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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION An operating system is a program that is an intermediary between a user and the omputer hardware! Di""erent #e$e#s in a omputer system are shown be#ow %&igure 1!1'! User programs
Operating system interface

Operating system
Hardware interface

Hardware &igure 1!1( )e$e#s in a omputer system An operating system pro$ides an en$ironment in whi h a user an e*e ute programs! The purpose o" an operating system is two "o#d( 1! To ma+e the omputer system on$enient to use! ,! To use the omputer hardware in an e""i ient manner! 1!1 OPERATIN- ./.TE0 A. A RE.OURCE 0ANA-ER A omputer system onsists o" hardware1 the operating system1 app#i ation programs and users %&igure 1!,'! Hardware in #udes the entra# pro essing unit %CPU'1 memory and input 2 output %I2O' de$i es! These pro$ide the basi omputing resour es! App#i ation programs #i+e ompi#ers1 database management systems1 editors and many more a##ow users to use the hardware to so#$e

their prob#ems! The operating system ontro#s and o3ordinates the use o" the hardware among the $arious app#i ation programs o" the $arious users! It pro$ides an en$ironment where so"tware and data ma+e use o" the hardware in the omputer system!
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APP)ICATION. PRO-RA0. OPERATIN- ./.TE0

HARDWARE

&igure 1!,( Components o" a omputer system The operating system is a resour e a##o ator! 0any hardware and so"tware resour es are needed to so#$e a prob#em! These in #ude CPU time1 memory spa e1 "i#e storage1 I2O de$i es and so on! The operating system as a manager o" these resour es1 a##o ates resour es to programs o" users as re6uired by the tas+s! .in e there is a#ways a possibi#ity o" on"#i ts "or resour es be ause o" more than one user re6uesting "or resour es1 the operating system reso#$es the on"#i ts "or e""i ient operation o" the omputer system! The operating system as a ontro# program ontro#s the e*e ution o" user programs to a$oid errors and impro$e use o" the omputer system! A omputer system has been de$e#oped to e*e ute user programs there by ma+ing wor+ easier "or the user! 7ut the bare hardware a#one is not easy to use! Hen e app#i ation programs are de$e#oped! These re6uire ertain ommon operations su h as I2O de$i e hand#ing! The ommon "un tions o" ontro##ing and a##o ating resour es are present in one pie e o" so"tware 8 the operating system! The primary goa# o" an operating system1 that is on$enien e "or the user is seen in sma## omputers where as the se ondary goa# o" e""i ient operation is important in #arge shared mu#ti3 user systems!

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.TORA-E .TRUCTURE Programs to be e*e uted need to reside in the main memory! This is the memory that the

CPU dire t#y a esses! The main memory an be $isua#i9ed as an array o" bytes 2 words1 ea h ha$ing its own address! )oad 2 .tore instru tions a##ow mo$ement o" a word "rom the main memory to a CPU register and $i e $ersa! The :on3Neumann ar hite ture brought in the on ept o" a stored program! The "o##owing %&igure 1!4' is the se6uen e o" steps in one instru tion e*e ute y #e(

Get address of next instruction

etc! instruction from main memory

Decode instruction

Get operand address

etc! operands from main memory

"erform operation specified #y instruction

&igure 1!4( Instru tion e*e ute y #e Program and data are to be in the main memory "or e*e ution! Idea##y they shou#d reside there permanent#y1 whi h is not possib#e be ause main memory is not a## that big to ho#d a## needed programs and data permanent#y! is $o#ati#e % ontents are #ost when power is turned o""'! ost is $ery high!

.e ondary storage is an answer to the abo$e #isted prob#ems! The main hara teristi s o" se ondary storage in #ude #arge storage spa e Non3$o#ati#e or permanent storage )ow ost

Thus program and data need to be #oaded "rom se ondary storage to main memory during e*e ution! Common se ondary storage de$i es in #ude dis+s and tapes! 1!4 .TORA-E HIERARCH/ The $arious storage de$i es di""er in speed1 ost1 si9e and $o#ati#ity %permanen e o" storage'! They an be organi9ed in a hierar hy! .hown be#ow are some di""erent #e$e#s o" hierar hy %&igure 1!;'! E*pensi$e1 "ast1 #imited storage1 $o#ati#e
%"U Registers

%ac!e

&ain memory

'econdary storage (dis)*

'econdary storage (tape*

Cheap1 s#ow1 more storage1 non $o#ati#e &igure 1!;( .torage de$i e hierar hy As one mo$es up the hierar hy1 the de$i es are e*pensi$e but "ast and as we mo$e down the hierar hy1 the ost per bit o" storage de reases but a ess times in reases %de$i es are s#ow'! There usua##y e*ists a tradeo"" in the amount o" storage re6uired at ea h #e$e# in the hierar hy! O"

the $arious storage de$i es in the hierar hy1 those abo$e the dis+s are $o#ati#e and the rest are non3$o#ati#e! Thus the design o" a omputer system ba#an es or ma+es a tradeo"" o" a## the abo$e "a tors name#y speed1 ost and $o#ati#ity! It pro$ides as mu h e*pensi$e $o#ati#e memory as ne essary and as mu h ine*pensi$e non3$o#ati#e memory as possib#e! 1!; .U00AR/ This hapter has introdu ed the term <operating system= and its primary goa#s! They are E""i ient use o" omputer resour es To pro$ide a good user3"riend#y inter"a e

>e ha$e a#so dis ussed the :on3Neumann on ept o" a stored program and the need "or se ondary storage! .in e di""erent se ondary storage de$i es di""er with respe t to speed1 ost and permanen e o" storage1 a hierar hy o" storage e*ists and the design o" a omputer system ma+es the right ba#an e o" the abo$e "a tors! 1!? E@ERCI.E 1! ,! 1!B >hat is an operating systemA >hat are its "un tionsA >hat is the need "or se ondary storage and a storage hierar hyA

ACTI:IT/ 0a+e a note o" some popu#ar operating systems!