

5. System Libraries: These are collections of reusable functions and routines that
provide common functionality to applications and help abstract the underlying
hardware and operating system complexities.
6. System Services: System services are background processes that run
continuously and provide various system-wide services to applications and
users. Examples include services for managing network connections, handling
printing tasks, and managing system logs.
7. Utilities: Utilities are standalone programs provided by the operating system
that perform specific tasks such as file management, system maintenance, and
troubleshooting. Examples include text editors, file compression tools, disk
cleanup utilities, and system monitoring tools.
These components work together to provide a stable and efficient platform for
running applications and managing computer resources.
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 User Operating System Interface

1. Command Line Interface (CLI): allows

users to interact with the system using text
commands. The CLI provides a powerful and
efficient way to perform tasks such as file
manipulation, process management, system
configuration, and automation through the use
of commands and scripting languages.

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 User Operating System
Interface(CONT..)
2 . Graphical User Interface (GUI): metaphor interface

 This User interface will display a Main window (also

known as the Desktop) which then can be accompanied
by more windows.

GUI is the most common of the User interfaces, and

the most user friendly, made up of event driven
software. This type of UI is best for users lacking in
computer coding skills, since GUI only needs you to
make use of the mouse's events.

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 System Calls
When a program in user mode requires access to RAM or a hardware resource, it
must ask the kernel to provide access to that resource. This is done via something
called a system call.
System call invoke the kernel to perform a specific task
The system call is the request for running any program and for performing any operation
on the system.
System calls provide the interface between a running program and the operating system.
• Mostly accessed by programs via a high-level Application Program Interface (API)
Three most common APIs are:
Win32 API for Windows,
POSIX API (all versions of UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS), and
Java API for the Java virtual machine (JVM)

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 System Calls Categories
System calls can be grouped into 5 categories:
1. Process Control: end, abort, load, execute, create process, terminate process, allocate and
free memory.
2. File Manipulation: create file, delete file, open file, close file, read file, and write file.
3. Device Manipulation: request device, release device, read, write.
4. Information Maintenance: get time or date, set time or date, get process or file or
device.
5. Communications: create or delete communication connection, send and receive
messages.

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 Examples of
Windows and Unix system calls

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 Virtual Machines (VM)
Operating system virtualization refers to the use of software to allow
system hardware to run multiple instances of different operating
system concurrently , allowing you to run different applications
requiring different operating system on one computer system.
The operating systems do not interfere with each other or the various
application.
 A virtual machine provides an interface identical to the underlying
bare hardware.

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 System Models
Non-virtual Machine Virtual Machine

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 System Design Goals
In system design, there are two main categories of goals:
• User goals – The objectives and expectations of the individuals who
interact with the system. Operating system should be convenient to
use, easy to learn, reliable, safe, and fast.
• System goals – operating system should be easy to design, implement,
and maintain, as well as flexible, reliable, error-free, and efficient.

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Thank You!

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