Types of Operating Systems

An Operating System performs all the basic tasks like managing files, processes, and
memory. Thus operating system acts as the manager of all the resources, i.e. resource
manager. Thus, the operating system becomes an interface between user and machine. 
Types of Operating Systems: Some widely used operating systems are as follows- 
1. Batch Operating System – 
This type of operating system does not interact with the computer directly. There is an
operator which takes similar jobs having the same requirement and group them into
batches. It is the responsibility of the operator to sort jobs with similar needs. 

Advantages of Batch Operating System: 

 It is very difficult to guess or know the time required for any job to complete.
Processors of the batch systems know how long the job would be when it is in queue
 Multiple users can share the batch systems
 The idle time for the batch system is very less
 It is easy to manage large work repeatedly in batch systems
Disadvantages of Batch Operating System:  
 The computer operators should be well known with batch systems
 Batch systems are hard to debug
 It is sometimes costly
 The other jobs will have to wait for an unknown time if any job fails
Examples of Batch based Operating System: Payroll System, Bank Statements, etc. 
2. Time-Sharing Operating Systems – 
Each task is given some time to execute so that
all the tasks work smoothly. Each user gets the
time of CPU as they use a single system. These
systems are also known as Multitasking
Systems. The task can be from a single user or
different users also. The time that each task gets
to execute is called quantum. After this time interval is over os switches over to the next
task.
Advantages of Time-Sharing OS:  
 Each task gets an equal opportunity
 Fewer chances of duplication of software
 CPU idle time can be reduced
Disadvantages of Time-Sharing OS:  
 Reliability problem
 One must have to take care of the security and integrity of user programs and data
 Data communication problem
Examples of Time-Sharing OSs are: Multics, Unix, etc. 
3. Distributed Operating System – 
These types of the operating system is a recent advancement in the world of computer
technology and are being widely accepted all over the world and, that too, with a great
pace. Various autonomous interconnected computers communicate with each other using
a shared communication network. Independent systems possess their own memory unit
and CPU. These are referred to as loosely coupled systems or distributed systems. These
system’s processors differ in size and function. The major benefit of working with these
types of the operating system is that it is always possible that one user can access the files
or software which are not actually present on his system but some other system connected
within this network i.e., remote access is enabled within the devices connected in that
network. 

Advantages of Distributed Operating System:  

 Failure of one will not affect the other network communication, as all systems are
independent from each other
 Electronic mail increases the data exchange speed
 Since resources are being shared, computation is highly fast and durable
 Load on host computer reduces
 These systems are easily scalable as many systems can be easily added to the
network
 Delay in data processing reduces
Disadvantages of Distributed Operating System:  
 Failure of the main network will stop the entire communication
 To establish distributed systems the language which is used are not well defined
yet
 These types of systems are not readily available as they are very expensive. Not
only that the underlying software is highly complex and not understood well yet
Examples of Distributed Operating System are- LOCUS, etc. 
4. Network Operating System – 
These systems run on a server and provide the capability to manage data, users, groups,
security, applications, and other networking functions. These types of operating systems
allow shared access of files, printers, security, applications, and other networking
functions over a small private network. One more important aspect of Network Operating
Systems is that all the users are well aware of the underlying configuration, of all other
users within the network, their individual connections, etc. and that’s why these
computers are popularly known as tightly coupled systems. 
 

Advantages of Network Operating System:  

 Highly stable centralized servers
 Security concerns are handled through servers
 New technologies and hardware up-gradation are easily integrated into the system
 Server access is possible remotely from different locations and types of systems
Disadvantages of Network Operating System:  
 Servers are costly
 User has to depend on a central location for most operations
 Maintenance and updates are required regularly
Examples of Network Operating System are: Microsoft Windows Server 2003,
Microsoft Windows Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Novell NetWare, and BSD,
etc. 
5. Real-Time Operating System – 
These types of OSs serve real-time systems. The time interval required to process and
respond to inputs is very small. This time interval is called response time. 
Real-time systems are used when there are time requirements that are very strict like
missile systems, air traffic control systems, robots, etc. 
Two types of Real-Time Operating System which are as follows: 
 Hard Real-Time Systems: 
These OSs are meant for applications where time constraints are very strict and even
the shortest possible delay is not acceptable. These systems are built for saving life
like automatic parachutes or airbags which are required to be readily available in case
of any accident. Virtual memory is rarely found in these systems.
 Soft Real-Time Systems: 
These OSs are for applications where for time-constraint is less strict.
 

Advantages of RTOS:  
 Maximum Consumption: Maximum utilization of devices and system, thus more
output from all the resources
 Task Shifting: The time assigned for shifting tasks in these systems are very less.
For example, in older systems, it takes about 10 microseconds in shifting one task to
another, and in the latest systems, it takes 3 microseconds.
 Focus on Application: Focus on running applications and less importance to
applications which are in the queue.
 Real-time operating system in the embedded system: Since the size of programs
are small, RTOS can also be used in embedded systems like in transport and others.
 Error Free: These types of systems are error-free.
 Memory Allocation: Memory allocation is best managed in these types of
systems.
Disadvantages of RTOS:  
 Limited Tasks: Very few tasks run at the same time and their concentration is
very less on few applications to avoid errors.
 Use heavy system resources: Sometimes the system resources are not so good
and they are expensive as well.
 Complex Algorithms: The algorithms are very complex and difficult for the
designer to write on.
 Device driver and interrupt signals: It needs specific device drivers and
interrupts signals to respond earliest to interrupts.
 Thread Priority: It is not good to set thread priority as these systems are very less
prone to switching tasks.
Examples of Real-Time Operating Systems are: Scientific experiments, medical
imaging systems, industrial control systems, weapon systems, robots, air traffic control
systems, etc.