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Structures of OS

The document discusses different approaches to structuring operating systems, including simple, monolithic, layered, microkernel, and modular structures. A simple structure like MS-DOS had no protection between user applications and the kernel, allowing crashes to affect the whole system. A monolithic structure keeps all OS code in the kernel for fast execution but means the entire OS crashes if any service fails. Layered and microkernel structures separate components to improve modularity, testing, and security but can reduce performance. A modular OS uses object-oriented techniques and dynamic loading for flexibility and protection between modules.

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65 views

Structures of OS

The document discusses different approaches to structuring operating systems, including simple, monolithic, layered, microkernel, and modular structures. A simple structure like MS-DOS had no protection between user applications and the kernel, allowing crashes to affect the whole system. A monolithic structure keeps all OS code in the kernel for fast execution but means the entire OS crashes if any service fails. Layered and microkernel structures separate components to improve modularity, testing, and security but can reduce performance. A modular OS uses object-oriented techniques and dynamic loading for flexibility and protection between modules.

Uploaded by

akhila
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Simple Structure of OS

An operating system is a construct that allows the user application programs to


interact with the system hardware. Since the operating system is such a complex
structure, it should be created with utmost care so it can be used and modified easily.

Simple Structure :
There are many operating systems that
have a rather simple structure.
These started as small systems and
rapidly expanded much further than
their scope.
A common example of this is MS-DOS.
It was designed simply for a niche
amount for people.

Disadvantage :
There was no CPU Execution Mode
(user and kernel), and so errors in
applications could cause the
whole system to crash. An image to illustrate the structure of MS-DOS
Monolithic Approach
Monolithic Approach
• The entire operating system works in the kernel space
in the monolithic system.
• This increases the size of the kernel as well as the
operating system.
• This is different than the microkernel system where the
minimum software that is required to correctly
implement an operating system is kept in the kernel.
• The kernel provides various services such as memory
management, file management, process scheduling
etc. using function calls. This makes the execution of
the operating system quite fast as the services are
implemented under the same address space.
Monolithic Approach
Advantages of Monolithic Kernel –
• One of the major advantage of having monolithic kernel is that it
provides CPU scheduling, memory management, file management
and other operating system functions through system calls.
• The other one is that it is a single large process running entirely in a
single address space.
• It is a single static binary file. Example of some Monolithic Kernel
based OSs are: Unix, Linux, Open VMS, XTS-400, z/TPF.
Disadvantages of Monolithic Kernel –
• One of the major disadvantage of monolithic kernel is that, if
anyone service fails it leads to entire system failure.
• If user has to add any new service. User needs to modify entire
operating system.
Layered structure of OS
Layered structure of OS
• This approach breaks up the operating system into
different layers.
• This allows implementers to change the inner
workings, and increases modularity.
• As long as the external interface of the routines don’t
change, developers have more freedom to change the
inner workings of the routines.
• With the layered approach, the bottom layer is the
hardware, while the highest layer is the user interface.
• The main advantage is simplicity of construction and
debugging.
Layered structure of OS
Hardware
• This layer interacts with the system hardware and coordinates with all the peripheral devices used such as
printer, mouse, keyboard, scanner etc. The hardware layer is the lowest layer in the layered operating
system architecture.
CPU Scheduling
• This layer deals with scheduling the processes for the CPU. There are many scheduling queues that are
used to handle processes. When the processes enter the system, they are put into the job queue. The
processes that are ready to execute in the main memory are kept in the ready queue.
Memory Management
• Memory management deals with memory and the moving of processes from disk to primary memory for
execution and back again. This is handled by the third layer of the operating system.
Process Management
• This layer is responsible for managing the processes i.e assigning the processor to a process at a time. This
is known as process scheduling. The different algorithms used for process scheduling are FCFS (first come
first served), SJF (shortest job first), priority scheduling, round-robin scheduling etc.
I/O Buffer
• I/O devices are very important in the computer systems. They provide users with the means of interacting
with the system. This layer handles the buffers for the I/O devices and makes sure that they work correctly.
User Programs
• This is the highest layer in the layered operating system. This layer deals with the many user programs and
applications that run in an operating system such as word processors, games, browsers etc.
Layered structure of OS
Advantages of Layered architecture:
• Dysfunction of one layer will not affect the entire operating system
• Easier testing and debugging due to isolation among the layers.
• Adding new functionalities or removing the obsolete ones is very
easy.

Disadvantages of Layered architecture:


• It is not always possible to divide the functionalities, many a times
they are inter-related and can’t be separated.
• Sometimes, a large no. of functionalities is there and number of
layers increase greatly. This might lead to degradation in
performance of the system.
• No communication between non-adjacent layers.
Microkernel structure of OS
Microkernel structure of OS
• Kernel is the core part of an operating system which manages system
resources. It also acts like a bridge between application and hardware of the
computer. It is one of the first programs loaded on start-up (after the Boot
loader).
• What is Microkernel?
Microkernel is one of the classification of the kernel. Being a kernel it manages
all system resources. But in a microkernel, the user services and kernel
services are implemented in different address space. The user services are
kept in user address space, and kernel services are kept under kernel address
space, thus also reduces the size of kernel and size of operating system as well.

• This structures the operating system by removing all nonessential portions of


the kernel and implementing them as system and user level programs.
• Generally they provide minimal process and memory management, and a
communications facility.
• Communication between components of the OS is provided by message
passing.
Microkernel structure of OS
The benefits of the microkernel are as follows:
• Extending the operating system becomes much easier.
• Any changes to the kernel tend to be fewer, since the
kernel is smaller.
• The microkernel also provides more security and
reliability.
Main disadvantage is poor performance due to increased
system overhead from message passing.
Eclipse IDE is a good example of Microkernel
Architecture.
Modular Operating System
Modular Operating System
• MOS involves object oriented techniques to create a
modular kernel.
• The core kernel having core functionalities and all other
functions will be in the form of modules.
• The modules will be dynamically loaded to the kernel either
at Boot time or Run time.
• It is build based on the concepts of layered approach as
well as the microkernel approach.
• It is more flexible than layer system where each module is
highly protected.
• Each modules can be communicate to other modules using
core kernel.
• Best structuring of operating system.

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