7/28/2009

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
OperatingSystems
Anoperatingsystemisacollectionofcomputerprogramsthat administerthehardwareandsoftwareofacomputersothey workproperly.Oneofthemaintasksofthesesystemprogramsisto loadtheoperatingsystem(OS) ( ).Manytimesoperating systemsare referredtoasplatforms. Someofthemostwidelyused platformsareMicrosoftWindows, UNIX,Linux,andMacOS.Mostoperating systemfunctionsrun withlittleornouserinteraction. OnceanOS(systemsoftware)isup andrunning, thecomputerusercanuseapplication softwarelike MicrosoftExceland AdobePhotoshop.

ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
Processes/Multitasking
Ajobortaskacomputerperformsiscalledaprocess. Whenacomputercanrunmorethanoneprocessatatimeitis referredtoasmultitasking. Sharing datafromoneapplication softwaretoanotherwithoutboth running atthesametimeistechnically feasible,butveryinefficient. PresstheAltandTabkeysatthesametimetoseewhat applications arerunning.

ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
MemoryManagementandStorage
Operating systemscoordinateand arrange thecomputers memory, whichincludes cache,randomaccessmemory (RAM),registers,and virtualmemory.Theoperating systemalsofacilitatesdiskstorage. Memoryretainsdigital dataandinformation inavarietyofways. CPUCache issmall,veryquickmemorybecause itstorescopiesof informationanddatafromthemostregularly usedpartsmain memory.CPUcachehelpsdecreasethetimeittakestoaccess memory.Random AccessMemory (RAM)isprimarystorage.RAM isatypeofstoragethatallowsstoreddatatobeaccessedinany (random)orderwithoutphysical movementofthestoragemedia. RAMisconsidered volatile memorybecause itscontentsislostifit isnotsavedtoanonvolatile device.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

7/28/2009

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
MemoryManagementandStorage
Registers areextremelyfastverysmallamountsofmemoryusedto quickentheimplementation ofcomputerprogramsbyproviding accesstocommonlyusedcalculated values. Virtualmemory ismemorytheoperating systemusesto coordinate,track,andefficiently allocatetheuseofCPUcache, registers,RAM,anddiskstorage.Virtualmemoryisactuallya technique thatletsapplication programslikeaspreadsheet use fragmented piecesofmemoryandmakesiteasierforlarge applications tousephysical memory. Diskstorage isnonvolatile, secondary storagethatisrecorded toa physicaldevice,likeaharddriveoropticaldiskwitharead/write apparatus.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
DiskManagement
Operatingsystemsareresponsible forreading andwriting data andinformation ontoadisk,typicallyaharddrive,opticaldevice,or asolidstatestoragedevice.TheOS needs tobeabletosave,or writeinformation toadiskinthemostefficient mannerpossible so itcanbereadfilesefficiently andthereforequickly. Diskmanagement isfacilitated(Microsoftplatform)bycreatinga tableofcontentsforthediskcalledafileallocationtable,orFAT. TheFATdirectstheread/writearmoftheharddrivetowheredata existsandaccessesit. Defragmentation isaprogramthatreorganizes theharddisk.Files andfoldersstillresideinthesameplace,butwiththeclutter removed,andtherefore,thediskcanperformmoreefficiently
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
FileManagement
Alloperating systemsfeaturefilemanagement; awaytostoreand organizeausersworkrepresented bycomputerfilestothememory ofacomputer.Operating systemsaremadeupofahierarchyof directories,(morecommonlycalledfolders). ) MicrosoftWindowsrepresents itsfilemanagement systemvisually withagraphicaluserinterface (GUI)environment. Afilemanager is acomputerprogramthatdisplays auserinterface toworkwithfile systems. Filesaredisplayed inahierarchy,inacomputersystem,sometimes calledatree.Ahierarchy isawaytorankandorganize files.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

7/28/2009

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
Networking
Computersthatarenotconnected toanyothercomputerare referredtoasstandalone. When acomputerisconnected tooneor morecomputers itiscalled anetwork. Operating systemsneedtobeabletooffernetworking,anddoso throughasetofrulescalledtransmissioncontrolprotocol and Internetprotocol(TCP/IP).TCP/IPissimplyasetofrulesfor transferring information fromonecomputer toanother. TCP/IPbreaksupfilesintopackets andpassesthemfromone computertoanother.When thepacketsarriveatanetworkedor receivingcomputer, TCP/IPensuresthatthefilesareintactand usablebyrebuilding thepacketsintotheoriginal file.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
DeviceDrivers
Operating systemsareinchargeofdevicedrivers thatarecomputer programsthatallowperipheral hardware deviceslikeprinters or scannerstointerface withacomputersystemandworkproperly. Operating systemshavePlugandPlay, whichispreloaded and configured driversthatperipheral manufacturers havepreviously supplied totheoperating systemmanufacturer, sowhenanew deviceisdetected,nodriverinstallation isnecessary, because itis alreadyloadedontheoperating system.In1996,UniversalSerial Bus (USB)portsweredeveloped andgained tractionwithMicrosoft andtodayareconsidered astandard, andessentiallyusethesame driversthatmanyothermanufacturers employ.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
GraphicalUserInterface
AGraphicalUserInterface(GUI)isapresentation onacomputer monitorthatallowsausertointeractwithacomputerandthe devicesconnected toit. ManyGUIshave icons, andothervisualindicators likemenusthat launchprogramslikePowerPoint,documents, andmanyother requestsfromauserwithouthaving toissueprogramming commandswiththeclickofapointing device.

ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

7/28/2009

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
EmbeddedOperatingSystems
Manydevicesandappliances thatrelyoncomputing need embeddedoperatingsystems,likecashregisters,automaticteller machines(ATMs),microwaveovens,andspecialized handheld devices devices. Embeddedcomputing referstoacomputing systemordevicethat performsadedicated function.Inmostcases,thesesystems cannotbemodified bytheenduser. Embedded operating systemsarehighly modified,basically strippeddownversionoflargeroperating systemsthat manufacturers produce forspecific tasksanddevices,likea Blackberry,MicrosoftPocketPC,oraniPhone.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
MajorOperatingSystems
Windows isaproprietary graphical userinterfacebased (GUI)operating systemdeveloped byMicrosoftCorporation. MacOSisaproprietarygraphical userinterfacebased (GUI) operatingsystemdevelopedbyAppleInc.,formerlyApple Computer. UNIX isaproprietaryoperating systemdeveloped inthe60sand70s BellLabs. Linux wasoriginallystartedbyLinusTorvalds andisanon proprietaryUNIXlikecomputeroperating system.
ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology

Black&WhiteBusiness Computing2010 Chapter3 OperatingSystems:UnderstandingthePlatform ComputerInformationSystems105

OperatingSystem: UnderstandingthePlatform
OpenSourceOperatingSystems
Opensourcesoftware iswhen softwaressourcecodeor programmingisopentoanyone whocarestoaccessandperhaps evenmodifyit. MicrosoftWindowsVistaisconsidered proprietary software.Linux isconsidered nonproprietary oropensourcesoftware.

ArizonaStateUniversity W.P.CareySchoolofBusiness ComputerApplications&InformationTechnology