OS and Utility Programs

ICT Long #2
Mr Sultan
Operating system

• An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer

hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer
programs. For hardware functions such as input and output and memory
allocation, the operating system acts as an intermediary between programs
and the computer hardware. Some operating systems require installation or
may come pre-installed with purchased computers (OEM-installation),
whereas others may run directly from media (i.e. live CD) or flash memory.
Types of operating systems
• Single-tasking and multi-tasking
• A single-tasking system can only run one program at a time, while a
multi-tasking operating system allows more than one program to be
running concurrently. This is achieved by time-sharing, where the
available processor time is divided between multiple processes. These
processes are each interrupted repeatedly in time slices by a task-
scheduling subsystem of the operating system. Multi-tasking may be
characterized in preemptive and cooperative types.
 Distributed
• A distributed operating system manages a group of distinct, networked
computers and makes them appear to be a single computer, as all computations
are distributed (divided amongst the constituent computers)

• Embedded
• Embedded operating systems are designed to be used in embedded computer
systems. They are designed to operate on small machines with less autonomy
(e.g. PDAs). They are very compact and extremely efficient by design and are
able to operate with a limited amount of resources. Windows CE and Minix 3 are
some examples of embedded operating systems.
 Real-time
• A real-time operating system is an operating system that guarantees to process events or data
by a specific moment in time. A real-time operating system may be single- or multi-tasking,
but when multitasking, it uses specialized scheduling algorithms so that a deterministic nature
of behavior is achieved. Such an event-driven system switches between tasks based on their
priorities or external events, whereas time-sharing operating systems switch tasks based on
clock interrupts

• Library
• A library operating system is one in which the services that a typical operating system
provides, such as networking, are provided in the form of libraries and composed with the
application and configuration code to construct a unikernel: a specialized, single address
space, machine image that can be deployed to cloud or embedded environments
What is a Utility Program?
• Utility program is a system application that executes a specific task, generally
pertaining to optimal maintenance or operation of the system resources.
Operating systems such as Windows, macOS and Linux come with their own
set of utility programs to maintain and execute different utility functions such
as formatting, compressing, scanning, exploring and much more.

• In other words Utility-program definition means, Utility programs also assists

with the management of computer functions, resources and files. You can
ensure complete password protection and keep your systems virus free using
different utility programs
 What are the Functions of Utility Programs?

• System Utilities
• File Management Utilities
• Storage Device Management Utilities
• Miscellaneous Utilities
System Utilities

• Some of the system utility programs are memory manager, antivirus and
firewall, registry checker and cleaner, package installer and explorer. Also, with
the help of such system utility program in computer, users can execute functions
that are crucial for smooth running of an operating system.

• File Management Utilities

• File management utilities include tools such as data archivers, software backup tools,
file compression tools and managers. With the help of these, users can manage their
data in the form of files and folders. These utilities help users to sort out, store and
categorise files according to the requirement.
 Storage Device Management Utilities
• Storage device management utility programs provide solutions for enhancing
disk capacity, such as disk clean-up, partition management, formatting, disk
space allocation, defragmentation, etc. With the help of this system utility
software, users can compartmentalize systems and external drives for efficient
management of programs and files that are stored within.

• Miscellaneous Utilities
• Apart from these three utility program categories, there are various other
programs that help in managing business operations. Some of these programs
include data generators, HTML checkers and hex editors, to name a few.
 Advantages of Utility Software
• Efficiently manage your data and files with proper storage
• Remove unnecessary files to ensure that you always have storage space for new
applications and programs
• Enhance your system’s security by protecting it from malicious virus threats and attacks
• Easily and quickly locate and access your files and folders in the system with the
interface customization feature of utility software
• Find your lost files and folders with file recovery software and recover any data loss
• Enhance your system’s performance by creating space and efficiently managing system
storage