MSIT (Master of Science in Information Technology)

OPERATING SYSTEM
RESEARCH # 1:

1. What is OS (Operating System)?

- An operating system or OS is a software program that enables the computer hardware to
communicate and operate with the computer software. Without a computer operating system, a
computer and software programs would be useless.

2. What is a system?
- A set of detailed methods, procedures and routines created to carry out a specific activity,
perform a duty, or solve a problem.
- A system is a collection of elements or components that are organized for a common purpose.
The word sometimes describes the organization or plan itself (and is similar in meaning to method, ) and
sometimes describes the parts in the system (as in "computer system").
3. Classification of OS?
- i) Multiuser OS:
In a multiuser OS, more than one user can use the same system at a same time through the
multi I/O terminal or through the network.
For example: windows, Linux, Mac, etc.
A multiuser OS uses timesharing to support multiple users.
- ii) Multiprocessing OS:
A multiprocessing OS can support the execution of multiple processes at the same time. It uses
multiple number of CPU. It is expensive in cost however, the processing speed will be faster. It is
complex in its execution. Operating system like Unix, 64 bit edition of windows, server edition of
windows, etc. are multiprocessing.
- iii) Multiprogramming OS: In a multiprogramming OS more than one programs can be used at
the same time. It may or may not be multiprocessing. In a single CPU system , multiple program
are executed one after another by dividing the CPU into small time slice.
example: Windows, Mac, Linux,etc.
- iv) Multitasking OS:
In a multitasking system more than one task can be performed at the same time but they are
executed one after another through a single CPU by time sharing. For example: Windows, Linux,
Mac, Unix,etc.
Multitasking OS are of two types:
a) Pre-empetive multitasking
b) Co-operative multitasking
In the pre-empetive multitasking, the OS allows CPU times slice to each program. After each
time slice, CPU executes another task. Example: Windows XP
In co-operative multitasking a task can control CPU as long as it requires . However, it will free
CPU to execute another program if it doesn’t require CPU. Exaample: windows 3.x,
multifinder,etc.
- v) Multithreading:
A program in execution is known as process. A process can be further divided into multiple sub-
processers. These sub-processers are known as threads. A multi-threading OS can divide process
into threads and execute those threads. This increases operating speed but also increases the
complexity. For example: Unix, Server edition of Linux and windows.
- vi) Batch Processing:
A batch processing is a group of processing system in which all the required input of all the
processing task is provided initially. The result of all the task is provided after the completion of
all the processing. Its main functions are:
Multiple task are processed
User cannot provide input in between the processing
It is appropriate only when all the inputs are known in advance
It requires large memory
CPU ideal time is less
Printer is the appropriate output device
It is old processing technique and rarely used at present
- vii) Online Processing:
It is an individual processing system in which the task is processed on individual basis as soon as
they are provided by the user. It has features like:
Individual task is processed at a time
User can provide input in between processing
It is appropriate when all inputs ate not known in advance
It doesn’t require large memory
CPU ideal time is more
Monitor is appropriate output device
It is modern processing technique and mostly used in present
4.Functions of OS?
- i) I/O Management:
OS manages I/O devices and makes the I/O process effective. OS accepts the input from the
input device, stores it in the main memory, ask the CPU to process it and finally provides the
result to the output devices for output.
- ii) Command Interpreter:
Command interpreter is one of the part of operating system which reads the commands that
user types in at a terminal, interprets them and translate them into a detailed set of instructions
that the computer hardware can understand. It varies widely from one OS to other OS. Every OS
must provide command interpreter for its operation.
- iii) Memory Management:
Memory is the large array of words or bytes, each with its own address. When user requests
CPU for read/write operation, OS determines the amount of memory required for the program
instructions and data. Then, OS allocates required memory to load the program and data into RAM.
When program terminates its memory area is free and the same memory area is allocated for other
programs.
- iv) Process Management:
OS finds the status of processor and processes, chooses a job, chooses processer in the job,
allocates the processor to the process and frees the processer when the process is executed.
- v) Time Sharing:
OS manages the time of CPU. The kernel OS checks frequency for other processes requesting
CPU time. Time sharing checks for CPU request from higher priority processes that are made
every 10 milliseconds. When two or more processes at the same priority level are competing for
the CPU time, CPU time is sliced into segments, defined by time slice and passed from process to
process in a round robin fashion, preventing a single process from monopolizing the CPU until it
blocks or terminates.

