Classification of Operating Systems

Operating systems may be classified both by how many tasks they can perform
�simultaneously� and by how many users can be using the system �simultaneously�.
That is: single-user or multi-user and single-tasking or multitasking. A multi-user
system must clearly be multitasking.

All Unix-like OSs and Windows 2000/XP OSs can run on n-processors and they support
both multi-user and multi-tasking features.

Originally designed at AT&T, Unix is split into two camps early on: BSD (Berkeley
Software Distribution) and System V (or System 5) (AT&T license). The BSD version
was developed as a research project at the University of California Berkeley (UCB).

Historically BSD Unix has been most prevalent in universities, while System 5 has
been dominant in business environments.

A standardization committee for Unix called POSIX, formed by the major vendors and
independent user groups, has done much to bring compatibility to the Unix world.
Here are some common versions of Unix.

Unix is one of the most portable operating systems available today. It runs on
everything from palm-computers to supercomputers. It is particularly good at
managing large database applications and can run on systems with hundreds of
processors.

Comparing Unix-like and Windows computers

The two most popular classes of operating system today are Unix-like operating
systems (i.e. those which are either derived from or inspired by System V or BSD)
and Microsoft Windows NT-like operating systems.

The file and directory structures of Unix and Windows are rather different, but it
is natural that both systems have the same basic elements.
etwork is a collection of workstations, PCs and super computers.
? Network administration means the management of network infrastructure devices
(routers and switches).
? System administration is the management of PCs in a network.
? Network and system administration is a branch of engineering that concerns
the operational management of human�computer systems. It is about putting together
network of computers (workstations, PCs and supercomputers), getting them running
and then keeping them running in spite of the activities of users who tend to cause
the systems to fail.

For humans, the task of system administration is a balancing act. It requires

patience, understanding, knowledge and experience. We need to work with the limited
resources we have, be inventive in a crisis, and know a lot of general facts and
figures about the way computers work. We need to recognize that the answers are not
always written down for us to copy, that machines do not always behave the way we
think they should. We need to remain calm and attentive, and learn a dozen new
things a year.
System administration is not just about installing operating systems. It is about
planning and designing an efficient community of computers so that real users will
be able to get their jobs done.
Ethics of System Administrator
? Maximise productivity and minimize cost.
? Have a policy for use and management of computers & their users.