IT2105

REYNAN KIM NEBREJA

BSIT-301
07 Laboratory Exercise 1 - ARG

Laboratory Exercise
Input/Output Management
Objectives:

At the end of the exercise, the students should be able to:

 Examine the logical structure of the I/O function in an operating system; and
 Analyze the performance implications of I/O buffering in an operating system.

Part A (30 points)

1. Run at least five (5) different applications on your computer. (e.g., Google Chrome with multiple tabs,
Microsoft Word/Excel/PowerPoint, programming software, video/music player, etc.).
2. Open and maximize the window of Task Manager.
3. Find the tab showing the list of processes (application and background tasks) and its corresponding details that
currently run on your computer.
4. Set the columns to show the following:
 Process ID
 Process execution status
 Total processor time used by the process
 Maximum amount of physical memory used by the process
 Number of read I/O operations generated by the process since it started
 Total number of bytes read by the process in I/O operations
 Number of write I/O operations generated by the process since it started
 Total number of bytes written by the process in I/O operations
5. Take a screenshot of the maximized Task Manager window that shows the eight (8) columns listed above. (10
points)

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6. Analyze the details of the running processes in your computer, and answer the following (5 items x 3 points):
a. Which process has the greatest number of read I/O operations since it started?

-Since its inception, the Mir4G application process has had the most read I/O operations.

b. Which process has the least number of write I/O operations since it started?

- The dwm.exe or Desktop Window Manager has no or zero write on I/O, followed by Excel, which
has the fewest write I/O operations among object applications, with a value of 42.

c. Is the total number of I/O bytes read by a process always equal to the total number of I/O bytes written
by the same process?

- Sometimes the process I/O bytes read and I/O bytes written values are close to or equal in a short
period of time, but they are always different. As a result, the total number of I/O bytes written by the
same process is not always equal to the process.

d. Would you agree that suspended processes will always hold a zero (0) value for both read and write I/O
operations?

- I disagree that suspended processes should always have a zero value. According to my
experiments in the task manager, the process will not hold zero value, but rather the previous value
from the beginning when the process is executed and running. When the process is suspended, however,
the value of both read and write I/O operations is not increased or changed.

e. Is the number of threads directly proportional to the number of bytes written by the process in I/O
operation?

- It is not proportional to the number of bytes written by the process during I/O. According to the
task manager, the treads of a process can be higher than the process with the most bytes written. For
example, if process A has more bytes written with 12 threads and process B has less bytes written but 20
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threads, and vice versa is possible.

7. After analyzing the I/O details of the running processes in your computer, would you agree that your computer
implements I/O buffering? Why or why not? (5 points)

- I agree that a computer implements I/O buffering because buffering is done to effectively deal with a speed
mismatch between the producer and user of the data stream and make the input and output more efficient. I/O
buffering is simply the use of memory to speed up disk activity by reducing the amount of time spent interacting
with a slow disk and gathering up actual disk operations so that they can be performed as efficiently as
possible. Furthermore, I/O buffering is already implemented in Windows, which typically uses faster RAM to
store temporary data due to the much faster access time than hard disk drives.

Part B (35 points)

 Search for relevant and up-to-date literatures and studies about the Windows I/O Manager. Then, answer or
provide the following:
a. Describe the overall structure of the Windows I/O manager.

- The interfaces that device drivers provide for application-application communication are managed by the
Windows kernel-mode I/O manager. I/O request packets are the main means of communication between
the operating system and device drivers because devices may operate at speeds that differ from those of
the operating system. These packets resemble Windows message packets or network packets. They are
transferred between drivers and between the operating system and individual drivers.

b. Illustrate the structure of the Windows I/O manager based on your understanding.

I/O
Manager
Cache
Manager

File
Manager

Network Drivers
Manager

Hardware Device
Drivers

c. Differentiate the asynchronous and synchronous mode of operation of Windows I/O.

- Data is transmitted asynchronously as characters or bytes. Half-duplex transmission is the kind used in
this transmission. Start bits and stop bits are added to the data in this transmission. There is no need for
synchronization. Blocks or frames of data are sent during synchronous transmission. When data is transmitted
synchronously, there is never a pause. For transferring large amounts of data, synchronous transmission is
more dependable and efficient than asynchronous transmission.

d. Does the Windows I/O manager support any RAID configuration? Rationalize your answer.

- A collection of several drives arranged in a Random Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is

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intended to enhance the performance of a single drive. It is also supported by the Windows I/O
manager, and users can use Storage Spaces, Windows PowerShell, and the command line to create a
RAID array. The type and purpose of a software RAID should be specified by the user prior to creation.
Currently, RAID 0 is supported by Windows 10, RAID 1 by Windows 10, and RAID 5 by Windows 10.

e. In your opinion, what other kernel components work closely with the Windows I/O manager?
Elaborate on your answer.

- Since the kernel-mode plug and play manager (PnP manager) maintains track of the devices
connected to the system's I/O devices, I believe that PnP manager is the kernel component that
collaborates most closely with the Windows I/O manager. While the system is operating, it is also in
charge of handling the addition or removal of devices.

f. In your perspective, what is the most significant part of the Windows I/O model and why?

- In my opinion, the driver or device driver is the software that acts as a bridge between the user and the
hardware and a software application. Because the purpose of the driver is to allow operating systems and
other computer programs access to hardware functions. As a result, the user can control and access the
computer. Furthermore, drivers interpret high-level commands such as read or write, as well as device-
specific commands such as keyboard input. The driver will be the connection from a user's keypress to the output
in the computer.

 Properly cite all your references. (5 points)

Buffering in Operating System - javatpoint. (n.d.). Www.javatpoint.com.

https://www.javatpoint.com/buffering-in-operating-system

Editor. (2019, October 21). I/O Manager. Network Encyclopedia.

https://networkencyclopedia.com/io-manager/

Difference between Synchronous and Asynchronous Transmission - GeeksforGeeks. (2019,

May 23). GeeksforGeeks. https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/difference- between- synchronous-
andasynchronous-transmission/

How to setup software RAID in Windows. (n.d.). RecoverHDD.com. Retrieved January 19,
2022, from https://recoverhdd.com/blog/creating-software-raid-in- windows.html

How to setup software RAID in Windows. (n.d.). RecoverHDD.com.

https://recoverhdd.com/blog/creating-software-raid-in-windows.html tedhudek. (n.d.). Plug
and Play Manager - Windows drivers. Docs.microsoft.com. Retrieved January 19, 2022, from
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/install/pnpmanager

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Grading Rubric for Essay:

Criteria Performance Indicator Points
Content Correct ideas and concepts were included. 3
Organization The presentation of idea was generally organized. 2
TOTAL 5

Grading Rubric for Illustration:

Criteria Performance Indicator Points
Content The illustration was accurate or plausible. 3
Organization The illustration was presented in an organized manner 2
TOTAL 5
Note: DO NOT COPY AND PASTE. All students who copy and paste their work from any website or their classmate will automatically receive a failing mark for this assessment task.

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