Chapter one

Introduction to operating system

 In general, a computer system has some resources which may be utilized to solve a
problem. They are
 Memory
 Processor(s)
 I/O
 File System
 etc.
 The OS manages these resources and allocates them to specific programs and users.
 An OS provides services for
 Processor Management
 Memory Management
 File Management
 Device Management
 Concurrency Control
1. What is an operating system?
 A program that acts as an intermediary between a user of a computer and the
computer hardware.
 A systems program which controls and manages all the computer's resources and
provides a base upon which application programs can be written.
 An interface between applications and hardware

Operating System functions

 Extending the machine: hiding the internal complication of the hardware and
presenting simple view that is simpler and easier to use
o E.g. files instead of physical disk addresses
 Managing resources : provides an orderly and controlled allocation of resources (
processers, memories, printers ,etc) among various programs competing for them
o E.g. printing service, space and time multiplexing
Operating system goals
 Make the computer system convenient to use
 Simplify the execution of user programs and make solving user problems easier
 Use computer hardware efficiently
• Allow sharing of hardware and software resources.
 Provide isolation, security and protection among user programs
 Improve overall system reliability
 Error confinement, fault tolerance, reconfiguration.

1
Why should I study Operating Systems?
 Need to understand interaction between the hardware and applications
 New applications, new hardware
 Need to understand basic principles in the design of computer systems
 efficient resource management, security, flexibility
 Increasing need for specialized operating systems
 e.g. embedded operating systems for devices - cell phones, sensors and
controllers
 real-time operating systems – vehicles, aircraft control, multimedia
services

Computer System

Computer System Components

 Hardware - provides basic computing resources (CPU, memory, I/O devices).
 Operating system - controls and coordinates the use of the hardware among the various
application programs for the various users.
 Applications programs - define the ways in which the system resources are used to solve
the computing problems of the users (compilers, database systems, video games, business
programs).
 Users- (people, machines, other computers).

2
Operating System Views

 There are three classical views (in literature)

 Resource allocator
• To allocate resources (software and hardware) of the computer system and manage
them efficiently.
 Control program
• Controls execution of user programs
• To prevent errors and improper use of the computer
• Control operation of I/O devices.
 Kernel (Command Executer )
• Many components running, what to call an OS
• Is a computer program that manages I/O (input/output) requests from software, and
translates them into data processing instructions for the central processing unit and
other electronic components of a computer.
• Is a fundamental part of a modern computer's operating system.
• One definition of OS - one program that runs at all times
– Called kernel
– Everything else: system programs and applications

History of Operating System

Early Systems - bare machine (early 1950s) - First Generation

• Structure
– Large machines run from console
– Single user system
– Programmer/User as operator
– Paper tape or punched cards
• Secure
• Inefficient use of expensive resources
– Low CPU utilization
– Significant amount of setup time
Simple Batch Systems - Second Generation
 Use an operator (somebody to work the machine)
 Add a card reader (a device to read programs written on punched cards)
 Reduce setup time by batching similar jobs
 Automatic job sequencing - automatically transfers control from one job to another. First
rudimentary operating system
 Resident monitor
– initial control in monitor

3
 – control transfers to job when job completes control transfers back to
monitor
Problems
• How does the monitor know about the nature of the job (e.g., Fortran versus
Assembly) or which program to execute?
• How does the monitor distinguish
– Job from job?
– Data from program?
• Solution: introduce control cards
– Special cards that tell the resident monitor which programs to run

Control Cards
• Parts of resident monitor
– Control card interpreter - responsible for reading and carrying out instructions on
the cards.
– Loader - loads systems programs and applications programs into memory.
– Device drivers - know special characteristics and properties for each of the
system's I/O devices.
Problem: Slow Performance - since I/O and CPU could not overlap, and card reader very
slow.
• Solution: Off-line operation - speed up computation by loading jobs into memory from
tapes and card reading and line printing done off-line using smaller machine
Advantage of off-line operation - main computer not constrained by the speed of the card
readers and line printers, but only by the speed of faster magnetic tape units.
• No changes need to be made to the application programs to change from direct to
off-line I/O operation.
• Real gain - possibility of using multiple reader to-tape and tape-to-printer systems
for one CPU.

4
 • Spooling - overlap the I/O of one job with the computation of another job

• (Simultaneous Peripheral Operation On Line) Simple Multiprogramming.

– While executing one job, the operating system reads the next job from the card
reader into a storage area on the disk (job queue).
– Outputs the printout of previous job from disk to the line printer.
– Job pool - data structure that allows the operating system to select which job to
run next, in order to increase CPU utilization.

Multiprogramming and Time Sharing- Third Generation

Multiprogramming

• Several jobs are kept in main memory at the same time, and the CPU is shared between
them
• Each job is called a process
OS Features Needed for Multiprogramming
• I/O routine supplied by the system.
• Memory management - the system must allocate the memory to several jobs.
• CPU scheduling - the system must choose among several jobs ready to run.
• Allocation of devices.
Time-Sharing Systems- Interactive Computing
• Most efficient for many users to share a large computer.
• The CPU is shared between several processes.
• Each process belongs to a user and I/O is to/from a separate terminal for each user.
• On-line file system must be available for users to access data and code

5
Personal-Computer Systems - Fourth Generation

• Personal computers - computer system dedicated to a single user.

• I/O devices - keyboards, mice, display screens, small printers.
• User convenience and responsiveness.
• Can adopt technology developed for larger operating systems; often individuals have sole
use of computer and do not need advanced CPU utilization or protection features.
Parallel Systems - multiprocessor systems with more than one CPU
• Tightly coupled system - processors share memory and a clock; communication usually
takes place through the shared memory.
• Advantages of parallel systems:
– Increased throughput
– Economical
– Increased reliability
• Symmetric multiprocessing
– Each processor runs an identical copy of the operating system.
– Many processes can run at once without performance deterioration.
• Asymmetric multiprocessing
– Each processor is assigned a specific task; master processor schedules and
allocates work to slave processors.
– More common in extremely large systems

Types of Operating system:-

1. Mainframe Operating system

Operating systems heavily oriented towards processing many jobs at once most of which need
intensive input output. Typically they offer three kinds of jobs

 Batch: routine jobs without interactive user present

 Transaction processing: large number of small jobs
 Time sharing: multiple remote users run jobs at once

2. Server Operating system: it Run on servers that serve multiple users over a network and
allow users to share hardware and software resources.

Examples are: - web servers, database transaction servers, Win2k_windows server 2008 etc.

3. Multi-Processor operating system: Multiple CPU in one system, a variation on server OS

with some special features for communication and connectivity
4. Personal Computer Operating system: provide a good interface for a single user typically
used for word processing, spread sheets, internet access etc.

6
5. Real Time Operating system: Characterized time as the key parameter often used as a
control device in a dedicated application such as controlling, scientific experiments, medical
imaging systems, industrial control systems, and some display systems

6. Embedded Operating System: It runs on the computers that control devices that are not
generally thought of as computers such as TV, microwave ovens and DVD

7. Smart Card Operating System: Handle only a single function such as electronic payments.