Computer Architecture Basics Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the native unit of data in a computer architecture referred to as?

Word (correct)

Packet

Kilobyte

Byte

How many bytes are there in a megabyte based on the binary measurement convention?

1,024 bytes

1,048,576 bytes (correct)

1 million bytes

1 billion bytes

What is typically used by computer manufacturers to describe a gigabyte?

1,024 bytes

1 billion bytes (correct)

1,024³ bytes

1 million bytes

Why is secondary storage provided in computer systems?

To hold large quantities of data permanently Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between bytes and the native word size in a typical computer?

A computer operates primarily in its native word size Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of computer systems does the kernel manage?

Resource management Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the purpose of operating systems?

To manage hardware and software resources Signup and view all the answers

What mode transition occurs when a user application requests system services?

User mode to kernel mode Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of free and open-source operating systems?

Limited community involvement Signup and view all the answers

What type of systems do operating systems primarily facilitate?

Various computing environments Signup and view all the answers

In the context of operating systems, what is 'virtualization' primarily used for?

To create virtual versions of hardware resources Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following does NOT represent an operation of an operating system?

User application development Signup and view all the answers

What is primarily managed under the category of 'resource management' in operating systems?

Hardware and software allocation Signup and view all the answers

What type of memory is characterized as volatile and typically used by the CPU for direct access?

Random-access memory (RAM) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of secondary storage in a computer system?

To offer large nonvolatile storage capacity Signup and view all the answers

How is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) physically organized for data storage?

Divided into tracks and sectors Signup and view all the answers

Which type of memory is designed to retain data even when power is turned off?

Hard Disk Drives (HDD) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes non-volatile memory (NVM) from traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDD)?

NVM is nonvolatile and generally faster Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of the bootstrap program in a computer's operation?

It loads the operating system into volatile memory Signup and view all the answers

Why can the contents of RAM not be trusted to hold the bootstrap program?

RAM loses its contents when the power is off Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a byte?

8 bits grouped together Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of using a Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) system?

It provides each CPU or group of CPUs with its own local memory. Signup and view all the answers

What can be a significant drawback of adding too many CPUs to a multiprocessor system?

Contention for the system bus leading to performance degradation. Signup and view all the answers

How do clustered systems differ from traditional symmetric multiprocessing systems?

Clustered systems gather multiple CPUs to work together as a single unit. Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of symmetric multiprocessing systems?

Every processor performs all tasks within the system. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key benefit of having a dual-core design in multiprocessor systems?

It enables two processing units to handle tasks simultaneously. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of tertiary storage in a computer system?

To store backup copies of materials from other devices Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of storage systems organized in a hierarchy?

Simplicity Signup and view all the answers

What role does a device driver play in a computing system?

It manages I/O operations between the kernel and device controller Signup and view all the answers

In a Direct Memory Access structure, what is a significant advantage over standard I/O operations?

It enables data transfer without CPU intervention. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes asymmetric multiprocessing from other multiprocessing types?

Each processor is assigned a specific task to perform. Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary advantage of using multiprocessor systems?

Improved throughput and fault tolerance Signup and view all the answers

What feature of modern computer architecture primarily utilizes the von Neumann model?

Single general-purpose processor operation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes caching in computer systems?

It involves copying information to a faster storage system. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a timer in process management?

To prevent infinite loops or resource hogging Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes a process?

A program in execution requiring specific resources Signup and view all the answers

What activity is NOT a responsibility of the operating system in process management?

Compiling user programs Signup and view all the answers

What does memory management determine?

What is in memory and when Signup and view all the answers

Which task is NOT part of file-system management by an operating system?

Directing CPU processing Signup and view all the answers

In a multi-threaded process, how is the program counter managed?

One program counter per thread Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern of mass-storage management in an operating system?

Managing data storage on disks Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes caching in a computer system?

A temporary storage that improves speed at various levels Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of single-threaded processes?

It executes instructions sequentially Signup and view all the answers

What principle is important for managing free space in mass storage?

Disk scheduling Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a method used in memory management?

Defragmenting hard drives Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism does an operating system use to handle process synchronization?

Locks Signup and view all the answers

Which activity is involved in the file-system management by an operating system?