- vi) Security:
OS makes sure that only authorized users get access to the computer and its data and the users
only do things they are authorized to do.
- vii) Deadlock Prevention:
During processing, a situation can arise in which a resource shared by two or more processes
cannot continue because the resource required by one process is held by the other. This
situation is called deadlock. OS ensures that the above condition do not hold by carefully
allocating resources.
- viii) Interrupt Handling:
Interrupt is a signal generated from a device or program when they need attention of the CPU.
OS determines the type of interrupt and priority of the interrupt, stops the execution process of
CPU, preserves the initial state of the CPU, perform the requested operation and brings the CPU
at the same state when it was stopped.
- ix) Virtual Storage:
If there are programs larger than main memory (RAM) of the computer, OS uses the reserved
space in the secondary memory which is termed as virtual memory. It makes the execution of
larger program (than RAM) possible but at the same times the operation becomes slower.

5. What is Mobile/Network Operating System?

- Network operating System
 A Network Operating System runs on a server and provides the server the capability to manage
data, users, groups, security, applications, and other networking functions. The primary
purpose of the network operating system is to allow shared file and printer access among
multiple computers in a network, typically a local area network (LAN), a private network or to
other networks.
Examples of network operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft
Windows Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, Novell NetWare, and BSD.
The advantages of network operating systems are as follows −
Centralized servers are highly stable.
Security is server managed.
Upgrades to new technologies and hardware can be easily integrated into the system.
Remote access to servers is possible from different locations and types of systems.
The disadvantages of network operating systems are as follows −
High cost of buying and running a server.
Dependency on a central location for most operations.
Regular maintenance and updates are required.
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- A network operating system provides printer sharing, common file system and database
sharing, application sharing, and the ability to manage a network name directory, security, and
other housekeeping aspects of a network.
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-- A mobile operating system (OS) is software that allows smartphones, tablet PCs and other
devices to run applications and programs.
A mobile OS typically starts up when a device powers on, presenting a screen with icons or tiles
that present information and provide application access. Mobile operating systems also manage
cellular and wireless network connectivity, as well as phone access.
Examples of mobile device operating systems include Apple iOS, Google Android, Research in
Motion’s BlackBerry OS, Nokia’s Symbian, Hewlett-Packard’s webOS (formerly Palm OS) and
Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS. Some, such as Microsoft’s Windows 8, function as both a
traditional desktop OS and a mobile operating system.
Most mobile operating systems are tied to specific hardware, with little flexibility. Users can
jailbreak or root some devices, however, which allows them to install another mobile OS or
unlock restricted applications.

6. Discuss some of the different kind of OS:

Microsoft Windows OS
Windows OS, computer operating system (OS) developed by Microsoft Corporation to
run personal computers (PCs). Featuring the first graphical user interface (GUI) for IBM-compatible PCs,
the Windows OS soon dominated the PC market. Approximately 90 percent of PCs run some version of
Windows.
The first version of Windows, released in 1985, was simply a GUI offered as an extension of Microsoft’s
existing disk operating system, or MS-DOS. Based in part on licensed concepts that Apple Inc. had used
for its Macintosh System Software, Windows for the first time allowed DOS users to visually navigate a
virtual desktop, opening graphical “windows” displaying the contents of electronic folders and files with
the click of a mouse button, rather than typing commands and directory paths at a text prompt.
Server OS
A server operating system, also called a server OS, is an operating system specifically
designed to run on servers, which are specialized computers that operate within a client/server
architecture to serve the requests of client computers on the network. The server operating system, or
server OS, is the software layer on top of which other software programs, or applications, can run on the
server hardware. Server operating systems help enable and facilitate typical server roles such as Web
server, mail server, file server, database server, application server and print server.

