UA –Main Campus-BS INFOTECH INFOT 8: PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES

MODULE IN INFOT 8: PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES

Effective: 2nd Semester, 2022-2023

PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES
CHAPTER 1:
Overview of the Operating System

Ramon H. Alison Jr.

Instructor

E-mail:
[Link]@[Link]

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CHAPTER GOALS

At the end of this topic/chapter student should be able to:

 Learn and understand the major operating systems components
 Learn and understand the coverage of basic computer system organization
 Learn the Innovations in operating systems development
 Learn and understand the basic role of an operating system
 Learn and understand the major operating system software subsystem managers and their
functions
 Learn and understand the types of machine hardware on which operating systems run

Lesson 1: Introduction

Do you speak binary? Can you comprehend machine code? If I gave you a sheet full of 1s and 0s could
you tell me what it means/does? If you were to go to a country you’ve never been to that speaks a
language you’ve never heard, or maybe your heard of it but don’t actually speak it, what would you
need while there to help you communicate with the locals?

You would need a translator. Your operating system functions as that translator in your PC. It converts
those 1s and 0s, yes/no, on/off values into a readable language that you will understand. It does all of
this in a streamlined graphical user interface, or GUI, that you can move around with a mouse click
things, move them, see them happening before your eyes.

Knowing how operating systems work is a fundamental and critical to anyone who is a serious software
developer. There should be no attempt to get around it and anyone telling you it’s not necessary
should be ignored. While the extend and depth of knowledge can be questioned, knowing more than
the fundamentals can be critical to how well your program runs and even its structure and flow.

Why? When you write a program and it runs too slow, but you see nothing wrong with your code,
where else will you look for a solution. How will you be able to debug the problem if you don’t know
how the operating system works? Are you accessing too many files? Running out of memory and swap
is in high usage? But you don’t even know what swap is! Or is I/O blocking?
And you want to communicate with another machine. How do you do that locally or over the internet?
And what’s the difference? Why do some programmers prefer one OS over another?

In an attempt to be a serious developer, you will learn “Introduction to Operating Systems.” It teaches
the basic OS abstractions, mechanisms, and their implementations. The core of the course contains
concurrent programming (threads and synchronization), inter-process communication, and an
introduction to distributed OSs.

But first, let’s define what an operating system is. An Operating System (OS) is a collection of software
that manages computer hardware and provides services for programs. Specifically, it hides hardware
complexity, manages computational resources, and provides isolation and protection. Most
importantly, it directly has privilege access to the underlying hardware. Major components of an OS
are file system, scheduler, and device driver. You probably have used both Desktop (Windows, Mac,
Linux) and Embedded (Android, iOS) operating systems before.

An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the user and the computer hardware
and controls the execution of all kinds of programs.

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Following are some of important functions of an operating System.

 Memory Management
 Processor Management
 Device Management
 File Management
 Security
 Control over system performance
 Job accounting
 Error detecting aids
 Coordination between other software and users

Memory Management

Memory management refers to management of Primary Memory or Main Memory. Main memory is a
large array of words or bytes where each word or byte has its own address.
Main memory provides a fast storage that can be accessed directly by the CPU. For a program to be
executed, it must in the main memory. An Operating System does the following activities for memory
management −
 Keeps tracks of primary memory, i.e., what part of it are in use by whom, what part are not in use.
 In multiprogramming, the OS decides which process will get memory when and how much.
 Allocates the memory when a process requests it to do so.
 De-allocates the memory when a process no longer needs it or has been terminated.

Processor Management

In multiprogramming environment, the OS decides which process gets the processor when and for how
much time. This function is called process scheduling. An Operating System does the following activities
for processor management −
 Keeps tracks of processor and status of process. The program responsible for this task is known
as traffic controller.
 Allocates the processor (CPU) to a process.

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 De-allocates processor when a process is no longer required.

Device Management

An Operating System manages device communication via their respective drivers. It does the following
activities for device management −
 Keeps tracks of all devices. Program responsible for this task is known as the I/O controller.
 Decides which process gets the device when and for how much time.
 Allocates the device in the efficient way.
 De-allocates devices.

File Management

A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation and usage. These directories may
contain files and other directions.
An Operating System does the following activities for file management −
 Keeps track of information, location, uses, status etc. The collective facilities are often known as file
system.
 Decides who gets the resources.
 Allocates the resources.
 De-allocates the resources.

