Course Title: Operating Systems

Class: BSCS-0S
Instructions:
 Attach the solution file in pdf format.
 Copied and plagiarized assignments will be marked as “Zero”.

Assignment 01

1. What is multiprocessing? Describe the difference between symmetric and asymmetric

multiprocessing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of multiprocessor.

Solution:

Multiprocessing is the use of two or more central processing units within a single computer
system. Multiprocessing is a general term that can mean the dynamic assignment of a program
to one of two or more computers working in tandem or can involve multiple computers
working on the same program at the same time (in parallel). With the advent of parallel
processing, multiprocessing is divided into symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) and massively
parallel processing (MPP).

Asymmetric Multiprocessing: 

Asymmetric Multiprocessing system is a multiprocessor computer system where not all of the
multiple interconnected central processing units (CPUs) are treated equally. In asymmetric
multiprocessing, only a master processor runs the tasks of the operating system.  
For example, AMP can be used in assigning specific tasks to CPU based on priority and
importance of task completion. 
Symmetric Multiprocessing: 
It involves a multiprocessor computer hardware and software architecture where two or more
identical processors are connected to a single, shared main memory, have full access to all
input and output devices, In other words, Symmetric Multiprocessing is a type of
multiprocessing where each processor is self-scheduling.  For example, SMP applies multiple
processors to that one problem, known as parallel programming. 

Difference Between Asymmetric and Symmetric Multiprocessing: 

Asymmetric Multiprocessing Symmetric Multiprocessing

In asymmetric multiprocessing, the processors In symmetric multiprocessing, all the

are not treated equally. processors are treated equally.

Tasks of the operating system are done by Tasks of the operating system are done
master processor. individual processor

No Communication between Processors as they All processors communicate with another

are controlled by the master processor. processor by a shared memory.
Asymmetric Multiprocessing Symmetric Multiprocessing

In asymmetric multiprocessing, process are In symmetric multiprocessing, the process

master-slave. is taken from the ready queue.

Asymmetric multiprocessing systems are Symmetric multiprocessing systems are

cheaper. costlier.

Asymmetric multiprocessing systems are easier Symmetric multiprocessing systems are

to design complex to design

2. Explain the difference between Hard Disk and Solid-State Disk. Also discuss different types of

Non-Volatile Memories.

S. No. Parameter HDD SSD

1. Full Form HDD stands for Hard SSD stands for Solid State
Disk Drive. Drive.

2. Components HDD contains moving SSD does not contains,

mechanical parts, like the mechanical parts, only
arm. electronical parts like ICs.

3. R/W Time HDD has longer R/W SSD has shorter R/W time..
time.

4. Latency HDD has higher latency. SSD has lower latency.

5. I/O operations HDD supports fewer I/O SSD supports more I/O
per second operations per second. operations per second.

6. Fragmentation HDD has fragmentation. SSD does not have

fragmentation.

7. Weight HDD is heavier in weight. SSD is lighter in weight.

8. Size HDD is larger in size. SSD is more compact in

S. No. Parameter HDD SSD

size.

9. Data Transfer In HDD the data transfer In SSD the data transfer is
is sequential. random access.

10. Reliability HDD is less reliable due SSD is more reliable.

to possibility of
mechanical failure, like
head crash and
susceptibility to strong
magnets.

11. Cost HDD is cheaper per unit SSD is costlier per unit
storage. storage.

12. Time of HDD is older and more SSD is newer to use.

Release traditional.

13. Noise HDD can produce noise SSD does not produces
due to mechanical noise.
movements.

14. Availability The availability of HDD The availability of SSD is

in a variety of capacities. limited in terms of variety
of storage capacities as
compared to HDD.

15. Breakdown It is more likely to It is less likely to

breakdown after more breakdown as compared to
uses because of the HDD because of no moving
magnetic platters and parts.
moving mechanical parts.

16. Old/New HDD drives are more A more recent kind of

established and storage drive is an SSD.
traditional. 

17. Long term HDDs are more reliable SSDs are comparatively less
storage for long-term storage. reliable for long-term
storage due to data leaks
 S. No. Parameter HDD SSD

that can occur if kept

unpowered for more than a
year.

18. Access speed The data accessing speed The data accessing speed is
is slower as compared to much higher as compared to
SSD. HDD.

19. Performance The performance suffers The performance does not

because of fragmentation. suffer because of
fragmentation.

20. Suitable for HDDs are suitable for SSDs are suitable for
Extensive storage Fast data retrieval 
Long-term storage Laptop or desktop because
of low power consumption
and size.

3. How do the clustered systems different form multiprocessor systems? What is required for two

machines belonging to a cluster to cooperate to provide highly available service?

