Lecture 1 - Introduction to Operating Systems

compiled by Ralph Tambala

MUST . CSIT

Lecture 1 - Introduction to Operating System 1 / 14

Outline

1 Computer System Review

2 What is an Operating System?

3 Types of Operating Systems

4 Functions of Operating Systems

5 Additional Resources

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 Computer System Review

Computer System Review

Computer system can be divided into four components

Hardware – provides basic computing resources CPU, memory, I/O
devices.
Operating system – Controls and coordinates use of hardware among
various applications and users.
Application programs – define the ways in which the system resources
are used to solve the computing problems of the users. Examples
include word processors, compilers, web browsers, database systems
and video games.
Users – The users could be people, machines or other computers.

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 Computer System Review

Computer System Review cont...

Figure 1: A computer system

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 What is an Operating System?

What is an Operating System?

A program that acts as an intermediary between a user of a computer

and the computer hardware. It is a software layer to abstract away
and manage details of hardware resources
A set of utilities to simplify application development – “all the code
you didn’t write” in order to implement your application
A resource allocator – It manages all resources. The OS decides
between conflicting requests for efficient and fair resource use
A control program – The OS controls execution of programs to
prevent errors and improper use of the computer.

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 Types of Operating Systems

Types of Operating Systems

The OS began as a library of code that you linked into your program.
Programs were loaded in their entirety into memory, and executed. That
time interfaces were literally switches and blinking lights.

Batch systems
OS was stored in a portion of primary memory
OS loaded the next job into memory from the card reader
◦ job gets executed
◦ output is printed, including a dump of memory
◦ repeat. . .
card readers and line printers were very slow

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 Types of Operating Systems

Types of Operating Systems cont...(2)

Spooling
Disks were much faster than card readers and printers
Spool (Simultaneous Peripheral Operations On-Line)
◦ while one job is executing, spool next job from card reader onto disk
◦ can even spool multiple programs onto disk
◦ CPU still idle when a program interacts with a peripheral during
execution

Multiprogramming
Keeps multiple runnable jobs loaded in memory at once
Overlaps I/O of a job with computing of another
The goal is to optimize system throughput

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 Types of Operating Systems

Types of Operating Systems cont...(3)

Timesharing
Timesharing provides interactive support –
◦ to use multiple terminals into one machine
◦ to create illusion that a user has entire machine to him/herself
◦ to optimize response time
Timeslicing –
◦ divide CPU equally among the users
◦ permits users to interactively view, edit, debug running programs
Also known as Multitasking Systems.

Parallel systems
Speed up the execution by running multiple processes simultaneously
on multiple CPUs
Relies on OS and language primitives for allowing multiprocessing
Need OS primitives for fast communication among activities
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 Types of Operating Systems

Types of Operating Systems cont...(4)

Personal computer operating systems
Primary goal was to enable new kinds of applications. These
applications include multimedia, productivity and utility software.
Most personal computer OS are also multiprogramming OS

Distributed systems
Facilitate use of geographically distributed resources (e.g.
workstations on a LAN and servers across the Internet)
Support communications between programs
Sharing of distributed resources

Real-time systems
These operating systems are used in real-time systems. The amount
of time it takes to process and react to inputs is very fast.
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 Types of Operating Systems

Types of Operating Systems cont...(5)

Network operating systems

These systems run on a server and provide the capability to manage
data, users, groups, security, applications, and other networking
functions.
NOS allow shared access of files, printers, security, applications, and
other networking functions over a small private network.

Embedded operating systems

It is a specialized operating system designed to perform a specific
task for a device that is not a computer.

e.t.c

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 Functions of Operating Systems

Functions of Operating Systems

We have seen different types of through history of OS. Next, we look at
the common functions of OS:
Process management comprises a variety of activities, including
process creation, scheduling, termination, and deadlock. A process is
a program in execution. The operating system must assign resources
to allow processes to share and exchange data. It also protects each
process’ resources from other methods and allows for process
synchronization.
Memory management is the process of managing and organizing
computer memory by allocating blocks of memory to different running
programs to enhance overall system performance. Hardware, the OS,
and programs and applications all play a role in memory management.
File management – The OS manages all the file-related activities
such as organization storage, retrieval, naming, sharing, and
protection of files.
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 Functions of Operating Systems

Functions of Operating Systems cont...(2)

Device management – Keep tracks of all devices and the program

which is responsible to perform this is called I/O controller. The OS
monitors the status of each device such as storage drivers, printers
and other peripheral devices.
I/O system management – The OS manages and organizes I/O
operations and all I/O devices by hiding the peculiarities of I/O from
the user.
Secondary storage management – Systems have several levels of
storage which includes primary storage, secondary storage, and cache
storage. Instructions and data must be stored in primary storage or
cache so that a running program can reference it.
Security module protects the data and information of a computer
system against malware threat and authorized access.

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 Functions of Operating Systems

Functions of Operating Systems cont...(3)

Command interpretation – A command interpreter is the part of a

computer operating system that understands and executes commands
that are entered interactively by a human being or from a program.
The command interpreter is also called the shell.
Networking – The OS supports communication between systems. A
distributed system is a group of processors which do not share
memory, hardware devices, or a clock. The processors communicate
with one another through the network.
Job accounting – The OS keeps track of time and resource used by
various job and users.
Communication management – Coordination and assignment of
compilers, interpreters, and another software resource of the various
users of the computer systems.

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