Unit 3
Processing Data
Operating System
What is an Operating System?
Operating system goals:
A program that acts as an intermediary between a
user of a computer and the computer hardware.
Execute user programs and make solving user
problems easier.
Make the computer system convenient to use.
Use the computer hardware in an efficient manner.
Operating System Definition
OS is a resource allocator
Manages all resources
Decides between conflicting requests for
efficient and fair resource use
OS is a control program
Controls execution of programs to prevent
errors and improper use of the computer
System Resources
System
Resources
Hardware
Software
Components
System Application
Software Software
Operating Systems Types –
Basic Terminology
Multi-user – Two or more users running programs and sharing
peripheral devices, such as a printer, at the same time.
Multi-tasking – A computer's capability to run multiple
applications at the same time.
Multi-processing – Allows a computer to have two or more CPUs
(Central Processing Unit) that programs share.
Multi-threading – The capability of a program to be broken into
smaller parts that can be loaded as needed by the OS. Multi-
threading allows individual programs to be multi-tasked.
Today, almost all operating systems are multi-user, multi-tasking,
and support multi-threading.
Different Types of Operating Systems
Single-user, single-process operating systems:
Allow only one user at a time to use the computer
system.
The user can execute/run only one process at a time.
Examples: DOS, Windows 3.1
Single-user, multi-process operating systems:
Allow a single user to use the computer system.
However, the user can run multiple processes at the same
time.
Example: OS/2
Different Types of Operating Systems
Multi-user, multi-process operating systems: allow
multiple users to use the computer system
simultaneously. Each user can run multiple processes
at the same time.
Examples: UNIX, Windows XP
What the Operating System Does
The operating system controls:
Communication with peripherals
Coordination of concurrent processing
Memory management
Monitoring of resources and security
Management of programs and data
Coordinating network communications
Popular Operating Systems
Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME –
Windows is one of the most popular operating systems today.
Windows is designed to run on PCs and to use an Intel-compatible
CPU.
Windows 9x systems are designed to be run and maintained by a
single user.
Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP –Windows NT, 2000 and XP are
operating systems that were designed to support multiple
(concurrent) users and to run applications simultaneously.
Both Windows NT and Windows 2000/XP have incorporated many
networking features.
Disk Operating Systems
Microsoft developed the Disk Operating System (DOS), also
called MS-DOS, in 1981.
DOS was designed then, for the IBM Personal Computer.
Windows 98 and Windows 2000 both support DOS
commands in order to address compatibility issues related
with older applications.
Simply put, DOS is a collection of programs and commands
used to control the overall computer operation in a disk-based
system.
Basic Elements of DOS
The following are some of the basic things to remember when
working with DOS.
DOS is a command line operating system; it is not user-
friendly. The best way to learn DOS is to use it.
DOS can only run one program at a time. It is not
multitasking.
DOS can only run small programs and has memory
limitations.
DOS is an essential tool for IT professionals and is used
extensively for troubleshooting.
DOS File Structure
Programs and data are stored the same way a document
would be filed in a folder in a file cabinet.
In DOS, they are called files and are grouped together in
directories.
Directories are much like the folders in the file cabinet.
Directories can be nested inside other directories, just like a
folder placed inside another folder. Nested directories are
referred to as subdirectories.
Directories became known as folders in the Windows OS.
DOS Files
A file is simply a block of logically related data, given a single
name, and treated as a single unit, such as programs,
documents, drawings and other illustrations, sound files, and
so on. Files are referred to by filenames.
In DOS, filenames can be up to 8 characters with an
extension of 3 characters. (8 + 3)
The extension is separated from the main portion of the
filename by a period and it identifies what type of file it is.
Example: nazim. txt
DOS Directory Structure
Hard drives organize the disk into directories and
subdirectories.
The main directory is known as the root directory.
All other directories, if they exist, then radiate (branch out)
from the root directory, similar to the branches of a tree.
Locating any given file requires knowledge of three things: the
drive, directory and subdirectory in which the file is found.
DOS Directory Structure
In MS-DOS, the format for specifying the path to a file is as
follows:
C:\directory name\subdirectory name\filename
The first back slash indicates the root directory, which is
present on all DOS disks
The back slash (\) after each item signifies the presence of
a directory or subdirectory
Basic DOS Commands
In DOS, the main user interface is the command line.
The command line is the space immediately following the
DOS prompt, C:\> where C:\ represents the hard disk drive
root directory, and '>' is known as the prompt.