Solution:

A clustered system makes use of multiple CPU's to complete a specific task. It consists of

two or more individual systems that are tied together and share the same storage space. They

are also closely attached through a LAN network. On the other hand, a Multiprocessor

system is a kind of processing system where two or more processors work together to process

more than one program at one time. It helps the system to complete work in shorter period of

time. Following are the differences between the two:

 Multiprocessors are tied together and in clustered system individual systems are tied

together.
  LAN networking is used in Clustered system, in Multiprocessing system LAN etc is

not required.

 The aim is high availability in clustered system whereas in multiprocessing it is time

saving.

 The processors share common system clock and common data structures.

Clustered systems are typically constructed by combining multiple computers into a

single system to perform a computational task distributed across the cluster. Multiprocessor

systems on the other hand could be a single physical entity consisting of multiple CPUs. A

clustered system is less tightly couple than a multiprocessor system. Clustered systems use

messages to communicate, while processors in a multiprocessor system could communicate

using shared memory. In order for two machines to provide a highly available service, the state

on the two machines should be replicated and consistently updated. When one of the machines

fails, the other could then takeover functionality.

4. Explain what are the real time embedded systems and multimedia systems.

Real time embedded systems:

A general embedded system represents a device that has hardware elements and software specially

designed for this hardware. Such devices aim to perform one or several dedicated functions. They can

work either in isolation or as part of larger systems. The best examples are home appliances (washing

machines), medical devices (blood pressure monitors), monitoring and control sensors in vehicles,

information kiosks, and many more.

The standard hardware components comprise:

 a CPU
  microcontrollers

 microprocessors

 RAM or ROM memory

 I/O ports

 signal converters

 computer buses

 various peripherals

 systems-on-chip (SOC)

 systems-on-module (SOM).

Note: all embedded systems have different hardware configurations depending on their purpose. For

example, one device may have a display and a keyboard, while another will do without them.

Software components may include:

 an operating system (OS)

 application software

 management software.

Note: embedded solutions may be programmable (capable of updating and changing) or non-

programmable. Complex solutions need an operating system, while primitive devices work without it.

Embedded systems can utilize two types of OS:

 GPOS (a general-purpose operating system) is used in personal computers and other systems

that perform common tasks. A GPOS requires high-performance processing power and handles

operations without observing time limits (i.e., the response time is not critical).
  RTOS (a real-time operating system) is used in sensors and devices that must complete

operations within strict time constraints (i.e., the response time is critical). An RTOS needs less

processing power, and its priority is to comply with time limits.

A real-time embedded system is a particular version of an embedded system that works on the basis

of real-time computing represented by a dedicated type of operating system — RTOS.

Its working principles are as follows:

  Quick response to external factors: an embedded system must work within fixed time

constraints.

 Predictability: an embedded system must be deterministic or predictable, meaning that no

deviations are allowed.

 The deadline is above all: meeting the deadline is more important than other performance

characteristics.

 Operational failures may lead to catastrophe: if a task does not meet time limits, it negatively

affects users and may even lead to fatal results.

Multimedia Systems:

A multimedia system is responsible for developing a multimedia application. A multimedia application is

a bundle of different kinds of data. A multimedia computer system is one that can create, integrate, store,

retrieve delete two or more types of media materials in digital form, such as audio, image, video, and text

information.

Following are some major characteristics or features of a Multimedia System:

 Very High Processing Power:

To deal with large amount of data, very high processing power is used.

 File System:

File system must be efficient to meet the requirements of continuous media. These media files requires

very high-disk bandwidth rates. Disks usually have low transfer rates and high latency rates. To satisfy

the requirements for multimedia data, disk schedulers must reduce the latency time to ensure high

bandwidth.

 File formats that support multimedia:

Multimedia data consists of a variety of media formats or file representation including ,JPEG, MPEG,

AVI, MID, WAV, DOC, GIF,PNG, etc. AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file

container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback. Like the DVD video format, AVI files

support multiple streaming audio and video. Because of restrictions on the conversion from one format to

the other, the use of the data in a specific format has been limited as well.

 Input/Output:

In multimedia applications, the input and output should be continuous and fast. Real-time recording as

well as playback of data are common in most of the multimedia applications which need efficient I/O.

 Operating System:

The operating system must provide a fast response time for interactive applications. High throughput for

batch applications, and real-time scheduling,

 Storage and Memory:

Multimedia systems require storage for large capacity objects such as video, audio, animation and images.

Depending on the compression scheme and reliability video and audio require large amount of memory.

 Network Support:

It includes internet, intranet, LAN, WAN, ATM, Mobile telephony and others. In recent years, there has

been a tremendous growth of multimedia applications on the internet like streaming video, IP telephony,

interactive games, teleconferencing, virtual world, distance learning and so on. These multimedia

networking applications are referred as continuous-media applications and require high communication

latency. Communication Latency is the time it takes for a data packet to be received by the remote

computer.

 Software Tools:
For the development of multimedia applications, the various software tools like programming languages,

graphics software’s, multimedia editing software’s scripting languages: authoring tools, design software’s

etc are required. In addition to these the device drivers are required for interfacing the multimedia

peripherals.