Operating Systems Concepts Quiz

A special-purpose operating system designed for applications with rigid time requirements. It prioritizes processing data within strict deadlines, critical for tasks where timely completion is crucial.

A real-time system where failure to meet deadlines leads to catastrophic consequences. It guarantees response within predetermined time constraints, typically involving critical tasks.

A real-time system where missing deadlines might cause degradation in performance but won't lead to system failure. It prioritizes critical tasks for timely completion, but occasional delays are acceptable.

A component of a real-time system that dictates the duration allotted for each processing operation.

A type of memory that retains its data even when the power is turned off. It's often used for storage in hard real-time systems due to its reliability.

A real-time system that functions by constantly monitoring the system's state and making adjustments to maintain stability.

A real-time system that follows a predefined sequence of events, executing tasks in a specific order. It is typically used for tasks with predictable patterns, such as robots or automated machinery.

A type of multiprocessing where each processor runs an identical copy of the operating system and they communicate with each other.

A type of multiprocessing where each processor has a specific task assigned to it, with one master processor controlling the system.

A processor that controls the system in AMP, allocating work and scheduling tasks for other processors.

Processors in AMP that receive instructions from the master processor.

A communication path between two or more systems, allowing them to share data and resources.

Systems composed of multiple interconnected computers that can share tasks and resources over a network.

A common protocol used for network communication, allowing systems to exchange data.

A feature of operating systems that allows them to communicate and interact with networks.

The ability of operating systems to support multiple processors, enabling them to execute tasks concurrently.

A method of communication between processes where data is exchanged through dedicated channels, allowing for direct communication.

A mechanism where multiple processes access and modify shared memory regions to communicate with each other.

System programs act as a bridge between users and the operating system, providing tools and utilities for efficient program development and execution.

Tools designed to manage files and directories, enabling users to create, delete, copy, rename, and perform various operations on files.

System programs that provide information about the system's current state, such as date, time, available memory, and the number of users.

The process of managing and controlling how programs are loaded into memory, executed, and removed. This includes allocating and deallocating memory space for processes, handling memory fragmentation, and ensuring efficient memory usage.

A collection of instructions that a computer executes to perform a specific task.

A process of moving data from a secondary storage device like a hard disk to the main memory (RAM).

The main memory of a computer system, where data and instructions are stored for quick access by the CPU.

The process of transferring data from main memory to a secondary storage device like a hard disk.

A set of programs that manage and control the hardware resources of a computer system, including memory, CPU, input/output devices, and file systems.

An independent unit of work that the operating system can manage. It typically represents an executing program.

When multiple processes require memory space at the same time, this can lead to fragmented memory. This means that available memory space may be scattered, making it harder for programs to allocate the required contiguous space.

A technique used by operating systems to divide main memory into fixed-size blocks called frames. Processes are loaded into frames, allowing for flexibility in memory allocation.

A method used by operating systems to dynamically allocate memory to processes as they need it. This approach helps avoid memory fragmentation and improves memory utilization.

Internal programmable registers, like index registers, are used to store frequently accessed data, serving as a high-speed cache for main memory.

The process of deciding which data to keep in registers (fast access) and which to keep in main memory involves register allocation and replacement algorithms.

Without a cache, the CPU has to wait for data to be retrieved from main memory, slowing down execution. Caches provide faster access.

Cache management involves selecting the right cache size and replacement policy to ensure efficient use of limited cache space.

Main memory acts as a fast cache for secondary storage, as data from secondary storage needs to be in main memory for processing.

Data movement between levels of storage hierarchy can be explicit, controlled by software, or implicit, handled by hardware.

Cache coherency ensures that updates to data in one cache are reflected in all other caches containing the same data, particularly important in multiprocessor systems.

The I/O subsystem hides the complexity of specific hardware devices from the user and the operating system, providing a consistent interface.

The memory management component of the I/O subsystem handles buffering, caching, and spooling, optimizing data flow and storage.

Buffering temporarily holds data, caching stores frequently accessed data, and spooling directs data to a different location for processing.