ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT

DK_IVOMP_8 - Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computing

DK_IVMDV_8 – Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Computing in Games Development

Stage 4 - Semester 2

May 2021

COMP C8Z15 – Operating Systems

Internal Examiner(s): Dr David O'keeffe

External Examiner(s): Gary Clynch, Helen Mc Mahon

Available from: 10th May 2021 @ 9:00am

Submission Date: 12th May 2021 @ 9:00am
No. Pages: 7

Instructions

1. You MUST answer all four questions.

2. Solutions MUST be submitted by 9am on 12th May 2021
3. Solutions MUST be submitted using the provided upload space
on Moodle. Additional requirements and detailed submission
instructions are provided on page three of this document.

Fill in your information below

YOU MUST READ AND SIGN THE INFORMATON OVERLEAF

NAME

ID NO.
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DECLARATION

I declare that:

 The work submitted for this alternative assessment is entirely my own, and no part
of it has been copied from any other person’s words or ideas, except as specifically
acknowledged through the use of inverted commas and appropriate in-text
references or citations;

 No part of this alternative assessment has been written or completed for me, it has
not been discussed or collaborated on by me with any other person, except where
such collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer concerned and for any such
authorised collaboration, this has been explicitly acknowledged by me in the
submission;

 I understand that I am bound by the DkIT Academic Integrity Policy. I understand

that I may be penalised if I have violated the policy in any way;

 This alternative assessment has not been submitted for, or as part of, any other
module at DkIT or any other institution, unless authorised by the relevant
Lecturer(s);

 I have read and abided by all of the requirements set down for this alternative
assessment.

Type Your Full Name

Date

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Additional Requirements and Guidance:

1) Questions are shown one per page. Ensure you attempt all four questions.

2) Answers to all questions should be completed within this document, in the spaces
provided below each question. You may use code-like operators for showing any
calculations you need to include. For example, use * for multiplication, / for division, and
so on.

3) Any diagrams or illustrations used as part of your solutions MUST be original creations.
You may NOT use third-party graphics in your solutions. Diagrams and illustrations may
be created digitally, or may be created with pen and paper then scanned or
photographed and inserted into the document.

Submission Guidelines:

1) Upload your solutions to Moodle no later than 9am on 12 May 2021.

2) Your solutions should be uploaded as a single Word Document (this document). The
provided upload space is connected to the TurnItIn service, which will be used to
identify potential originality issues in your solutions. Originality reports will NOT be
available for you to view.

3) Ensure you have added your name and student ID number to this document’s cover
page, in the spaces provided.

4) Ensure you have added your name to, and dated, the DECLARATION on page two of
this document, in the spaces provided.

Late submissions will not be accepted

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Question One

Using no more than 400 words critically analyze the following statement making reference to the
relevant hardware and operating systems theory:

“The Operating System is designed to act as a mediator between hardware and application
software, making the overall utilities and system services more accessible to programmers and
users.”

(20 marks)

Answers (1) :

Operating System (OS) could be a system that act as manage element, software resources, and
provides common services for computer applications. The software also provides services to both
the users and to the programs.

OS also a program that controls the execution of application programs. The most objective
of OS are convenience, efficiency, and to evolve role of an OS is resources for the
movement, storage, and processing of knowledge. The OS is liable for managing these
resources is accountable for managing, it’ll comprised of system software, or the basic
files that computer has to boot up and performance. Every tablet, and smartphone include
an software system that has basic functionality for the device. The OS acts as an
intermediary between programs and also the hardware like input and output and memory
allocation.

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Common desktop software package includes Windows and IOS. Each operating system is
different than other OS system, it delivers a GUI programme which have some specific
features than other operating system. The OS System also have the capability to handle
documents and data in a computer. Additionally, they allow run files and programs written
in programming languages. Window or Linux is installed on standard pc, while IOS
operating system is only used in Apple devices. Thus, the computer hardware
performance depends on which OS that installed in a computer. Since the OS is a
computer’s major computer operating program, it significantly influences how work
simultaneously with the other devices. Consequently, users consume a particular software,
that a user might choose to use a computer with windows as operating system rather than
a Linux. Other user can choose Android phones rather than iPhone which consist of IOS
system and developed by Apple.

When software designers build a application, they need to write and compile code that
designed for a particular software because each OS corresponds with hardware in a
different way and programme interface or Application Programming Interface (API) works
different with type of operating system that used. While programs are in need to develop
for multiple operating system, some are only available for one software package. Thus,
while selecting a computer, you must know which operating system runs the computer and
the specification of hardware will support the program that you want to run in your
computer.

Question Two

One of the most difficult aspects of operating systems design is memory management. Using no
more than 600 words carefully examine some of the key weaknesses of the various memory
management schemes you have studied and explain how operating system designers have
overcome these challenges.

