Unit-II: Components of Operating System

Unit Outcomes (UOS) (in cognitive domain):

 UOS 2a: Start, stop, and restart the given service in Linux.
 UOS 2b: Explain the use of the given System call of the specified
OS.
 UOS 2c: Explain the process the OS follows in managing the given
resource.
 UOS 2d: Explain the use of the given operating system tool.
Topics and Sub-topics:
2.1 Different Services of Operating System An Operating System
provides various services to manage hardware, software, and user
interactions. These services can include:
 Process management
 Memory management
 File management
 Input/Output (I/O) management
 Security management
 User management
 Network services
 Time-sharing services
2.2 System Calls - Concept, Types of System Calls System calls are
interfaces provided by the operating system to enable applications to
request services from the kernel. They act as a bridge between user-level
programs and the kernel. System calls allow controlled access to system
resources. Types of system calls include:
  Process control system calls (e.g., fork, exec)
 File management system calls (e.g., open, read, write)
 Device management system calls (e.g., ioctl, read, write)
 Information maintenance system calls (e.g., time, date)
2.3 OS Components:
 Process Management: The OS manages processes, which are
instances of executing programs. It involves process creation,
scheduling, synchronization, and termination. Key components
include:
 Process creation and termination
 Process scheduling algorithms (e.g., round-robin, priority-
based)
 Process synchronization (e.g., semaphores, mutexes)
 Inter-process communication (IPC) mechanisms (e.g., pipes,
shared memory)
 Main Memory Management: The OS is responsible for
managing the main memory (RAM) to efficiently allocate memory
to processes and avoid conflicts. Topics include:
 Memory allocation techniques (e.g., paging, segmentation)
 Virtual memory and demand paging
 Memory protection and sharing
 File Management: The OS manages files and directories in a
hierarchical structure. Key aspects include:
 File operations (e.g., create, read, write, delete)
 File system organization (e.g., FAT, NTFS, ext4)
  Directory structures and their maintenance
 File permissions and access control
 I/O System Management: The OS manages Input/Output
operations to interact with peripheral devices. Topics include:
 Device drivers and their role
 I/O scheduling algorithms (e.g., FCFS, SSTF)
 Buffering and caching techniques
 Secondary Storage Management: The OS handles secondary
storage devices (e.g., hard disks) for long-term data storage. Topics
include:
 Disk partitioning and formatting
 Disk scheduling algorithms (e.g., SCAN, C-SCAN)
 RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
configurations
2.4 Use of Operating System Tools:
 User Management: Operating systems provide tools to manage
user accounts, permissions, and authentication. Topics include:
 User account creation and deletion
 User group management
 Password policies and security
 Security Policy: The OS enforces security policies to protect
system resources and data. Topics include:
 Access control mechanisms (e.g., ACLs, MAC)
 Firewall configuration
 Intrusion detection and prevention
Performance Monitor: The performance monitor is like a helpful
assistant for your computer. It keeps an eye on how your computer is
doing and lets you know if there are any problems or areas where things
could run better. It checks how much of your computer's resources, like
the processor (CPU), memory (RAM), and storage (hard disk), are being
used at any given time. If it sees that something is using too much of
these resources or if there's a slowdown, it alerts you so you can take
action. This way, you can make sure your computer runs smoothly and
efficiently.
Device Management: Device management is like a team leader for all
the different parts of your computer that make it work. It helps
coordinate and control all the hardware devices and drivers in your
computer. Just like a team leader assigns tasks to team members, device
management makes sure each hardware device, such as printers,
graphics cards, or keyboards, knows what to do and how to
communicate with the computer. It also helps you set up and configure
new devices, making it easier for you to use them without any hassle.
Task Scheduler: Think of a task scheduler as a personal assistant for
your computer's to-do list. When you have many things to do on your
computer, like running backups, updating software, or performing
system maintenance, the task scheduler helps you organize and prioritize
these tasks. It plans when each task should be done, ensuring that they
don't interfere with each other and that they are completed efficiently.
This way, your computer can make the best use of its processing power
(CPU) and get things done without you having to remember to do them
manually.

Questions:
1. (Question 1) Explain the role of different services provided by an
operating system and how they contribute to efficient resource
management?
2. (Question 2) What are system calls? Describe the concept of
system calls and provide examples of different types of system
calls.
3. (Question 3) Discuss the process management in an operating
system, covering process creation, scheduling algorithms, and
inter-process communication mechanisms.
4. (Question 4) Describe the main memory management techniques
used by an operating system, including virtual memory and
demand paging.
5. (Question 5) How does file management work in an operating
system? Explain file operations, file system organization, and file
permissions.
6. (Question 6) Discuss the role of an I/O system in an operating
system and explain the importance of buffering and caching in I/O
operations.
7. (Question 7) What is secondary storage management, and how
does the operating system handle secondary storage devices
efficiently?
8. (Question 8) Explain the tools provided by the operating system
for user management, covering user account creation, group
management, and password policies.
9. (Question 9) How does an operating system enforce security
policies to protect system resources? Discuss access control
mechanisms and firewall configurations.
10. (Question 10) Provide examples of operating system tools
used for specific purposes, and explain how they enhance system
management and performance.