IT 342 MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS
Roles of an Operating System - Answers - Manages resources, provides abstractions
Roles of the OS (to applications) - Answers - Provides: Startup, shut down, allocates
CPU cycles, provides memory resources, accesses long-term storage, job
management, task management, device management, security, networking, user
interface, common set of services.
Which resources does the OS manage? - Answers - I/O, CPU cycles, memory, network
How does the user generally interact with the OS? - Answers - Through a Graphical
User Interface (GUI), or a CLI (kernel)
Which modes does an OS operate in? - Answers - User Mode (limited functionality) and
Kernel Mode (full functionality)
What are 'abstractions'? - Answers - Levels above the hardware within the computer,
with which applications and users interact. The OS translates application requests
(through abstraction layers) to the hardware.
What are the objectives of an OS? - Answers - Provide convenience, efficiency, and an
ability to evolve with ever-advancing technology.
How many lines of code is a typical operating system? - Answers - 10 Million
How are I/O Devices managed in an OS? - Answers - General software (device
independent) to software specific to a type of device (a printer), to individual device
drivers.
What is must the file system account for? - Answers - Overall size of device, block size,
type of device.
What must the OS manage within the file system? - Answers - Read, write, create,
remove, share and locate files. Generally, hierarchical structure with folders and
directories.
What does memory provide (abstraction) ? - Answers - Address space abstraction -
allows programs and data to be placed anywhere in memory, and applications written
without knowledge of this location.
What is a 'process'? - Answers - A program loaded for execution.
, How does the OS manage 'processes'? - Answers - Share resources with other
processes, multi-task and switch applications across CPUs as resources become
available; create process hierarchies. (Processes need access and permissions for
users and applications to interact with them).
How many users is the personal computer OS geared for? - Answers - Single-User
Environment
What computer systems are used in Data Centers? - Answers - Servers - serve multiple
users simultaneously and may be optimized for specific functionality, such as serving up
web pages - multitasking OS, such as Solaris, Linus, and Windows Server.
What are Mainframes? - Answers - Best value for the number of processors and
interprocessor communication. The resources require a specialized OS to takes
advantage of the hardware - often provided by the manufacturer.
Real-Time OS - Answers - Require 'near instantaneous' response, and require a
specialized OS to account for these.
Other specialized OS? - Answers - Embedded devices, sensors, point-of-service
devices.
What are 'System Calls'? - Answers - These allow applications to request computer
resources.
What is 'User Mode' (System Call)? - Answers - Typical, restricted computer use mode
(abstraction through OS)
What is 'Kernel Mode' (System Call)? - Answers - Generally restricted and only
available to the OS and specialized programs granted privilege - can access any part of
the hardware.
Why are there two types of System Calls? - Answers - A design specification to keep
rampant programs from damaging the components.
What type of System Calls exist? - Answers - Process control, file management, device
management, information maintenance, communication.
Structure of an OS? - Answers - Monolithic, Layered, Microkernel, Client-Server, Virtual,
Exokernel
Performance goals of an OS? - Answers - Startup/Shutdown quickly and predictably,
programs that open reliably and handle our requests in an understandable fashion,
make sure data is correct, there when we need it, and only shared as we dictate.
Roles of an Operating System - Answers - Manages resources, provides abstractions
Roles of the OS (to applications) - Answers - Provides: Startup, shut down, allocates
CPU cycles, provides memory resources, accesses long-term storage, job
management, task management, device management, security, networking, user
interface, common set of services.
Which resources does the OS manage? - Answers - I/O, CPU cycles, memory, network
How does the user generally interact with the OS? - Answers - Through a Graphical
User Interface (GUI), or a CLI (kernel)
Which modes does an OS operate in? - Answers - User Mode (limited functionality) and
Kernel Mode (full functionality)
What are 'abstractions'? - Answers - Levels above the hardware within the computer,
with which applications and users interact. The OS translates application requests
(through abstraction layers) to the hardware.
What are the objectives of an OS? - Answers - Provide convenience, efficiency, and an
ability to evolve with ever-advancing technology.
How many lines of code is a typical operating system? - Answers - 10 Million
How are I/O Devices managed in an OS? - Answers - General software (device
independent) to software specific to a type of device (a printer), to individual device
drivers.
What is must the file system account for? - Answers - Overall size of device, block size,
type of device.
What must the OS manage within the file system? - Answers - Read, write, create,
remove, share and locate files. Generally, hierarchical structure with folders and
directories.
What does memory provide (abstraction) ? - Answers - Address space abstraction -
allows programs and data to be placed anywhere in memory, and applications written
without knowledge of this location.
What is a 'process'? - Answers - A program loaded for execution.
, How does the OS manage 'processes'? - Answers - Share resources with other
processes, multi-task and switch applications across CPUs as resources become
available; create process hierarchies. (Processes need access and permissions for
users and applications to interact with them).
How many users is the personal computer OS geared for? - Answers - Single-User
Environment
What computer systems are used in Data Centers? - Answers - Servers - serve multiple
users simultaneously and may be optimized for specific functionality, such as serving up
web pages - multitasking OS, such as Solaris, Linus, and Windows Server.
What are Mainframes? - Answers - Best value for the number of processors and
interprocessor communication. The resources require a specialized OS to takes
advantage of the hardware - often provided by the manufacturer.
Real-Time OS - Answers - Require 'near instantaneous' response, and require a
specialized OS to account for these.
Other specialized OS? - Answers - Embedded devices, sensors, point-of-service
devices.
What are 'System Calls'? - Answers - These allow applications to request computer
resources.
What is 'User Mode' (System Call)? - Answers - Typical, restricted computer use mode
(abstraction through OS)
What is 'Kernel Mode' (System Call)? - Answers - Generally restricted and only
available to the OS and specialized programs granted privilege - can access any part of
the hardware.
Why are there two types of System Calls? - Answers - A design specification to keep
rampant programs from damaging the components.
What type of System Calls exist? - Answers - Process control, file management, device
management, information maintenance, communication.
Structure of an OS? - Answers - Monolithic, Layered, Microkernel, Client-Server, Virtual,
Exokernel
Performance goals of an OS? - Answers - Startup/Shutdown quickly and predictably,
programs that open reliably and handle our requests in an understandable fashion,
make sure data is correct, there when we need it, and only shared as we dictate.
