System software

Chapter 1
Fundamentals of Operating Systems
Learning out comes
●Explain basic operating system concepts
●Understand the history of operating system development
●Discuss how operating systems work
●Describe the types of operating systems
●Discuss single tasking versus multitasking
●Differentiate between single-user and multiuser operating systems
●List and briefly describe current operating systems
 Introduction
• Computers come in many and varied physical forms. Without an
operating system, however, these devices are only a collection of
electronic parts.
• The operating system is the software that starts the basic
functions of a computer, displays documents on the computer’s
monitor, accesses the Internet, and runs applications—it
transforms the computer into a powerful tool.
• operating system is loaded when the computer is turned on and
remains running until you turn the computer off. Its job is to make
the computer useful so you can run apps, access the Internet, and
communicate with other computers
 Kinds of operating systems
Client /desktop operating systems: these are typically installed on a
personal computer (PC) that is used by one person at a time
Examples
 Windows 10
 Mac OS X
 Ubuntu
 Linux run
 The hard-ware used with a client OS
The hard- ware used with a client OS can be in several forms, such as:

• A full desktop computer consisting of separate components for the

monitor, CPU box, keyboard, and mouse

• A portable or laptop unit that combines the monitor, CPU box, keyboard,
and pointing device in an all-in-one device that is easy to carry

• A combination such as the iMac computer in which the monitor and CPU
are in one unit with a separate keyboard and mouse

• A fourth category, often referred to as a 2-in-1, consists of a large tablet

computer such as the iPad Pro or Microsoft Surface, along with a
detachable keyboard
 The hard-ware used with a client OS

Desktop computer Portable or laptop

iMac computer 2-in-1

Server operating systems are installed on a more powerful computer that
typically has a wired connection to a network to enable multiple users to
access information, such as e-mail, files, and software.

Examples
 Windows Server 2016
 UNIX
 The server hardware
• The traditional server, often used by small or medium-sized businesses,
consists of a monitor, CPU box, keyboard, and mouse.

• Rack-mounted servers are CPU boxes mounted in racks that can hold
multiple servers. Each rack-mounted server typically has its own power
cord and network connection—but these servers often share one
monitor and pointing device.

• Blade servers conserve even more space than rack-mounted servers;

each blade server typically looks like a card that fits into a blade
enclosure. the box provides cooling fans, electrical power, and
connection to a shared monitor and pointing device
Medium-sized and large organizations use rack-mounted and blade servers
 The server hardware

Blade servers
Rack-mounted servers

Traditional server
 Basic functions of any computer

 Input – refers to a way of providing information to a computer

system for processing

 Processing- this is when a computer processor carries out a

series of operations on a set of input to provide output.

 Output-refers to the displays the results of that processing

The three functions described above involve some type of computer

hardware, but the hardware is controlled and coordinated by the
operating system
 Example

• Input— A user running a word-processing program types the letter A on

the keyboard, which results in sending a code to the computer representing
the letter A.

• Processing— The computer’s CPU determines what letter was typed by

looking up the keyboard code in a table.

• Output—The CPU sends instructions to the graphics cards to display the

letter A, which is then sent to the computer monitor.
Input/output (I/O) functions

One of the most basic tasks of an operating system is to take care of

input/output (I/O) functions, which let other programs communicate with
the computer hardware. The I/O functions take requests from the
software the user runs (the application
Operating systems perform the following I/O tasks:

• Handle input from the keyboard, mouse, and other input devices
• Handle output to the monitor and printer
• Manage network communications, such as for a local network and the
Internet
• Control input/output for devices such as network interface cards
• Control information storage and retrieval using various types of storage
media such as hard drives,
flash drives, and DVDs
• Enable multimedia use for voice and video composition or reproduction,
such as recording video
from a camera or playing music through speakers
 Features of the operating system (OS)

• User interface—The user interface provides a method for users to

interact with the computer.

• File system—The file system is the method by which an OS stores

and organizes files and manages access to files on a storage
device, such as a hard drive.
 Features of the operating system (OS)

Processes and services—A process is a program that’s loaded into memory

and run by the CPU.

It can be an application a user interacts with, such as a word-processing

pro-gram or a Web browser, or a program with no user interface that
communicates with and provides services to other processes
 Features of the operating system (OS)

Kernel—The kernel is the heart of the OS and runs with the highest
priority.

• It schedules processes to run, making sure high-priority processes are

taken care of first.
• Manages memory to ensure that two applications don’t attempt to use
the same memory space.
• It makes sure I/O devices are accessed by only one process at a time, in
addition to other tasks.
 Elements that enable an operating system to work

1.The Kernel
The kernel consists of the essential program code of the operating system. To
help illustrate this concept, you might draw a parallel to a general contractor
on a job site. The general contractor is there to schedule all the specific tasks
that must be completed to finish the job and to ensure that all the
subcontractors have the necessary resources and tools to do their jobs in a
timely manner
 Elements that enable an operating system to work
continued

The jobs performed by the kernel can include:

• Managing interactions with the CPU

• Starting, managing, and scheduling programs that handle I/O activities,
including device and
networking activities
• Handling basic computer security
• Managing use of the computer’s memory (RAM)
• Managing priority levels assigned to programs and computer processes
 Elements that enable an operating system to work
continued

2. Resource Managers
One of the functions of the operating system is to manage RAM and central
processor use. For example, programs and devices require access to memory.
If two devices or programs use the same memory space at the same time,
they will not function properly, and they might cause the computer and
operating system to hang.
 Elements that enable an operating system to work
continued