Other Important Activities

Following are some of the important activities that an Operating System performs −
 Security − By means of password and similar other techniques, it prevents unauthorized access to
programs and data.
 Control over system performance − Recording delays between request for a service and response
from the system.
 Job accounting − Keeping track of time and resources used by various jobs and users.
 Error detecting aids − Production of dumps, traces, error messages, and other debugging and error
detecting aids.
 Coordination between other software and users − Coordination and assignment of compilers,
interpreters, assemblers and other software to the various users of the computer systems.

Lesson 2: Types of Operating System

Operating systems are there from the very first computer generation and they keep evolving with time. In
this chapter, we will discuss some of the important types of operating systems which are most commonly
used.

Types of Operating System

Batch operating system

The users of a batch operating system do not interact with the computer directly. Each user
prepares his job on an off-line device like punch cards and submits it to the computer operator. To speed
up processing, jobs with similar needs are batched together and run as a group. The programmers leave

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their programs with the operator and the operator then sorts the programs with similar requirements into
batches.

The problems with Batch Systems are as follows −

 Lack of interaction between the user and the job.

 CPU is often idle, because the speed of the mechanical I/O devices is slower than the CPU.
 Difficult to provide the desired priority.

Time-sharing operating systems

Time-sharing is a technique which enables many people, located at various terminals, to use a
particular computer system at the same time. Time-sharing or multitasking is a logical extension of
multiprogramming. Processor's time which is shared among multiple users simultaneously is termed as
time-sharing.

The main difference between Multiprogrammed Batch Systems and Time-Sharing Systems is that in
case of Multiprogrammed batch systems, the objective is to maximize processor use, whereas in Time-
Sharing Systems, the objective is to minimize response time.

Multiple jobs are executed by the CPU by switching between them, but the switches occur so frequently.
Thus, the user can receive an immediate response. For example, in a transaction processing, the processor
executes each user program in a short burst or quantum of computation. That is, if n users are present,
then each user can get a time quantum. When the user submits the command, the response time is in few
seconds at most.

The operating system uses CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to provide each user with a small
portion of a time. Computer systems that were designed primarily as batch systems have been modified to
time-sharing systems.

Advantages of Timesharing operating systems are as follows −

 Provides the advantage of quick response.

 Avoids duplication of software.
 Reduces CPU idle time.
Disadvantages of Time-sharing operating systems are as follows −

 Problem of reliability.
 Question of security and integrity of user programs and data.
 Problem of data communication.

Distributed operating System

Distributed systems use multiple central processors to serve multiple real-time applications and multiple
users. Data processing jobs are distributed among the processors accordingly.

The processors communicate with one another through various communication lines (such as high-speed
buses or telephone lines). These are referred as loosely coupled systems or distributed systems.
Processors in a distributed system may vary in size and function. These processors are referred as sites,
nodes, computers, and so on.

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The advantages of distributed systems are as follows −

 With resource sharing facility, a user at one site may be able to use the resources available at
another.
 Speedup the exchange of data with one another via electronic mail.
 If one site fails in a distributed system, the remaining sites can potentially continue operating.
 Better service to the customers.
 Reduction of the load on the host computer.
 Reduction of delays in data processing.

Network operating System

A Network Operating System runs on a server and provides the server the capability to manage data,
users, groups, security, applications, and other networking functions. The primary purpose of the network
operating system is to allow shared file and printer access among multiple computers in a network,
typically a local area network (LAN), a private network or to other networks.

Examples of network operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft Windows
Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Novell NetWare, and BSD.

The advantages of network operating systems are as follows −

 Centralized servers are highly stable.

 Security is server managed.
 Upgrades to new technologies and hardware can be easily integrated into the system.
 Remote access to servers is possible from different locations and types of systems.
The disadvantages of network operating systems are as follows −

 High cost of buying and running a server.

 Dependency on a central location for most operations.
 Regular maintenance and updates are required.

Real Time operating System

A real-time system is defined as a data processing system in which the time interval required to process
and respond to inputs is so small that it controls the environment. The time taken by the system to
respond to an input and display of required updated information is termed as the response time. So in this
method, the response time is very less as compared to online processing.

Real-time systems are used when there are rigid time requirements on the operation of a processor or the
flow of data and real-time systems can be used as a control device in a dedicated application. A real-time
operating system must have well-defined, fixed time constraints, otherwise the system will fail. For
example, Scientific experiments, medical imaging systems, industrial control systems, weapon systems,
robots, air traffic control systems, etc.