Chrome OS
Chromium OS is an open-source project that aims to build an operating system that
provides a fast, simple, and more secure computing experience for people who spend most of their time
on the web. Here you can review the project's design docs, obtain the source code, and contribute.
 Mobile OS
A mobile operating system (or mobile OS) is an operating system for Smartphone,
tablets, PDAs, or other mobile devices. While computers such as the typical laptop are mobile, the
operating systems usually used on them are not considered mobile ones as they were originally
designed for bigger stationary desktop computers that historically did not have or need specific "mobile"
features.

Network OS
A network operating system is an operating system designed for the sole purpose of
supporting workstations, database sharing, application sharing and file and printer access sharing among
multiple computers in a network. Certain standalone operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows NT
and Digital’s OpenVMS, come with multipurpose capabilities and can also act as network operating
systems. Some of the most well-known network operating systems include Microsoft Windows Server
2003, Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Linux and Mac OS X.

Linux OS
Linux OS assembled under the model of free and open-source software development and
distribution. The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on
October 5, 1991.
Linux was originally developed as a free operating system for personal computers based on the Intel
x86 architecture, but has since been ported to more computer hardware platforms than any other operating
system. Because of the dominance of Android on smartphones, Linux has the largest installed base of all
general-purpose operating systems. Linux, in its original form, is also the leading operating system
on servers and other big iron systems such as mainframe computers and virtually all fastest supercomputers.

Paravitualized OS
A paravirtualized operating system is an operating system (OS) that is modified to run in
a paravirtualized environment that provides a software interface to virtual machines, similar but not
identical to that of the underlying hardware. In paravirtualized mode, the guest OS is explicitly ported
for the para application programming interface (API) to facilitate communication with the host
virtualization platform.

Cloud OS
The Cloud is a simplified operating system that runs just a web browser, providing
access to a variety of web-based applications that allow the user to perform many simple tasks without
booting a full-scale operating system. Because of its simplicity, Cloud can boot in just a few seconds. The
operating system is designed for Netbooks, Mobile Internet Devices, and PCs that are mainly used to
browse the Internet. From Cloud the user can quickly boot into the main OS, because Cloud continues
booting the main OS in the background.
Combining a browser with a basic operating system allows the use of cloud computing, in which
applications and data "live and run" on the Internet instead of the hard drive.
Cloud can be installed and used together with other operating systems, or act as a standalone operating
system. When used as a standalone operating system, hardware requirements are relatively low.

Firefox OS
Firefox OS is an open-source operating system – made for Smartphone, tablet
computers and smart TVs – designed by Mozilla and external contributors, based on the rendering
engine of their Firefox web browser and the Linux kernel.
Firefox OS is designed to provide a complete, community-based alternative operating system, for
running web applications directly or those installed from an application marketplace. The applications
use open standards and approaches such as JavaScript and HTML5, a robust privilege model, open
web APIs that can communicate directly with hardware, e.g. cellphone hardware.
Android OS
Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google, based on the Linux kernel and
designed primarily for touch screen mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. Android's user
interface is mainly based on direct manipulation, using touch gestures that loosely correspond to real-world
actions, such as swiping, tapping and pinching, to manipulate on-screen objects, along with a virtual
keyboard for text input. In addition to touch screen devices.
 DOS
DOS short for disk operating system, is an acronym for several computer operating
systems that are operated by using the command line.
MS-DOS dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2001 including the
partially MS-DOS-based Microsoft Windows (95, 98, and Millennium Edition). "DOS" is used to describe the
family of several very similar command-line systems, including MS-DOS, PC DOS, DR-DOS, FreeDOS, ROM-
DOS, and PTS-DOS.
7. What is OS level-virtualization?
Operating-system-level virtualization is a server virtualization method in which
the kernel of an operating system allows the existence of multiple isolated user-space instances, instead of
just one. Such instances, which are sometimes called containers, software containers, virtualization
engines (VEs) or jails (FreeBSD jail or chroot jail), may look and feel like a real server from the point of view
of its owners and users.
Operating-system-level virtualization is commonly used in virtual hosting environments, where it is useful for
securely allocating finite hardware resources amongst a large number of mutually-distrusting users. System
administrators may also use it, to a lesser extent, for consolidating server hardware by moving services on
separate hosts into containers on the one server.