3.Device Drivers and the Operating System

The operating system communicates and works directly with many devices,
including the monitor, keyboard, disk drives, mouse, network adaptor,
sound card, and so on. Some operating system programs exchange
information with specific hardware (chips) inside the computer that control
these devices. The code (instructions) for this information exchange is
typically referred to as a
Elements that enable an operating system to work
continued
 Devices that require drivers

• Fixed internal hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSDs)Computer monitors
• Keyboards
• Mouse and trackball devices
• Remote communications modems
• Printers and scanners
• Tape drives, flash drives, hard drives, and other removable media
• Digital cameras and video hardware
• MP3 players or other audio hardware
• DVD/CD-ROM drives
• Gaming interfaces
• PDA (personal digital assistant) interfaces
• Wired and wireless network interfaces
• USB interfaces
 Elements that enable an operating system to work
continued

4.The Role of Application Software

In addition to communicating with computer hardware, the operating
system communicates with the application software running on the
computer, as shown in Figure 1-3. Application software is a fairly vague
term; it can mean a word processor, spreadsheet, database, computer
game, or many other types of applications.
Elements that enable an operating system to work
continued
5.The Role of the BIOS
An essential step in starting a computer is to load the basic input/output
system, or BIOS. The BIOS is low-level program code that:
• Resides on a chip on the computer’s motherboard
• Initiates and enables communications with hardware devices
• Performs tests at start up, such as memory and hardware component
tests, which as a group are called the power-on self-test (POST)
• Conducts basic hardware and software communications inside the
computer
• Starts a full-fledged operating system that interfaces with the user
Types of Operating Systems

There are many types of computer operating systems, which work in very
different ways and are intended for very different purposes. To a large extent,
the functions required by a computer dictate what the operating system will
do and how.
Characteristics of Operating Systems and computers
Time-sharing system
A time-sharing system is a central computer system that is used by multiple
users and applications simultaneously. Mainframe computers typically fall
into this category. These computers are used to conduct massive calculations
or manipulate huge amounts of data.
• IBM System z mainframes, are used at scientific institutions, banks, and
insurance companies
• Most of their work is done in batches, using batch processing—such as
clearing two million checks and updating their associated bank accounts—
instead of single, sequential repetitive tasks. When the batch process is
finished—all checks have been posted
Characteristics of Operating Systems and computers

Real-Time Systems
A real-time operating system (RTOS) receives and processes inputs and
produces the required outputs
in a specified amount of time. It is more important for the response time of
an RTOS to be consistent
than fast, although RTOSs are also built for speed. For example, an RTOS
might be used in an industrial
plant to control machinery
Characteristics of Operating Systems and computers

Multiuser Systems
A multiuser system supports multiple users who access the hardware and
software of the computer
and operating system.
Multiuser Systems

On a multiuser mainframe all of the work is typically done on the big machine
Multiuser Systems

In a departure from mainframes and time sharing, one of the newer approaches
to multiuser operations is the use of client/server systems
Cloud computing

Client/server computing coupled with the Internet opened the way to an even
more efficient and powerful computing model called cloud computing

Involves providing a host of scalable Web-based applications and

services over the Internet or a private network that are used by clients
through Web browsers or specialized apps

In cloud computing, the user experiences programs and data as if they are
installed on the user’s computer, but in truth a small portion is on the local
computer and all other resources are on servers and other devices in the
cloud.
Cloud computing

Private cloud— In which computing resources are kept within an

organization and used exclusively by that organization

Hosted private cloud—In which resources are made available through a

third-party outsourcer, but are only accessible to users within a specific
organization

Public cloud—In which a variety of resources are available to any

organization through a third party and each organization subscribes only
to specific resources, which may be shared by other organizations
Common cloud service providers include Amazon Web Services (AWS)
and Microsoft Azure.

AWS and Microsoft Azure are full-service cloud computing companies

that can offer customers anything from cloud storage to an entire
network of servers and services
 Single-User Versus Multiuser Operating Systems

A single-user systems allows only one user at a time to use an application.

Multiuser operating systems allow multiple users systems use an application
simultaneously.

Single-User Versus Multiuser Operating Systems

Examples of multiuser operating systems
• UNIX
• Linux
• Windows server systems (Windows Server 2008/R2 and Windows Server
2012/R2, Windows Server 2016).
• Mac OS X Server

The desktop versions of operating systems, such as Windows 10 and Mac OS

X, are also multiuser systems, but they do not have the full multi- user
capacity of the server systems.

• They handle only 10 to 20 simultaneous users before they bog down under
the load.
Examples of multiuser operating systems

UNIX: It is Well known for its power to perform complex tasks and maintain
large databases.

Main design standards of UNIX

1. Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) standard

2. System V Release 4 (SVR4) standard.
Current Operating Systems
The operating systems surveyed in this book are the most common in today’s
computing environments, and they fall into several families:
• Windows 7, 8.1, and 10
• Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016
A Short History of Operating Systems

• Initially, computers were used as large automated calculators to solve all sorts of mathematical and statistical
problems.
• Computers were extremely large, often taking up entire rooms

• Scientists programmed these computers to perform precise tasks.

• The operating systems were rudimentary, often not able to do more than read punch cards or tape and write output
to Teletype machines (machines resembling typewriters).

• A tape or deck of cards was loaded, a button was pushed on the machine to indicate the
• input was ready, and the machine started to read the tape and perform the operations requested. If
• all went well, the work was done and the output was generated. This output would be sent to the
• Teletype
A Short History of Operating Systems
THANK YOU
THE END