All the DOS commands are typed to the right of the prompt
and executed by pressing the return (ENTER) key on the
keyboard.
Basic DOS Commands
AUTOEXEC.BAT
This file contains a batch of DOS commands that will
automatically be carried out when DOS is loaded into the
system.
Examples of commands normally located in the Autoexec.bat
file include:
DATE – Causes DOS to prompt user for the date
TIME – Causes DOS to prompt the user for the date and
time
DOSKEY – loads the DOSKEY
The User Interface:
The Human-Machine Connection
The user interface is what the user sees on the screen
and interacts with
Two major user interface types:
Character-based interface
Graphical user interface
A Character-Based User Interface
MS-DOS or Unix
The user interacts with characters…
Letter
Numbers
Symbols
Controls: ^C
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
User interacts with GUI using…
Windows
Menus
Toolbars
Mouse
Keyboard shortcuts
Computer System Structure
Computer system can be divided into four components
Hardware – provides basic computing resources
CPU, memory, I/O devices
Operating system
Controls and coordinates use of hardware among
various applications and users
Application programs – define the ways in which the
system resources are used to solve the computing
problems of the users
Word processors, compilers, web browsers,
database systems, video games
Users
People, machines, other computers
Four Components of a Computer
System
Computer Startup
bootstrap program is loaded at power-up or reboot
Typically stored in ROM or EPROM,
generally known as firmware
Initializates all aspects of system
Loads operating system kernel and
starts execution
Computer System Organization
Computer-system operation
One or more CPUs, device controllers connect through common
bus providing access to shared memory
Concurrent execution of CPUs and devices competing for
memory cycles
Computer-System Operation
I/O devices and the CPU can execute concurrently.
Each device controller is in charge of a particular device
type.
Each device controller has a local buffer.
CPU moves data from/to main memory to/from local
buffers
I/O is from the device to local buffer of controller.
Device controller informs CPU that it has finished its
operation by causing an interrupt.
Windows NT
Introduced in 1993
Windows NT Workstation still used in
architectural firms, audio and video
production studios and graphics studios
Microsoft stopped supporting Windows
NT in 2001
Windows 9X
Released in 1995, Windows 95 was the
first member of the Windows 9x family
Windows 98 considered to be an upgrade
of Windows 95
Released in 2000, Windows ME was the
last member of the Windows 9x family, still
widely used, but considered by experts to
be obsolete
Windows XP
Released in 2001
Key goals for the system:
portability
security
multiprocessor support
extensibility
compatibility with MS-DOS and MS-Windows applications.
Uses a micro-kernel architecture
Available in four versions:
Professional
Server
Advanced Server
National Server
Depiction of XP Architecture
Windows 2000
Released in 2000
Combined the features of
Windows 98 and Windows NT
Windows 2000
32-bit preemptive multitasking operating system for Intel
microprocessors.
Key goals for the system:
portability
security
POSIX compliance
multiprocessor support
extensibility
international support
compatibility with MS-DOS and MS-Windows
applications.
Uses a micro-kernel architecture.
Available in four versions, Professional, Server, Advanced
Server, National Server.
LINUX
Released in late 1990s
New version of UNIX
Distributed for free
History
Linux is a modern, free operating system based on
UNIX standards
First developed as a small but self-contained kernel in
1991 by Linus Torvalds, with the major design goal of
UNIX compatibility
It has been designed to run efficiently and reliably on
common PC hardware, but also runs on a variety of
other platforms
Components of a Linux System
The Linux System
Linux uses many tools developed as part of Berkeley’s
BSD operating system, MIT’s X Window System, and
the Free Software Foundation's GNU project
The min system libraries were started by the GNU
project, with improvements provided by the Linux
community
Linux networking-administration tools were derived from
4.3BSD code; recent BSD derivatives such as Free BSD
have borrowed code from Linux in return
The Linux system is maintained by a loose network of
developers collaborating over the Internet, with a small
number of public ftp sites acting as de facto standard
repositories
Linux Distributions
Standard, precompiled sets of packages, or
distributions, include the basic Linux system, system
installation and management utilities, and ready-to-
install packages of common UNIX tools
Design Principles
Linux is a multiuser, multitasking system with a full
set of UNIX-compatible tools
Its file system adheres to traditional UNIX
semantics, and it fully implements the standard
UNIX networking model
Main design goals are speed, efficiency, and
standardization
