Operating Systems and Task Management Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary role of a dispatcher in a web application environment?

The dispatcher handles incoming HTTP requests and decides which worker node should handle the request.

Name three strategies a scheduling algorithm might use to distribute tasks.

Round Robin, Least Connections, and Hashing are three strategies employed by scheduling algorithms.

What is the main function of the Health Check Manager?

The health check manager monitors the health of worker nodes and triggers reassignment of tasks if a node fails.

Explain how hashing can maintain session affinity in a real-time data processing system.

Hashing ensures that data from a specific source is always processed by the same node. Signup and view all the answers

How does the Load Analyzer provide information for better scheduling decisions?

The Load Analyzer tracks metrics such as CPU usage, memory usage, response time, and network latency which can inform scheduling decisions. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern of the Session State Manager?

The Session State Manager ensures a user's session data is consistently handled, even if requests are processed by different nodes. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how a Health Check Manager detects a failed node.

The health check manager sends periodic pings; if a response isn't received within a set timeout, the node is considered down. Signup and view all the answers

In what scenarios is maintaining session persistence important and why?

Session persistence is important in scenarios like e-commerce to ensure user's shopping cart persists through their session. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a page table in virtual memory management?

The primary purpose is to store the mapping between virtual addresses and their corresponding physical memory addresses. Signup and view all the answers

Besides address mapping, what other crucial information is stored within entries of a page table?

Page table entries also hold data about access permissions like read, write, execute and status information such as modified or referenced flags. Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) and how does it enhance performance?

The TLB is a cache that stores recent translations of virtual to physical memory addresses, speeding up memory access by avoiding full page table lookups. Signup and view all the answers

If a program requests a page that's not loaded in physical memory, what event occurs, and what action does the operating system take?

A page fault occurs. The OS loads the required page from disk into physical memory by using the page table. Signup and view all the answers

When physical memory runs out, what is the role of page replacement algorithms?

Page replacement algorithms determine which pages to remove from physical memory to make space for newly loaded pages. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the LRU (Least Recently Used) algorithm selects a page for replacement.

LRU algorithm replaces pages that haven't been accessed for the longest period of time. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how the FIFO (First In, First Out) algorithm chooses a page for replacement from physical memory.

FIFO algorithm replaces the oldest loaded page in physical memory. Signup and view all the answers

What makes the optimal page replacement algorithm impractical to implement in real-world operating systems?

The optimal algorithm requires knowledge of future memory access, which is impossible to know in practice. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a cyclic allocation of CPU time?

To allow all processes to advance their execution in a fair manner, ensuring all get CPU time without long waits. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how a mutex is used to manage a shared resource, such as a log file.

A mutex lock is acquired before writing, preventing other processes from writing to the log until the mutex is released. This ensures exclusive access to the shared resource while it is being written to. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how a semaphore can be used to limit the number of database connections?

A semaphore is initialized to the maximum number of allowed connections. Each time a connection is taken, the semaphore is decremented and when the connection is released, it is incremented. Signup and view all the answers

In a client-server application, explain how read/write locks can improve access to a frequently read, but infrequently updated data structure?

Multiple clients can read the data concurrently. Updates can only happen when there are no readers, ensuring data integrity during write operations. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM)?

The JVM acts as an abstraction layer between the Java program and the underlying hardware and operating system, allowing code to run on any platform without being recompiled. Signup and view all the answers

How does the JVM achieve platform independence?

Java programs are compiled into platform-independent bytecode, which the JVM interprets and executes on the host machine. Signup and view all the answers

Give a scenario where a read/write lock would be particularly useful?

A client-server application where a data structure is read frequently but updated infrequently. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of bytecode in Java's platform independence?

Java programs are compiled into bytecode, which is interpreted and executed by the JVM, allowing the same bytecode to run on any platform with a JVM. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of minimizing 'response time' in operating systems?

