7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

System Call in OS (Operating System): What is,

Types and Examples
Lawrence Williams July 9, 2022

What is System Call in Operating System?

A system call is a mechanism that provides the interface between a process and the
operating system. It is a programmatic method in which a computer program requests a
service from the kernel of the OS.
System call offers the services of the operating system to the user programs via API
(Application Programming Interface). System calls are the only entry points for the kernel
system.
In this operating system tutorial, you will learn:
What is System Call in Operating System?
Example of System call
How did the System call work?
Types of System calls
Rules for passing Parameters for System Call
Important System Calls used in OS

https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 1/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

System Calls in Operating System

EXPLORE MORE
Learn Java
Programming with
Beginners Tutorial
08:32

Linux Tutorial for

Beginners: Introduction
to Linux Operating...
01:35

What is Integration
Testing Software

Example of System Call

https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 2/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

For example if we need to write a program code to read data from one file, copy that data
into another file. The first information that the program requires is the name of the two files,
the input and output files.
In an interactive system, this type of program execution requires some system calls by OS.
First call is to write a prompting message on the screen
Second, to read from the keyboard, the characters which define the two files.
How System Call Works?
Here are the steps for System Call in OS:

Architecture of the System Call

As you can see in the above-given System Call example diagram.
https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 3/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

Step 1) The processes executed in the user mode till the time a system call interrupts it.
Step 2) After that, the system call is executed in the kernel-mode on a priority basis.
Step 3) Once system call execution is over, control returns to the user mode.,
Step 4) The execution of user processes resumed in Kernel mode.
Why do you need System Calls in OS?
Following are situations which need system calls in OS:
Reading and writing from files demand system calls.
If a file system wants to create or delete files, system calls are required.
System calls are used for the creation and management of new processes.
Network connections need system calls for sending and receiving packets.
Access to hardware devices like scanner, printer, need a system call.

Types of System calls

Here are the five types of System Calls in OS:
Process Control
File Management
Device Management
Information Maintenance
Communications

https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 4/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

Types of System calls in OS

Process Control
This system calls perform the task of process creation, process termination, etc.
Functions:
End and Abort
Load and Execute
Create Process and Terminate Process
Wait and Signal Event
Allocate and free memory
File Management
File management system calls handle file manipulation jobs like creating a file, reading,
and writing, etc.
Functions:
Create a file
Delete file
Open and close file
Read, write, and reposition
Get and set file attributes
Device Management
Device management does the job of device manipulation like reading from device buffers,
writing into device buffers, etc.
Functions:
https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 5/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

Request and release device

Logically attach/ detach devices
Get and Set device attributes
Information Maintenance
It handles information and its transfer between the OS and the user program.
Functions:
Get or set time and date
Get process and device attributes
Communication:
These types of system calls are specially used for interprocess communications.
Functions:
Create, delete communications connections
Send, receive message
Help OS to transfer status information
Attach or detach remote devices

Rules for passing Parameters for System Call

Here are general common rules for passing parameters to the System Call:
Parameters should be pushed on or popped off the stack by the operating system.
Parameters can be passed in registers.
When there are more parameters than registers, it should be stored in a block, and
the block address should be passed as a parameter to a register.
Important System Calls Used in OS
wait()
In some systems, a process needs to wait for another process to complete its execution.
This type of situation occurs when a parent process creates a child process, and the
execution of the parent process remains suspended until its child process executes.
The suspension of the parent process automatically occurs with a wait() system call. When
the child process ends execution, the control moves back to the parent process.
fork()
Processes use this system call to create processes that are a copy of themselves. With the
help of this system Call parent process creates a child process, and the execution of the
parent process will be suspended till the child process executes.
exec()

https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 6/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

This system call runs when an executable file in the context of an already running process
that replaces the older executable file. However, the original process identifier remains as
a new process is not built, but stack, data, head, data, etc. are replaced by the new
process.
kill():
The kill() system call is used by OS to send a termination signal to a process that urges the
process to exit. However, a kill system call does not necessarily mean killing the process
and can have various meanings.
exit():
The exit() system call is used to terminate program execution. Specially in the multi-
threaded environment, this call defines that the thread execution is complete. The OS
reclaims resources that were used by the process after the use of exit() system call.
Summary:
Categories Windows Unix

CreateProcess() fork()
Process control ExitProcess() exit()
WaitForSingleObject() wait()

SetConsoleMode() loctl()
Device manipulation ReadConsole() read()
WriteConsole() write()

CreateFile() Open()
ReadFile() Read()
File manipulation
WriteFile() write()
CloseHandle() close!)

GetCurrentProcessID() getpid()
Information maintanence SetTimer() alarm()
Sleep() sleep()

CreatePipe() Pipe()
Communication CreateFileMapping() shm_open()
MapViewOfFile() mmap()

SetFileSecurity() Chmod()
Protection InitlializeSecurityDescriptor() Umask()
SetSecurityDescriptorGroup () Chown()

You Might Like:

What is Semaphore? Counting, Binary Types with Example
Mutex vs Semaphore: What’s the Difference?
File Systems in Operating System: Structure, Attributes, Types
Real-time operating system (RTOS): Components, Types, Examples

https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 7/8
7/19/22, 11:58 AM System Call in OS (Operating System): What is, Types and Examples

Round Robin Scheduling Algorithm with Example

https://www.guru99.com/system-call-operating-system.html 8/8