Experiment no.

1
Date: 12/1/2024
B474

Aim: To study basic concepts of operating system

Theory:

Q1.] Define Operating System.

An Operating System (OS) is an interface between a computer user and computer hardware. An
operating system is a software which performs all the basic tasks like file management, memory
management, process management, handling input and output, and controlling peripheral devices
such as disk drives and printers.
The primary purposes of an Operating System are to enable applications (softwares) to interact with
a computer's hardware and to manage a system's hardware and software resources.

Q2.] Structure of Operating System.

SIMPLE STRUCTURE
It is the most straightforward operating system structure, but it lacks definition and is only
appropriate for usage with tiny and restricted systems. Since the interfaces and degrees of
functionality in this structure are clearly defined, programs are able to access I/O routines, which
may result in unauthorized access to I/O procedures.

This organizational structure is used by the MS-DOS operating system:

• There are four layers that make up the MS-DOS operating system, and each has its own set
of features.
• These layers include ROM BIOS device drivers, MS-DOS device drivers, application
programs, and system programs.

The following figure illustrates layering in simple structure:

MONOLITHIC STRUCTURE
The monolithic operating system controls all aspects of the operating system's operation, including
file management, memory management, device management, and operational operations.
The core of an operating system for computers is called the kernel (OS). All other System
components are provided with fundamental services by the kernel. The operating system and the
hardware use it as their main interface. When an operating system is built into a single piece of
hardware, such as a keyboard or mouse, the kernel can directly access all of its resources.
The monolithic operating system is often referred to as the monolithic kernel. Multiple
programming techniques such as batch processing and time-sharing increase a processor's usability.
Working on top of the operating system and under complete command of all hardware, the
monolithic kernel performs the role of a virtual computer. This is an old operating system that was
used in banks to carry out simple tasks like batch processing and time-sharing, which allows
numerous users at different terminals to access the Operating System.
The following diagram represents the monolithic structure:

LAYERED STRUCTURE
The OS is separated into layers or levels in this kind of arrangement. Layer 0 (the lowest layer)
contains the hardware, and layer 1 (the highest layer) contains the user interface (layer N). These
layers are organized hierarchically, with the top-level layers making use of the capabilities of the
lower-level ones.
The functionalities of each layer are separated in this method, and abstraction is also an option.
Because layered structures are hierarchical, debugging is simpler, therefore all lower-level layers
are debugged before the upper layer is examined. As a result, the present layer alone has to be
reviewed since all the lower layers have already been examined.
The image below shows how OS is organized into layers:
Q3.] Functions and Services provided by the Operating System.

Functions of an Operating System:

a. Memory Management
The operating system manages the Primary Memory or Main Memory. An operating system
manages the allocation and deallocation of memory to various processes and ensures that the other
process does not consume the memory allocated to one process. An Operating System performs the
following activities for Memory Management:
• In multiprogramming, the OS decides the order in which processes are granted memory
access, and for how long.
• It Allocates the memory to a process when the process requests it and deallocates the
memory when the process has terminated or is performing an I/O operation.

b. Processor Management
In a multi-programming environment, the OS decides the order in which processes have access to
the processor, and how much processing time each process has. This function of OS is called
Process Scheduling. An Operating System performs the following activities for Processor
Management.
An operating system manages the processor’s work by allocating various jobs to it and ensuring that
each process receives enough time from the processor to function properly.
Keeps track of the status of processes. The program which performs this task is known as a traffic
controller. Allocates the CPU that is a processor to a process. De-allocates processor when a process
is no longer required.

c. File Management
A file system is organized into directories for efficient or easy navigation and usage. These
directories may contain other directories and other files. An Operating System carries out the
following file management activities. It keeps track of where information is stored, user access
settings, the status of every file, and more. These facilities are collectively known as the File
system. An OS keeps track of information regarding the creation, deletion, transfer, copy, and
storage of files in an organized way. It also maintains the integrity of the data stored in these files,
including the file directory structure, by protecting against unauthorized access.

Services Provided by an Operating System

• The Operating System provides certain services to the users which can be listed in the
following manner:
• User Interface: Almost all operating systems have a user interface (UI). This interface can
take several forms. One is a command-line interface(CLI), which uses text commands and a
method for entering them (say, a keyboard for typing in commands in a specific format with
specific options).
• Program Execution: The Operating System is responsible for the execution of all types of
programs whether it be user programs or system programs. The Operating System utilizes
various resources available for the efficient running of all types of functionalities.
• Handling Input/Output Operations: The Operating System is responsible for handling all
sorts of inputs, i.e., from the keyboard, mouse, desktop, etc.
• Resource Allocation: The Operating System ensures the proper use of all the resources
available by deciding which resource to be used by whom for how much time. All the
decisions are taken by the Operating System.
• Information and Resource Protection: The Operating System is responsible for using all
the information and resources available on the machine in the most protected way.
• Communication: The operating system implements communication between one process to
another process to exchange information.

Q4.] Objective of Operating System.

The operating system acts as a bridge between the user of a computer system and the computer
hardware. All of the applications required for your programs to utilize the computer hardware are
located on top of the operating system. The following are the main objectives of an operating
system:
• Efficiency
• Hardware abstraction
• Convenience
• System resource management

a. Efficiency
The operating system increases the production efficiency. This is because the system configuration
takes less time. By default, the operating system handles system tasks such as allocating resources
to processes and resolving conflicts between different programs and users. This saves the user time
and results in a more efficient result.
b. Hardware abstraction
The operating system performs a good job of concealing the computer's intricate details. The user
can fully utilise the computer hardware without having to cope with the accompanying difficulties.
The operating system coordinates communication between user programs and computer hardware.

c. Convenience
In the absence of an operating system, users would have to deal with the hardware directly without
access to the pre-configured utility packages that come with an operating system. This would make
using a computer extremely inconvenient. Operating systems allow users to go right to work on the
tasks they want to do without dealing with the burden of setting up the system beforehand.

d. System resource management

The operating system serves as a neutral arbitrator. It serves a management role in the computer
system by ensuring equitable resource distribution among various operations and consumers.

Q5.] Evolution of Operating System with their types.

Operating system is divided into four generations, which are explained as follows:
First Generation
(1945-1955) In this generation, operating systems were not introduced therefore the instruction was
directly given to the computer systems. All the code was included to communicate with the
connected hardware and the system.
Example - to control the machine functions plug boards were used using the wiring.

Second Generation
(1955-1965) GMOS (General Motos operating system) was the first operating system that came
into the picture in the 1950s which was developed for IBM computers. IBM was the first one that
bought an operating system into the world. In the second generation, around the 1960s the first
UNIX Operating system was developed.
Example - Type of operating system and Batch OS.

Third Generation
(1965-1980) In the third generation, the concept of multiprogramming was introduced in which
multiple tasks could be performed in a single computer i.e., operating system.
Example - Concept of multiprogramming and types of operating systems used in
multiprogramming.
Fourth Generation
(1980-now) The evolution of operating systems came under the fourth generation. The concept of
personal computers is similar to the minicomputer that was introduced in the third generation.
Today, Windows is the most popular operating system and has evolved from Windows 95, Windows
98, Windows XP, and Windows 7. The most used Windows operating system was Windows 7 and
Windows 10. In 2021, Windows 11 was introduced with major changes. Apple also introduced its
operating system known as Ma Cos which is also as popular as Windows.

Types of Operating System

• Batch operating system
• Time-sharing operating systems
• Distributed operating System
• Network operating System
• Real Time operating System

Conclusion
Through this experiment I get to learn about operating system and it’s types,various functions
performed on operating system along with it’s structure and also about evolution of operating
system.