To reduce the delay between a request and the first response. Signup and view all the answers

Why is 'fairness' an important goal in CPU scheduling?

To prevent starvation, ensuring all processes get equitable CPU time. Signup and view all the answers

Why is 'predictability' particularly significant in real-time operating systems?

Processes often have strict execution deadlines that must be met. Signup and view all the answers

What is a 'time quantum' in the context of Round Robin CPU scheduling?

It's a fixed unit of time a process is allowed to execute before being preempted. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key advantage of Round Robin scheduling, in terms of resource allocation?

Each job receives a fair amount of CPU time. Signup and view all the answers

What is one disadvantage of setting very low time quantum values in Round Robin scheduling?

It can result in decreased CPU output due to excessive context switching. Signup and view all the answers

What is one significant disadvantage of Round Robin scheduling regarding process priorities?

Procedures cannot have priorities established. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of Round Robin scheduling, what impact does an unsuitable time quantum have?

It can significantly impact the overall performance of the system. Signup and view all the answers

What two factors make Java a strong candidate for middleware security?

Java's granular security model and support for SSL/TLS are strong security features for middleware. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of MPI in parallel computing?

MPI provides a standard for portable message-passing, enabling communication and coordination among parallel processes. Signup and view all the answers

Name two types of communication MPI supports between processes.

MPI supports point-to-point and collective communication. Signup and view all the answers

What makes MPI portable across different computing architectures?

MPI is designed to be portable through its standardized library routines and semantics in C, C++, and Fortran. Signup and view all the answers

In the context of MPI, what is the purpose of collective communication?

Collective communication enables efficient data transfer and coordination among a group of processes. Signup and view all the answers

How does MPI support scalability for parallel applications?

MPI is designed for performance scaling on both large supercomputers and smaller clusters. Signup and view all the answers

How can MPI be used to build applications on a cluster?

MPI allows you to write parallel code that divides tasks among processes running on different cluster nodes. Signup and view all the answers

What is the use of MPI's synchronization in parallel computing?

MPI synchronization is used to coordinate processes using methods like barrier synchronization. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'Write Once, Run Anywhere' mean in the context of Java applications, and why is it beneficial for clusters?

It means Java applications can run on any system with a JVM, regardless of the operating system. This benefits clusters because they often have heterogeneous systems. Signup and view all the answers

How do Java's standard libraries support network programming and concurrent processing in cluster environments?

The java.net package simplifies network communication, while java.util.concurrent provides tools for managing multi-threaded operations, vital for maximizing cluster resource use. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the JVM play in managing memory for clustered applications, and why is this important?

The JVM handles memory allocation and garbage collection automatically, relieving the overhead of manual management. This is crucial for complex data structures used in clustered applications. Signup and view all the answers

How does the ability to tune JVMs contribute to achieving high performance on cluster nodes?

JVMs can be optimized for specific applications. This allows for better resource utilization and enhanced performance, specifically tailored for each cluster node. Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of Java EE features like servlets and EJBs when building middleware for cluster applications?

Servlets and EJBs are crucial for creating reliable, secure, and transaction-managed middleware applications needed in a clustered environment. Signup and view all the answers

Name two Java frameworks that are commonly used for developing scalable cluster applications and middleware.

Spring and Hibernate are two frameworks commonly used for developing robust and scalable cluster applications. Signup and view all the answers

How do Java's extensive APIs, such as JDBC and RMI, contribute to the development of scalable middleware?

They provide essential functionalities for database connectivity, remote method invocation, and inter-application communication in distributed systems. This is key for scalable middleware. Signup and view all the answers

Beyond memory management, explain another way that the JVM simplifies management of clustered applications.

The uniform execution environment across different operating system is a benefit of the JVM. This simplifies deployment and maintenance. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Cyclic Allocation

A scheduling approach allowing processes to share CPU time fairly in turns.

Mutexes

Mutual exclusion objects that control access to shared resources, preventing conflicts.