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Functions of The OS

It helps in the understanding of the ways the Operating System in electronic devices work and how it enhances user experience, by managing resources, managing files, managing security, managing tasks, multiprocessing and online processes.

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Ñámè Ţħómäŝ
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163 views1 page

Functions of The OS

It helps in the understanding of the ways the Operating System in electronic devices work and how it enhances user experience, by managing resources, managing files, managing security, managing tasks, multiprocessing and online processes.

Uploaded by

Ñámè Ţħómäŝ
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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19-02-2016

Information Technology

Functions of an Operating System

The Operating System (OS) is a set of programs that governs the operation of a computer. The
operating system also consists of five functions which is managing the computers resources, managing
files and memory, maintaining security, managing tasks and multiprocessing that depend on the size and
complexity of the computer system.
Managing the computers resources is a function where the operating system allow application
software or user programs like word processing and spreadsheet to communicate with the computers
hardware. The use of input and output devices are also managed by an area of memory that temporary
holds information transferred in order to process or output that information, which is a buffer.
Managing files and memory is the function that keeps tracks of the location where programs and
data are stored in a computers memory. Files can easily be found in secondary storages. Also in cases of
mainframe computers the operating system has to share storage between the many programs that may be
running simultaneously.
The managing security function of the computer allow networks and larger computers to be given
a username and password to gain private access to a computer system and personal data. The operating
system and keeps a register of all these names so that only persons with valid usernames IDs and
password can access the system. Providing access by hackers and unauthorized persons.
Managing tasks is a function of the operating system which was developed to reduce idle time of
the CPU which is also known as multitasking. Multitasking is the ability of the computer to appear to run
more than one program at the same time, although at a specific instant in time the CPU is dealing with
only one instruction for one of the active programs.
Multiprocessing refers mainly to the computers systems ability to support more than one process
at the same time and also allows several programs to run concurrently by linking a number of computers
or processors which are now able to work on different programs or different parts of the same program
simultaneously, therefore increasing processing times.
Online processing is also known as transaction processing or pseudo real time processing,
processes data as soon as it is available or interactive. The computer responds to users input by
outputting some data before the user can input anymore. Online systems can also be found in a period of
time (not more than 2 minutes). Online systems can also be found in a number of industries, including
banking, mail-order, supermarkets and manufacturing. Some of the applications used in online

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