There are two types of real-time operating systems.

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Hard real-time systems

Hard real-time systems guarantee that critical tasks complete on time. In hard real-time
systems, secondary storage is limited or missing and the data is stored in ROM. In these
systems, virtual memory is almost never found.

Soft real-time systems

Soft real-time systems are less restrictive. A critical real-time task gets priority over other
tasks and retains the priority until it completes. Soft real-time systems have limited utility
than hard real-time systems. For example, multimedia, virtual reality, Advanced Scientific
Projects like undersea exploration and planetary rovers, etc.

Lesson 3: Operating System - Services

An Operating System provides services to both the users and to the programs.

 It provides programs an environment to execute.

 It provides users the services to execute the programs in a convenient manner.
Following are a few common services provided by an operating system −

 Program execution
 I/O operations
 File System manipulation
 Communication
 Error Detection
 Resource Allocation
 Protection

Program execution

Operating systems handle many kinds of activities from user programs to system programs like printer
spooler, name servers, file server, etc. Each of these activities is encapsulated as a process.
A process includes the complete execution context (code to execute, data to manipulate, registers, OS
resources in use). Following are the major activities of an operating system with respect to program
management −

 Loads a program into memory.

 Executes the program.
 Handles program's execution.
 Provides a mechanism for process synchronization.
 Provides a mechanism for process communication.
 Provides a mechanism for deadlock handling.

I/O Operation

An I/O subsystem comprises of I/O devices and their corresponding driver software. Drivers hide the
peculiarities of specific hardware devices from the users.
An Operating System manages the communication between user and device drivers.

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 I/O operation means read or write operation with any file or any specific I/O device.
 Operating system provides the access to the required I/O device when required.

File system manipulation

A file represents a collection of related information. Computers can store files on the disk (secondary
storage), for long-term storage purpose. Examples of storage media include magnetic tape, magnetic disk
and optical disk drives like CD, DVD. Each of these media has its own properties like speed, capacity, data
transfer rate and data access methods.
A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation and usage. These directories may
contain files and other directions. Following are the major activities of an operating system with respect to
file management −

 Program needs to read a file or write a file.

 The operating system gives the permission to the program for operation on file.
 Permission varies from read-only, read-write, denied and so on.
 Operating System provides an interface to the user to create/delete files.
 Operating System provides an interface to the user to create/delete directories.
 Operating System provides an interface to create the backup of file system.

Communication

In case of distributed systems which are a collection of processors that do not share memory, peripheral
devices, or a clock, the operating system manages communications between all the processes. Multiple
processes communicate with one another through communication lines in the network.
The OS handles routing and connection strategies, and the problems of contention and security. Following
are the major activities of an operating system with respect to communication −

 Two processes often require data to be transferred between them

 Both the processes can be on one computer or on different computers, but are connected through
a computer network.
 Communication may be implemented by two methods, either by Shared Memory or by Message
Passing.

Error handling

Errors can occur anytime and anywhere. An error may occur in CPU, in I/O devices or in the memory
hardware. Following are the major activities of an operating system with respect to error handling −

 The OS constantly checks for possible errors.

 The OS takes an appropriate action to ensure correct and consistent computing.

Resource Management

In case of multi-user or multi-tasking environment, resources such as main memory, CPU cycles and files
storage are to be allocated to each user or job. Following are the major activities of an operating system
with respect to resource management −

 The OS manages all kinds of resources using schedulers.

 CPU scheduling algorithms are used for better utilization of CPU.

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Protection

Considering a computer system having multiple users and concurrent execution of multiple processes, the
various processes must be protected from each other's activities.
Protection refers to a mechanism or a way to control the access of programs, processes, or users to the
resources defined by a computer system. Following are the major activities of an operating system with
respect to protection −

 The OS ensures that all access to system resources is controlled.

 The OS ensures that external I/O devices are protected from invalid access attempts.
 The OS provides authentication features for each user by means of passwords.

Lesson 4: Operating System – Properties

Batch Processing
Batch processing is a technique in which an Operating System collects the programs and data together in a
batch before processing starts. An operating system does the following activities related to batch
processing −
 The OS defines a job which has predefined sequence of commands, programs and data as a single
unit.
 The OS keeps a number a jobs in memory and executes them without any manual information.
 Jobs are processed in the order of submission, i.e., first come first served fashion.
 When a job completes its execution, its memory is released and the output for the job gets copied
into an output spool for later printing or processing.

