Operating System Concepts 10th Edition Quiz and Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is the main purpose of the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)?

To load the full operating system into memory

To locate and start the main part of the operating system (the kernel)

To perform a Power-On Self-Test (POST) and check the essential hardware components (correct)

To send an electrical signal to the hardware components

Which component is responsible for locating and starting the main part of the operating system (the kernel)?

Bootstrap Loader (correct)

BIOS

Operating System

Power Button

What is the primary function of the Operating System?

To send an electrical signal to the hardware components

To perform a Power-On Self-Test (POST)

To load the full operating system (like Windows or macOS) into memory (correct)

To check if all the essential hardware components are functioning properly

Why do we study operating systems, according to the text?

The text does not provide a reason for studying operating systems Signup and view all the answers

What keeps track of the location of a program in memory?

Memory Management Signup and view all the answers

Which component reassigns the CPU to the next program waiting in line?

Process Management Signup and view all the answers

What cooperates to store modified file results in secondary storage?

Memory Management and File Management Signup and view all the answers

Which component releases a program's space in main memory?

Memory Management Signup and view all the answers

What is considered an active entity in the system according to the provided text?

Process Signup and view all the answers

Which component displays the results and readies for the next command?

User Interface Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of an operating system according to the text?

Execute user programs and make solving user problems easier Signup and view all the answers

What aspect concerns users of dedicated systems like workstations?

Dedicated resources but shared resource usage Signup and view all the answers

What does the OS kernel primarily do according to the text?

Performs essential system tasks and provides hardware protection Signup and view all the answers

Why is an OS described as a control program in the text?

To control program execution and prevent errors and improper use Signup and view all the answers

Which term best describes the part of an OS that resides in memory at all times and performs essential system tasks?

'OS nucleus' or kernel Signup and view all the answers

How is resource utilization handled by an OS in a shared computing environment according to the text?

By prioritizing convenient use over all users' satisfaction Signup and view all the answers

What is the main responsibility of the operating system in connection with process management?

Memory allocation and deallocation Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of a single-threaded process in terms of executing instructions?

Executes instructions sequentially, one at a time Signup and view all the answers

In memory management, what activities are involved in deciding what to move into and out of memory?

Deciding which processes or data to move into and out of memory Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of an I/O subsystem in an operating system?

Hiding hardware device peculiarities from users Signup and view all the answers

Which component of the operating system is responsible for providing a uniform, logical view of information storage?

File Management Signup and view all the answers

What is the responsibility of the OS in mass-storage management regarding disks?

Managing free-space on disks Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of protection mechanisms in an operating system?

Defending against internal and external attacks Signup and view all the answers

In a computing environment, what is the key difference between traditional stand-alone machines and network computers (thin clients)?

'Thin clients' rely heavily on network services for computing tasks Signup and view all the answers

Why must multitasking environments ensure the use of the most recent value in the storage hierarchy?

To prevent cache coherency issues in multiprocessor environments Signup and view all the answers

What is the functional difference between handheld smartphones and tablets compared to traditional laptops?

Smartphones and tablets have limited processing power compared to laptops. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of an operating system?

To manage hardware resources and provide an interface for applications Signup and view all the answers

How does an interrupt transfer control to the interrupt service routine (ISR)?

Through the interrupt vector, which contains the addresses of service routines Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a device controller in a computer system?

To control and manage a particular type of I/O device Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between a trap and an interrupt?

A trap is software-generated, while an interrupt is hardware-generated Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the wait instruction in the context of I/O operations?

To idle the CPU until the next interrupt occurs Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of caching in a computer system?

To increase the speed of data access by storing frequently used data in faster storage Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using Direct Memory Access (DMA) for I/O operations?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the device-status table in an operating system?

To store the current status and state of each I/O device Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the interrupt vector in an interrupt-driven operating system?

To store the addresses of interrupt service routines Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the system call in the context of I/O operations?

To request the operating system to allow the user to wait for I/O completion Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Computer System Organization

A computer system consists of one or more CPUs and device controllers connected through a common bus, providing access to shared memory.
Concurrent execution of CPUs and devices competes for memory cycles.
I/O devices and the CPU can execute concurrently.

Interrupt Handling

Interrupts transfer control to the interrupt service routine (ISR) through the interrupt vector.
Interrupt architecture must save the address of the interrupted instruction.
A trap or exception is a software-generated interrupt caused by a user request or error.

Interrupt Timeline

The OS preserves the state of the CPU by storing registers and the program counter.
The OS determines which type of interrupt has occurred and takes appropriate action.

I/O Structure

After I/O starts, control returns to the user program either upon I/O completion or without waiting for I/O completion.
A system call is a request to the OS to allow the user to wait for I/O completion.
The device-status table contains entries for each I/O device, indicating its type, address, and state.

Storage Hierarchy

Storage systems are organized in a hierarchy based on speed, cost, and volatility.
The storage hierarchy includes main memory, secondary storage, and tertiary storage (e.g., optical storage, magnetic tape).

Caching

Caching involves copying information from slower to faster storage systems temporarily.
The cache is smaller than the storage being cached.

Direct Memory Access (DMA) Structure

DMA is used for high-speed I/O devices that can transmit information at close to memory speeds.
The device controller transfers blocks of data from buffer storage directly to main memory without CPU intervention.

Process Management

Process management involves creating and deleting processes, suspending and resuming processes, and providing mechanisms for process synchronization and communication.
A single-threaded process has one program counter specifying the location of the next instruction to execute.
A multi-threaded process has one program counter per thread.

Memory Management

Memory management determines what is in memory and when.
Memory management activities include keeping track of memory usage, deciding which processes and data to move into and out of memory, and allocating and deallocating memory space.

File Management

The OS provides a uniform, logical view of information storage.
File management involves creating and deleting files and directories, and providing access control to determine who can access what.

Mass-Storage Management

Mass-storage management involves managing free space, storage allocation, and disk scheduling.
Tertiary storage includes optical storage, magnetic tape, and other slow, non-volatile storage media.

I/O Subsystem

The I/O subsystem is responsible for managing I/O devices, including buffering, caching, and spooling.
The I/O subsystem provides a general device-driver interface and drivers for specific hardware devices.

Protection and Security

Protection involves controlling access to resources defined by the OS.
Security involves defending the system against internal and external attacks.
User identities, group identifiers, and privilege escalation are used to control access to resources.

Computing Environments

Traditional computing involves general-purpose machines connected to the Internet.
Mobile computing involves handheld devices, tablets, and laptops with wireless networks.
Networking is becoming ubiquitous, even in home systems.

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Description

This quiz explores the fundamental concepts of operating systems as discussed in the 10th edition of the book 'Operating System Concepts'. Topics include the role of an operating system, goals of an OS, and user perspectives on OS functionalities.

Operating System Concepts - 10th Edition

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