Prepared by Prof Usman Saif Operating Systems Notes

01. Introduction of Operating System

An operating system acts as an intermediary between the user of a computer and the computer
hardware. An Operating System (OS) is a software that manages the computer hardware.
Hardware: It provides the basic computing resources for the system. It consists of CPU,
memory and the input/output (I/O) devices.
Application Programs: Define the ways in which these resources are used to solve
users computing problems. e.g., word processors, spreadsheets, compilers and web
browsers.

Components of a Computer System

Process Management: The operating system manages many kinds of activities ranging
from user programs to system programs like printer spooler, name servers, file server etc.
Main-Memory Management: Primary-Memory or Main-Memory is a large array of
words or bytes. Each word or byte has its own address. Main-memory provides storage
that can be access directly by the CPU. That is to say for a program to be executed, it
must in the main memory.
File Management: A file is a collected of related information defined by its creator.
Computer can store files on the disk (secondary storage), which provide long term
storage. Some examples of storage media are magnetic tape, magnetic disk and optical
disk. Each of these media has its own properties like speed, capacity, data transfer rate
and access methods.
I/O System Management: I/O subsystem hides the peculiarities of specific hardware
devices from the user. Only the device driver knows the peculiarities of the specific
device to whom it is assigned.
Secondary-Storage Management: Secondary storage consists of tapes, disks, and other
media designed to hold information that will eventually be accessed in primary storage
(primary, secondary, cache) is ordinarily divided into bytes or words consisting of a fixed

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Prepared by Prof Usman Saif Operating Systems Notes

number of bytes. Each location in storage has an address; the set of all addresses
available to a program is called an address space.
Protection System: Protection refers to mechanism for controlling the access of
programs, processes, or users to the resources defined by a computer systems.
Networking: generalizes network access
Command-Interpreter System: interface between the user and the OS.

Functions of Operating System

Operating system provides many functions for ensuring the efficient operation of the system
itself. Some functions are listed below
Resource Allocation: Allocation of resources to the various processes is managed by
operating system.
Accounting: Operating system may also be used to keep track of the various computer
resources and how much and which users are using these resources.
Protection: Protection ensures that all access to the system resources is controlled. When
several processes execute concurrently, it should not be possible for one process to
interface with the other or with the operating system itself.

Operating System Services

Many services are provided by OS to the users programs.

Program Execution The operating system helps to load a program into memory and run
it.
I/O Operations Each running program may request for I/O operation and for efficiency
and protection the users cannot control I/O devices directly. Thus, the operating system
must provide some means to do I/O operations.
File System Manipulation Files are the most important part which is needed by
programs to read and write the files and files may also be created and deleted by names
or by the programs. The operating system is responsible for the file management.
Communications Many times, one process needs to exchange information with another
process, this exchange of information can takes place between the processes executing on
the same computer or the exchange of information may occur between the process

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executing on the different computer systems, tied together by a computer network. All
these things are taken care by operating system.
Error Detection It is necessary that the operating system must be aware of possible
errors and should take the appropriate action to ensure correct and consistent computing.

Types of Operating Systems

The Operating system can perform a Single Operation and also Multiple Operations at a Time.
So there are many types of Operating systems those are organized by using their Working
Techniques.
1. Serial Processing: The Serial Processing Operating Systems are those which Performs all the
instructions into a Sequence Manner or the Instructions those are given by the user will be
executed by using the FIFO Manner means First in First Out. Mainly the Punch Cards are used
for this. In this all the Jobs are firstly Prepared and Stored on the Card and after that card will be
entered in the System and after that all the Instructions will be executed one by One. But the
Main Problem is that a user doesnt interact with the System while he is working on the System,
means the user can not be able to enter the data for Execution.
2. Batch Processing: The Batch Processing is same as the Serial Processing Technique. But in the
Batch Processing Similar Types of jobs are Firstly Prepared and they are Stored on the Card and
that card will be Submit to the System for the Processing.The Main Problem is that the Jobs
those are prepared for Execution must be the Same Type and if a job requires for any type of
Input then this will not be Possible for the user. The Batch Contains the Jobs and all those jobs
will be executed without the user Intervention.
3. Multi-Programming: Execute Multiple Programs on the System at a Time and in the Multi-
programming the CPU will never get idle, because with the help of Multi-Programming we can
Execute Many Programs on the System and When we are Working with the Program then we
can also Submit the Second or Another Program for Running and the CPU will then Execute the
Second Program after the completion of the First Program. And in this we can also specify our
Input means a user can also interact with the System.
4. Real Time System: In this Response Time is already fixed. Means time to Display the Results
after Possessing has fixed by the Processor or CPU. Real Time System is used at those Places in
which we Requires higher and Timely Response.
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o Hard Real Time System: In the Hard Real Time System, Time is fixed and we cant
Change any Moments of the Time of Processing. Means CPU will Process the data as we
Enters the Data.
o Soft Real Time System: In the Soft Real Time System, some Moments can be Change.
Means after giving the Command to the CPU, CPU Performs the Operation after a
Microsecond.
5. Distributed Operating System: Distributed Means Data is Stored and Processed on Multiple
Locations. When a Data is stored on to the Multiple Computers, those are placed in Different
Locations. Distributed means In the Network, Network Collections of Computers are connected
with Each other. Then if we want to Take Some Data From other Computer, Then we uses the
Distributed Processing System. And we can also Insert and Remove the Data from out Location
to another Location. In this Data is shared between many users. And we can also Access all the
Input and Output Devices are also accessed by Multiple Users.
6. Multiprocessing: In the Multi Processing there are two or More CPU in a Single Operating
System if one CPU will fail, then other CPU is used for providing backup to the first CPU. With
the help of Multi-processing, we can Execute Many Jobs at a Time. All the Operations are
divided into the Number of CPUs. if first CPU Completed his Work before the Second CPU,
then the Work of Second CPU will be divided into the First and Second.
7. Parallel operating systems: These are used to interface multiple networked computers to
complete tasks in parallel. Parallel operating systems are able to use software to manage all of
the different resources of the computers running in parallel, such as memory, caches, storage
space, and processing power. A parallel operating system works by dividing sets of calculations
into smaller parts and distributing them between the machines on a network.