8. Give the History of Microsoft OS?

In 1984, Microsoft announced the development of Windows, a graphical user interface (GUI)
for its own operating system (MS-DOS). The product line has changed from a GUI product to a
modern operating system over two families of design, each with its own codebase and default file system.
The 3.x and 4.x family includes Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1x, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows
ME. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 added 32-bit networking. Windows 95 added additional 32-bit
capabilities (however, MS-DOS, some of the kernel, and supplementary utilities such as Disk Defragment
remained 16-bit) and implemented a new object oriented user interface, elements of which are still used
today.
The Windows NT family started with Windows NT 3.1 in 1993. Modern Windows operating system versions
are based on the newer Windows NT kernel that was originally intended for OS/2. Windows runs on IA-
32, x86-64, and on 32-bit ARM (ARMv7) processors. Earlier versions also ran on the i860, Alpha, MIPS,
Fairchild Clipper, PowerPC, and Itanium architectures. Some work was done to port it to
the SPARC architecture.
The familiar Windows Explorer desktop shell superseded Program Manager with the release of Windows 95,
received major enhancements in 1997, and remained the default shell for all commercial Windows releases
until Windows 8's Modern UI-derived Start screen debuted in 2012.
Generations of Microsoft OS are as follows:
Windows 1.0x, Windows 2.x, Windows 3.0, OS/2, Windows 3.1x, Windows NT3.x, Windows 95,
Windows NT 4.0, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows ME, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows
XP x64 and Server 2003 x64 Editions, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Fundamentals for Legacy PCs,
Windows Home Server, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2,
Windows Home Server 2011, Windows Thin PC, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012, Windows 10,
Windows Server 2016.

9. What are the functions of the 7 layers of the OSI Model?

The Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) model has seven layers. This article describes and
explains them, beginning with the 'lowest' in the hierarchy (the physical) and proceeding to the
'highest' (the application). The layers are stacked this way:
Application
Presentation
Session
Transport
Network
Data Link
Physical
PHYSICAL LAYER
The physical layer, the lowest layer of the OSI model, is concerned with the transmission and
reception of the unstructured raw bit stream over a physical medium. It describes the
electrical/optical, mechanical, and functional interfaces to the physical medium, and carries the
signals for all of the higher layers. It provides:
Data encoding: modifies the simple digital signal pattern (1s and 0s) used by the PC to better
accommodate the characteristics of the physical medium, and to aid in bit and frame
synchronization. It determines:

What signal state represents a binary 1

How the receiving station knows when a "bit-time" starts
How the receiving station delimits a frame
Physical medium attachment, accommodating various possibilities in the medium:

Will an external transceiver (MAU) be used to connect to the medium?

How many pins do the connectors have and what is each pin used for?
Transmission technique: determines whether the encoded bits will be transmitted by baseband
(digital) or broadband (analog) signaling.
Physical medium transmission: transmits bits as electrical or optical signals appropriate for the
physical medium, and determines:

What physical medium options can be used

How many volts/db should be used to represent a given signal state, using a given physical medium
DATA LINK LAYER
The data link layer provides error-free transfer of data frames from one node to another over the
physical layer, allowing layers above it to assume virtually error-free transmission over the link. To
do this, the data link layer provides:

Link establishment and termination: establishes and terminates the logical link between two nodes.
Frame traffic control: tells the transmitting node to "back-off" when no frame buffers are available.
Frame sequencing: transmits/receives frames sequentially.
Frame acknowledgment: provides/expects frame acknowledgments. Detects and recovers from
errors that occur in the physical layer by retransmitting non-acknowledged frames and handling
duplicate frame receipt.
Frame delimiting: creates and recognizes frame boundaries.
Frame error checking: checks received frames for integrity.
Media access management: determines when the node "has the right" to use the physical medium.
NETWORK LAYER
The network layer controls the operation of the subnet, deciding which physical path the data
should take based on network conditions, priority of service, and other factors. It provides:

Routing: routes frames among networks.