Advantages
 Batch processing takes much of the work of the operator to the computer.
 Increased performance as a new job get started as soon as the previous job is finished, without any
manual intervention.
Disadvantages

 Difficult to debug program.

 A job could enter an infinite loop.
 Due to lack of protection scheme, one batch job can affect pending jobs.

Multitasking

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Multitasking is when multiple jobs are executed by the CPU simultaneously by switching between them.
Switches occur so frequently that the users may interact with each program while it is running. An OS does
the following activities related to multitasking −
 The user gives instructions to the operating system or to a program directly, and receives an
immediate response.
 The OS handles multitasking in the way that it can handle multiple operations/executes multiple
programs at a time.
 Multitasking Operating Systems are also known as Time-sharing systems.
 These Operating Systems were developed to provide interactive use of a computer system at a
reasonable cost.
 A time-shared operating system uses the concept of CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to
provide each user with a small portion of a time-shared CPU.
 Each user has at least one separate program in memory.

 A program that is loaded into memory and is executing is commonly referred to as a process.
 When a process executes, it typically executes for only a very short time before it either finishes or
needs to perform I/O.
 Since interactive I/O typically runs at slower speeds, it may take a long time to complete. During
this time, a CPU can be utilized by another process.
 The operating system allows the users to share the computer simultaneously. Since each action or
command in a time-shared system tends to be short, only a little CPU time is needed for each user.
 As the system switches CPU rapidly from one user/program to the next, each user is given the
impression that he/she has his/her own CPU, whereas actually one CPU is being shared among
many users.

Multiprogramming

Sharing the processor, when two or more programs reside in memory at the same time, is referred
as multiprogramming. Multiprogramming assumes a single shared processor. Multiprogramming
increases CPU utilization by organizing jobs so that the CPU always has one to execute.
The following figure shows the memory layout for a multiprogramming system.

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An OS does the following activities related to multiprogramming.

 The operating system keeps several jobs in memory at a time.
 This set of jobs is a subset of the jobs kept in the job pool.
 The operating system picks and begins to execute one of the jobs in the memory.
 Multiprogramming operating systems monitor the state of all active programs and system
resources using memory management programs to ensures that the CPU is never idle, unless there
are no jobs to process.
Advantages

 High and efficient CPU utilization.

 User feels that many programs are allotted CPU almost simultaneously.
Disadvantages

 CPU scheduling is required.

 To accommodate many jobs in memory, memory management is required.

Interactivity

Interactivity refers to the ability of users to interact with a computer system. An Operating system does
the following activities related to interactivity −

 Provides the user an interface to interact with the system.

 Manages input devices to take inputs from the user. For example, keyboard.
 Manages output devices to show outputs to the user. For example, Monitor.
The response time of the OS needs to be short, since the user submits and waits for the result.

Real Time System

Real-time systems are usually dedicated, embedded systems. An operating system does the following
activities related to real-time system activity.

 In such systems, Operating Systems typically read from and react to sensor data.

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 The Operating system must guarantee response to events within fixed periods of time to ensure
correct performance.

Distributed Environment

A distributed environment refers to multiple independent CPUs or processors in a computer system. An

operating system does the following activities related to distributed environment −
 The OS distributes computation logics among several physical processors.
 The processors do not share memory or a clock. Instead, each processor has its own local memory.
 The OS manages the communications between the processors. They communicate with each other
through various communication lines.

Spooling

Spooling is an acronym for simultaneous peripheral operations on line. Spooling refers to putting data of
various I/O jobs in a buffer. This buffer is a special area in memory or hard disk which is accessible to I/O
devices.
An operating system does the following activities related to distributed environment −
 Handles I/O device data spooling as devices have different data access rates.
 Maintains the spooling buffer which provides a waiting station where data can rest while the
slower device catches up.
 Maintains parallel computation because of spooling process as a computer can perform I/O in
parallel fashion. It becomes possible to have the computer read data from a tape, write data to
disk and to write out to a tape printer while it is doing its computing task.

Advantages

 The spooling operation uses a disk as a very large buffer.

 Spooling is capable of overlapping I/O operation for one job with processor operations for another
job.

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