Your answer should include appropriate labelled diagrams.

(30 marks)

Memory management schemes plays an important role in computer system. Memory

managements’ main activities is handle memory allocation for programs and also keep tract all the
task the task that execute in computer system. There is various memory management techniques,
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first is Single contiguous allocation which a method that reserved memory only for one application.
The diagram below show single contiguous allocation in memory management.

The second is fixed partitioned allocation which the primary memory divides its allocation to many
memory partitions. Every partition contains all the data or information of a task. When the task
completed the partition will be unallocated. The diagram show example of partitioned allocation in
memory management.

The third techniques is page memory management, in this technique the computer main memory
will divided into fixed sized units which called as page frames. Hardware memory management
maps the pages into frames which task will divide to pages as shown as diagram below.

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The fourth is segmented memory management which process and task divided into segments and
mapped to physical memory. Usually the program will stored in hard drives and secondary
memory.The process of segment memory management as show as diagram below.

There are some weaknesses in each memory managements units. The weakness of single
continues allocation is only one job is assigned to the memory, if the program required small
amount of memory allocation, then it means more memory will be wasted. For example, the pc has
2 GB ram as primary memory, the user wants to execute a program that requires 1 GB memory
allocation, so additionally 1 GB memory will be wasted and it is inefficient way of memory
allocation. The weakness of partition memory management is inefficient use of memory because
the resources are not utilized fully. However, for the page memory management, there will be
internal fragmentation will happen, and page tables also consume more memory. Multi-level of
paging will lead to memory overhead. For the segmented memory management also having
disadvantages where its used costly memory management algorithm and causing external
fragmentation.

To solve these inefficient of CPU usage time and unutilized resources, the partitioned allocation
scheme was introduced. This scheme collaborates with MFT (Multi programming with Fixed
number of Tasks) and MVT (Multi programming with Variable number of Tasks). The program will
be bound by the number of partitions in the computer. Multi-programming reduces the CPU time
and with the memory consumption will be reduced. There are two common strategies, first fit and
best fit to allocate free space partition in computer.

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Question Three

(i) With the aid of a diagram, describe how the indexed file allocation system is implemented?
Does this scheme perform well under random access? Using no more than 150 words
carefully explain your answer.

(ii) A system has a hard disk, which is nearly full to capacity. Explain what potential file system
performance difficulties may arise when using a bit table? Using no more than 150 words,
describe a software approach on how these difficulties may be overcome?

(15 marks)

Answer 3(i):

The allocation shows how the files or documents that are stored in the secondary drive block. The
direct access of the disk gives the flexibility to implement the files. There are mainly three methods
of file allocation in the hard disk.

First is contiguous allocation being one of the most efficient methods for allocation. In Contiguous
allocation, each data will be occupied in continuous block on disk. For example, if a data or file
requires some numbers of block and is given a block starts with block A, A+1,A+2….A+n-1.This
shows that starting block addresses and the length of the data determined by the files. The
program ‘mail’ in the diagram starts from block 19 + length = 6 blocks. So, it occupied 19-24
blocks.

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The another allocation method called as link list where it overcomes the drawback of contiguous
allocation method. In this file allocation method, each file is treated as linked list of disks blocks. In
the linked list allocation method, it is not required that disks blocks assigned to a specific file are in
the contiguous order on the disk. The directory entry is shows the pointer for starting data block
and also ending block in the diagram below. The ‘jeep’ in following diagram also shows how block
were distributed randomly. The ending block (25) contains -1 indicates a null pointer and does not
point to any other block.

Indexed allocation is a unique block measured as the index block which pointers to all blocks
taken by a data or file. In this case, every file have its specific index value. The ith entry block holds
a disk address of the each file block. The directory entry also includes the address of index block
as the diagram below.

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Answer 3(ii)

Bit Tables is a methodology that using vectors which containing 1 bits to every single block in the
hard disk. Every single entry is valued 0 which will be compatible to a empty block and each one
valued links to a usable block. The bit tables also work across with file allocation. The free
segments could locate simultaneously by applying the pointer’s distance.

Space overhead might occur because there is not enough space for a disk allocation in the table
and manages the fragmentation and every period of time assign a block that should reading the
first block to retrieve those pointers. The software approaches used to overcome this difficulty is
indexing. For proficiency, the index value would base on number of segments instead than block.
This is the software methodology that delivers effective support to all file distribution processes.

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Question Four

(a) Concerns in 2019 were raised about identity thief when using a well-known messaging app.
Messages containing links, triggered cross-site scripting attacks allowing hackers to gain
remote access to all the files on a victims Windows or Mac computer.