Subnet traffic control: routers (network layer intermediate systems) can instruct a sending station
to "throttle back" its frame transmission when the router's buffer fills up.
Frame fragmentation: if it determines that a downstream router's maximum transmission unit
(MTU) size is less than the frame size, a router can fragment a frame for transmission and re-
assembly at the destination station.
Logical-physical address mapping: translates logical addresses, or names, into physical addresses.
Subnet usage accounting: has accounting functions to keep track of frames forwarded by subnet
intermediate systems, to produce billing information.
Communications Subnet
The network layer software must build headers so that the network layer software residing in the
subnet intermediate systems can recognize them and use them to route data to the destination
address.

This layer relieves the upper layers of the need to know anything about the data transmission and
intermediate switching technologies used to connect systems. It establishes, maintains and
terminates connections across the intervening communications facility (one or several intermediate
systems in the communication subnet).

In the network layer and the layers below, peer protocols exist between a node and its immediate
neighbor, but the neighbor may be a node through which data is routed, not the destination
station. The source and destination stations may be separated by many intermediate systems.
TRANSPORT LAYER
The transport layer ensures that messages are delivered error-free, in sequence, and with no losses
or duplications. It relieves the higher layer protocols from any concern with the transfer of data
between them and their peers.

The size and complexity of a transport protocol depends on the type of service it can get from the
network layer. For a reliable network layer with virtual circuit capability, a minimal transport layer is
required. If the network layer is unreliable and/or only supports datagrams, the transport protocol
should include extensive error detection and recovery.

The transport layer provides:

Message segmentation: accepts a message from the (session) layer above it, splits the message into
smaller units (if not already small enough), and passes the smaller units down to the network layer.
The transport layer at the destination station reassembles the message.
Message acknowledgment: provides reliable end-to-end message delivery with acknowledgments.
Message traffic control: tells the transmitting station to "back-off" when no message buffers are
available.
Session multiplexing: multiplexes several message streams, or sessions onto one logical link and
keeps track of which messages belong to which sessions (see session layer).
Typically, the transport layer can accept relatively large messages, but there are strict message size
limits imposed by the network (or lower) layer. Consequently, the transport layer must break up the
messages into smaller units, or frames, prepending a header to each frame.

The transport layer header information must then include control information, such as message
start and message end flags, to enable the transport layer on the other end to recognize message
boundaries. In addition, if the lower layers do not maintain sequence, the transport header must
contain sequence information to enable the transport layer on the receiving end to get the pieces
back together in the right order before handing the received message up to the layer above.
End-to-end layers
Unlike the lower "subnet" layers whose protocol is between immediately adjacent nodes, the
transport layer and the layers above are true "source to destination" or end-to-end layers, and are
not concerned with the details of the underlying communications facility. Transport layer software
(and software above it) on the source station carries on a conversation with similar software on the
destination station by using message headers and control messages.
SESSION LAYER
The session layer allows session establishment between processes running on different stations. It
provides:

Session establishment, maintenance and termination: allows two application processes on different
machines to establish, use and terminate a connection, called a session.
Session support: performs the functions that allow these processes to communicate over the
network, performing security, name recognition, logging, and so on.
PRESENTATION LAYER
The presentation layer formats the data to be presented to the application layer. It can be viewed
as the translator for the network. This layer may translate data from a format used by the
application layer into a common format at the sending station, then translate the common format
to a format known to the application layer at the receiving station.
The presentation layer provides:

Character code translation: for example, ASCII to EBCDIC.

Data conversion: bit order, CR-CR/LF, integer-floating point, and so on.
Data compression: reduces the number of bits that need to be transmitted on the network.
Data encryption: encrypt data for security purposes. For example, password encryption.
APPLICATION LAYER

The application layer serves as the window for users and application processes to access network
services. This layer contains a variety of commonly needed functions:

Resource sharing and device redirection

Remote file access
Remote printer access
Inter-process communication
Network management
Directory services
Electronic messaging (such as mail)
Network virtual terminals
 ASSIGNMENT # 2
IN

OPERATING SYSTEMS
MSIT 621

Submitted by: Adrian Jay L. Delara