Download Tutorial 1 Answers File

CIN 507 Operating Systems.
Tutorial 1
1. What is an Operating System?
An operating system (OS) is a set of basic programming instructions to computer hardware, forming a
layer of programming code on which most other functions of the computer are built
2. What are some of the basic I/O functions that an OS takes care of?
A basic task of an OS is to take care of input/output (I/O) functions, which let other programs
communicate with the computer hardware
Some examples of I/O tasks:
*Handle input from the keyboard, mouse, and other input devices
*Handle output to the monitor and printer
*Handle remote communications using a modem
*Manage network communications, such as for a local network and the Internet
*Control input/output for devices such as network interface card
*Control information storage and retrieval using various types of disk
*Enable multimedia use for voice and video composition or reproduction, such as recording video from
a *camera or playing music
3. Give detailed functions of the following terms:
*The Kernel
Jobs performed by the kernel can include:
*Managing interactions with the CPU
*Starting, managing, and scheduling programs that handle I/O activities, including device and
networking activities
*Handling basic computer security
*Managing use of the computer’s memory (RAM)
*Managing priority levels assigned to programs and computer processes
*Device drives
A device driver translates the information necessary for the operating system to communicate with
specific hardware
*Application Software
Any program a user might choose to run on a computer
*BIOS
See question number 2
4. List some devices that need a device driver.
External HDD
Mouse and trackball devices.
Printers
scanners
Flash drives
removable media
digital cameras
Video hardware
5. Define the term Time Sharing.
A time-sharing system is a central computer system that is used by multiple users and applications
simultaneously
6. What are Real-Time systems?
A real-time system is an operating system that interacts directly with the user and responds immediately
(or almost immediately) with required information
7. What is the difference between single tasking and multitasking?
Single tasking is a process of running only one program at a time whereas
Multitasking is a process of running more than one program at a time.
8. State some common operating systems that you know of.
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows 8
Mac OS
Linux
Unix
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2007
Mac OS X