(i) As an operating systems designer, what security tips would you recommend for users of
apps like the one described above?
(ii) Briefly describe three basic security concepts which are important when sending
information across the Internet.

(b) There are many defenses against computer attacks, however the broadest tool available to
system designers and users is cryptography. Many protocols like secure shell rely on the
RSA algorithm for encryption and digital signature functions.

(i) Describe and illustrate the process of creating an RSA digital signature scheme.
(ii) By applying the following labelling:

A=0 B=1 C=2 D=3 E=4 F=5 G=6 H=7 I=8 J=9 K=10 L=11 M=12
N=1 O=14 P=15 Q=16 R=17 S=18 T=19 U=20 V=21 W=22 X=23 Y=24 Z=25
3

use the RSA algorithm to encrypt the first letter of your first name using the public key
(n , e)=(33,3). For instance, if your first name is Mary, encrypt the letter L using
( n , e )=(33,3).

(35 marks)

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Answer a(i);

I advised that user to use Two-factor authentication (2FA) because its is that the latest best
security mechanisms, and also called as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication,
which users provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves. This process
protect both the user's credentials. Two-factor authentication provides a higher security
level than single-factor authentication (SFA) which depend on user password, and also
having second factor security, usually either a security token or a biometric factor, like a
fingerprint or facial scan, retina scan and etc. Two-factor authentication add another layer
of security to authentication process by making it harder for attackers gain access control to
login these well known messaging application. When attackers want to gain access to
these well-known chats application ,the 2FA security system will send an OTP (One Time
Password) to your device. User advised to don’t share the OTP password to anyone and
advised to change the social media passwords to avoid any unauthorized access. User
also advised to enable 2FA factors in your social media application

(a)(ii):

The first basic security concepts which are important when sending information across the
internets is confidentiality. Confidentiality most important attribute that ensures that
computer-related assets are access only by authorized users or parties. Sometimes
confidentiality called as secrecy or privacy.

The second security concepts are integrity. Integrity defines as that assets can be modified
only by authorized user or parties in authorized ways. Sometimes information and data
might be corrupted when user connect to insecure network. This will cause loss of integrity.

The third security concepts are availability. Availability defines that assets are accessible
only by authorized user or parties at appropriate times. Sometimes data or information can
be deleted or erased that’s causing inaccessible which resulting in loss of availability.

(b)(i)

Digital signature is one of mathematic calculation which is used to valid the authentication
and integration of a message or digital documents. It’s like handwriting signature that the
subject or message belong to the person who written the message. In digital world, the
signature called as digital signature where its proposed evidence of origin, identity and
status of electronic document, transaction, and digital messages. Signer can use the digital
signature as consents.

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Digital signatures used public key such as RSA (River-Shamir-Adleman), which known as
asymmetric cryptography. From using RSA methodology, two keys are generated, which
are one private key and one public key. The digital signature together within public key also
known as validating cryptographical keys. Sender creates the digital signature use one
private key (PK) to encode the information, while to decode that information is with sender's
public key. The diagram below, shows the process of digital signature process and how it
works.

From the diagram, here a example to show how the process works. Julie wants to send the
following message to Rooney :

“Hi Rooney, How are you ?.”

Julie wants to make sure the message came from her and no one else to Rooney. So, Julie
needs to create a hash digest and sign it. To create a digest, Julie uses a cryptographic
hash function to convert the message into an ID number. It is very difficult to create an
optional message with same ID number to digest the message.

This is the ID number/digest for her message: MD5(rooney-message)=

4b0dadndskdnksdnsdnskd74e.

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Now to sign the digest, Julie needs a secret private key that nobody else knows. Here is
Julie's private key:

-----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----

MIIBOgIBAAJBAKkbSUT9/Q2uBfGRau6/XJyZhcF5abo7b37I5hr3 EadhhdajKK

-----END RSA PRIVATE KEY----

To verify her signature, Julie needs to publish her public key so that it is available to
everyone. Using her private key, Julie signs the digest. The combination of her message
and her signature.

At this moment, anyone who receive Julie's message to Rooney can use Juliet's public key
to verify the created message. However, Juliet only want Rooney to read and verify the
message. To complete this, Julie needs to use Rooney's public key to encrypt the
messages. Of course, because Romeo wants to use public key cryptography in order to
receive secret, digitally signed messages from Julie, he has also published his public key.
Juliet uses his key to encrypt her message. This ensures that only Rooney can read the
message. Because her signature is part of the message, Rooney will know that message
came from her. To reverse this process, Rooney uses his private key to decrypt the
message and then uses Julie's public key to verify the signature.

Digital signature is requiring all parties trust that the individual creating the signature has
kept the private key secret. If anyone else had the access to the private key, that person
could create fraudulent digital signatures as private key holder.

(b)(ii);

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