Creating access control lists Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction to operating systems
Attendance requirements: 70% for courses and 80% for labs.
Key components of computer systems: hardware, operating system, application programs, and users.
Objectives: describe computer system organization, role of interrupts, modern multiprocessor systems, transition from user mode to kernel mode, use of operating systems in various computing environments, and examples of free and open-source operating systems.
Computer system structure: Hardware (CPU, memory, I/O devices), Operating system (controls hardware, manages applications and users), Application programs (solve user problems, use system resources), and Users (people, machines, other computers).
Abstract view of computer components: users interact with application programs, which in turn interact with operating system, which interacts with computer hardware.
What operating systems do: provide convenience, ease of use, and good performance for users. Handle resource allocation and control amongst users and applications.
Defining operating systems: wide range of functions, from toasters to ships.
Operating system definition: everything a vendor ships, one program running continuously (the kernel), system programs, application programs.
Computer system organization: CPUs and devices connect via a bus to access shared memory and operate concurrently.
Computer system operation: I/O devices and CPU operate concurrently. Device controllers control specific types of devices, have local buffers, and use drivers. I/O transfers data between devices and CPU via local buffers and can be interrupted.
Common Functions of Interrupts: transfer control to the interrupt service routine(generally through the interrupt vector), save address of interrupted instruction. A trap/exception is a software generated interrupt caused by an error or user request. OS is interrupt driven.
Interrupt Timeline: Shows the interaction between the CPU and I/O device, illustrating the interrupt process.
Computer Startup: bootstrap program loaded at power-up or reboot. Typically stored in ROM or EPROM. Initializes all aspects of the system and loads the OS kernel.
Interrupt Handling: OS preserves CPU state (registers and program counter). Determines interrupt type, and executes actions defined for each type of interrupt through polling or vectored interrupt system.
Interrupt-driven I/O Cycle: Steps showing how CPU responds to an I/O request , the transfer of data , and resumption of the interrupted task.
I/O Structure: Control returns to the user program only after I/O is complete, wait instructions, and I/O requests. I/O devices and memory management details including buffering, caching, and spooling.
Storage Structure: CPU only loads from memory. Main memory (RAM) is volatile (data lost on power off), while secondary storage (HDD, NVM) offers non-volatile storage. Disk drives use tracks and sectors.
Storage Structure 2: Bootstrap program that runs first during start-up. RAM is volatile therefore use EEPROM/firmware(non volatile) for storage of important data, example iPhone uses EEPROM.
Storage Definitions and Notation Review: basic unit is bit, then bytes (typically 8 bits), word ( native unit of computer/system data), kilobytes (KB, 1024 bytes), megabytes (MB), gigabytes (GB), terabytes (TB), and petabytes (PB) for computer storage.
Storage Hierarchy: Main memory, secondary storage, and tertiary storage are organized in a hierarchy based on speed, cost, and volatility. Caching (copying data to faster storage) is a key idea in memory management.
Storage-Device Hierarchy: Registers are the top of the hierarchy, followed by cache, main memory, secondary/hard disk drives, followed by tertiary storage (optical disks, magnetic tape).
How a Modern Computer Works: execution threads, instruction execution/cycle, data movement. DMA(direct memory access)- transfer data from storage to memory without CPU intervention - reduces contention for memory cycle
Direct Memory Access Structure: Used with I/O devices transmitting information extremely rapidly. Data transferred in blocks.
Computer-System Architecture: mostly use single general-purpose processor but special-purpose processors also exist. Multiprocessors (parallel systems, tightly-coupled systems) improve throughput and reliability through graceful degradation and fault tolerance. Asymmetric and symmetric multiprocessing.
Symmetric Multiprocessing Architecture: processors have similar functionality.
A Dual-Core Design: shows the components of a dual-core system
Non-Uniform Memory Access System (NUMA): Improves performance by allowing each CPU to have its own local memory and interconnect rather than all accessing a shared bus limiting bottlenecks.
Clustered Systems: Multiple interconnected systems that may use storage-area network (SAN) or provide high availability services. Asymmetric or symmetric clustering models. High-performance computing (HPC) clusters.
Clustered Systems Diagram: Shows networked computers with shared storage.
PC Motherboard: components include processor socket, DRAM slots, and various I/O/power connectors. PCI bus slots.
Operating-System Operations: functions of bootstrap program, kernel, kernel interrupt (hardware and software), and software interrupts (exception/trap). System calls.
Multiprogramming and Multitasking: techniques for running multiple programs needed for efficiency to keep CPU busy. Job scheduling. Timesharing (multitasking) provides fast response time.
