Operating SYSTEM - 2 Marks

9. What is Deadlock?
1. What is an Operating System? - Situation where processes wait indefinitely
- A system software that manages hardware - Each process holds resources needed by
and software resources - Acts as an interface others
between user and hardware - Results in permanent blocking of processes
- Controls execution of programs and provides
services 10. What are Memory Management
Functions?
2. What is a Process? - Allocation/deallocation of memory
- A program in execution with allocated - Protection and sharing of memory
system resources - Virtual memory management
- Contains program code, data, program - Tracking memory usage
counter, and process stack
- Has its own memory space and process 11. What is Paging?
control block - Memory management scheme using fixed-
size blocks
3. What is PCB (Process Control Block)? - Physical memory divided into frames
- Data structure maintaining process - Logical memory divided into pages of same
information size
- Contains process state, CPU registers,
scheduling info 12. What is a Frame?
- Stores memory management and accounting - Fixed-size block of physical memory
information - Used to store process pages
- Basic unit of physical memory management
4. What are the Functions of Operating
System? 13. What is Logical Address?
- Process Management: Creating, scheduling - Address generated by CPU during execution
processes - Referenced by program instructions
- Memory Management: Allocation, protection - Must be translated to physical address
- File Management: File operations,
organization 14. What is External Fragmentation?
- I/O Management: Device handling, - Condition where free memory is scattered
buffering - Total free space adequate but not
contiguous
5. What is Kernel? - Results in inefficient memory usage
- Core component of operating system
- Manages system resources directly 15. What is Thrashing?
- Handles essential system functions and - Excessive paging activity
hardware interaction - System spends more time paging than
executing
6. What is a Distributed System? - Occurs when working set exceeds physical
- Collection of independent computers memory
connected via network
- Appears as single coherent system to users 16. What is Hit Ratio?
- Enables resource sharing and improved - Percentage of page references found in
reliability memory
- Measure of paging system efficiency
7. What is Semaphore? - Higher ratio indicates better performance
- Synchronization tool for process
coordination 17. What is Optimal Page Replacement?
- Used to control access to shared resources - Algorithm replacing page not needed for
- Can be binary (0/1) or counting (multiple longest time
values) - Theoretical algorithm (cannot be
implemented)
8. What is Binary Semaphore? - Used as benchmark for other algorithms
- Semaphore with only two values (0 or 1)
- Used for simple mutual exclusion
- Similar to mutex lock in functionality
18. What is the Use of Overlays?
- Allows execution of programs larger than 28. What are Interrupt Request Lines?
physical memory - Hardware lines for device interrupts
- Keeps frequently used code in memory - Non-maskable interrupts (critical)
- Swaps less used code as needed - Maskable interrupts (normal priority)

19. What is I/O Hardware? 29. What is Process Scheduler?

- Physical devices for input/output operations - Allocates CPU to different processes
- Includes controllers and device interfaces - Implements scheduling algorithms
- Examples: keyboards, displays, printers - Manages process queues

20. What are the Functions of I/O Traffic 30. What are Synchronization Problems?
Controller? - Producer-Consumer Problem
- Manages I/O device queues - Reader-Writer Problem
- Schedules I/O operations - Critical Section Problem
- Controls device allocation and monitoring
31. Distinguish between Page and Segment:
21. What is a Buffer? Page:
- Temporary storage area between devices - Fixed-size blocks
- Manages speed differences in data transfer - Hardware-determined size
- Improves system performance - No logical relation
Segment:
22. What is Spooling? - Variable-size blocks
- Simultaneous Peripheral Operations On- - Logical unit size
Line - Logical relationship exists
- Buffers data between slow I/O and faster
processing 32. What is Virtual Memory?
- Manages printer outputs efficiently - Memory management technique
- Provides larger address space than physical
23. What is a File System? memory
- Organization method for storing/managing - Uses disk space as extended memory
files
- Provides naming and access control 33. What is Context Switching?
- Manages file operations and attributes - Process of saving/restoring process state
- Occurs during process scheduling
24. What are Symbolic File Systems? - Enables multitasking
- Uses symbolic links to reference files
- Provides flexible file organization 34. What is Cache Memory?
- Enables file sharing across directories - High-speed memory between CPU and main
memory
25. What is a File? - Stores frequently accessed data
- Named collection of related information - Reduces memory access time
- Stored on secondary storage
- Has attributes and operations 35. What is Demand Paging?
- Pages loaded only when needed
- Reduces memory usage and I/O
26. What are the Registers of I/O Port? - Uses page fault handling
- Status Register: Shows device state
- Control Register: Controls device operations 36. What are Process States?
- Data Register: Holds data for transfer - New: Process is created
- Ready: Waiting for CPU
27. What are Software Objects in Computer - Running: Executing on CPU
System? - Blocked: Waiting for I/O
- System Software (OS, utilities) - Terminated: Execution completed
- Application Software
- Device Drivers
- User Programs