Memory Layout for Multiprogrammed Systems: organizes memory layout with OS at top and various process segments below.
Dual-Mode and Multimode Operation: hardware provides user mode and kernel mode(0 - kernel, 1 - user). Privileged instructions only executable in kernel mode. System call changes mode from user to kernel. Virtual machine Manager (VMM)
Transition from User to Kernel Mode: prevents infinite loops. Process hogging CPU resources. Timer interrupts.
Process Management: a process is an active program execution within system. Processes need resources(CPU, memory, I/O, files), data and termination for resource reclaimation. Single-threaded and multi-threaded processes. Concurrency via multithreading and CPU multiplexing
Process Management Activities: creating, deleting, suspending/resuming, synchronization, communication, and deadlock handling.
Memory Management: ensures correct placement of instructions and data in memory to optimize CPU usage and computer response. Tracks processes using memory, moves processes into or out of memory to allow other processes access, assigns memory space for needed processes.
File-system Management: provides uniform view of data storage. Abstracts physical properties of storage (i.e. disk drive) into logical blocks or files. Organization into directories. Access controls. OS activities for creating, deleting, manipulating files, mapping data, and backing up on secondary storage.
Mass-Storage Management: manages secondary storage (disks, tapes) as it is critical to performance. Disk scheduling, free space management, mounting/unmounting, partitioning, and protection.
Caching: reduces access time by copying frequently used data into faster cache memory.
Characteristics of Various Types of Storage: different storage devices, their properties, e.g., typical size, implementation, access time, bandwidth and management.
Migration of data: multitasking systems must ensure proper access for data no matter where in storage hierarchy it is.
Cache Coherency: keeps multiple caches synchronized (in multiprocessor systems) for correctness.
I/O Subsystem: hides hardware device peculiarities from users to provide uniform interface. Includes functions like buffering, caching, and spooling.
Protection and Security: mechanisms for controlling access to system resources and preventing internal/external attacks e.g. denial of service, worms, viruses. User IDs, security IDs, controls.
Virtualization: allows multiple operating systems to run on the same physical hardware. Emulation, interpretation, VM concepts. VM's manage the virtualization services.
Virtualization (cont.): Use cases such as running multiple OS on laptops, developing applications for various systems, testing applications, managing compute environments, and hosting multiple systems.
Computing Environments - Virtualization Diagram: shows a computer with a single OS or multiple virtual machines running applications in a virtual environment
Distributed Systems: Collection of interconnected, possibly heterogeneous, systems working together through communication paths like LAN, WAN, MAN , PAN.
Distributed Systems Diagram: Example network diagram illustrating the connections between multiple computer systems.
Kernel Data Structures: data organization methods like linked lists, doubly linked lists, circular linked lists and trees. Binary search trees. Hash functions, hash maps and bitmaps.
Computing Environments - Traditional: Standalone computers, and network computers, and networking, and internet connected computers.
Computing Environments - Mobile: Features of mobile systems, including specific functions (GPS and gyroscope) and connectivity via wireless networks and data networks.
Computing Environments - Client-Server: Clients request services from servers (including compute and file services).
Computing Environments - Peer-to-Peer: A network architecture where all nodes are considered peers, each able to act as client or server, and using lookup protocols for communication.
Computing Environments - Cloud Computing: Logical extension of virtualization, delivery of computing resources like servers, storage, and applications over a network. Different types: private, public, and hybrid. Services: SaaS, PaaS and IaaS.
Computing Environments - Cloud Computing (Diagram): Illustrates the architecture of a cloud computing environment with elements like internet, load balancer, firewall, and various virtual machines, storage and cloud services.
Computing Environments - Real-Time Embedded Systems: computers and OS’s designed to respond to events within specific time constraints like real-time OS’s, which handle processing and operations within the time constraints.

Free and Open-Source Operating Systems

Available in source-code format, not just binary.
Supported by the Free Software Foundation (FSF) with "copyleft" GNU Public License (GPL).
Examples include GNU/Linux, BSD UNIX, and others.
Useful for running guest OS in order to explore and test.

The Study of Operating Systems

Open-source movement is driving the study of operating systems.
Availability of source code makes understanding systems easier.
Virtualization makes it possible to run many operating systems on one physical machine.
The study of operating systems is more accessible and relevant than it has ever been.

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Description

Test your knowledge on fundamental concepts in computer architecture, such as data units, storage measurements, and the relationship between bytes and native word sizes. This quiz covers essential topics for understanding computer systems and their functionality.