System Software
System Software
Chapter 8
Operating System
| Set of programs containing instructions
that coordinate all the activities among
computer hardware resources.
| Also called platform
| Reside:
z Hard disk (computers)
z Rom chip (mobile devices)
| Consists of the programs that control
or maintain the operations of the
computer and its devices.
| Two types
z Operating Systems
z Utility Programs (stand alone)
Operation System Functions
| Booting
z Cold boot – starting the computer that is
powered off
z Warm boot – restarting the computer that is
powered on
| User Interface
z Command Line – type commands
z Graphical User Interface- menus and visual
images
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 Operating System Functions Operating System Functions

| Managing programs | Scheduling Jobs

z Multiprocessing- run programs at the same time z Adjust schedule based on job priority
z Multiusers– allow multiple users to run programs Adjusts schedule Sending
simultaneously based on Receiving data information
job’s priority from input device to output device
z Fault tolerant computing- continuous to operate
when one of its component fails A job is operation
the processor manages Processing
Transferring items
| Managing Memory instructions
between storage
and memory
z Optimizing use of RAM

Operating System Functions Operating System Functions

| Configuring | Disk Access and File Systems

z Device driver
z Program that tells operating system how to
communicate with the device
z With Plug and Play, operating system
automatically configures new devices as you
install them
z Store data on disk using files
z The specific way in which files are stores on the
disk is called file system
z Name and attributes
z OS keeps track of all the locations of files
z Also checks space availability

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 Operating Systems Utility
Operating System Functions
Programs
| Performance Monitoring | Utility: type of system software that allows a
user to perform maintenance-type tasks
z Assessing and reporting about the usage of
various computer resources and devices | File Manager
• Memory usage, disk, processor | Search Utility
| Administering security | Image Viewer
z Users have user accounts to log on to | Personal Firewall
computer or the network | Disk Scanner
| Disk Defragmenter
| Back up utility

Operating Systems Utility Operating Systems Utility

Programs Programs
fragmented disk file before defragmenting

file after
defragmenting

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Types of Operating Systems Stand Alone OS

| DOS
z Developed in 1980s for personal computers
z Uses Command line interface

Embedded Network

Stand-
Stand-alone

Stand Alone OS Stand Alone OS

| Windows 95, Windows NT Workstation, | Linux

Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows XP,
z Popular, free, multi-tasking UNIX type
Vista
operating system
| Mac OS X
z Open-source software
z Machintosh Operating system has been model for
many GUIs
z Available only for manufactured by Apple
| UNIX
z Used by power users for its flexibility and power

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 Embedded Operating
Network Operation Systems
Systems
| Windows NT Server, 2000 Server, | Found on most
mobile computers,
Server 2003
PDAs and other
| UNIX, Linux, Solaris, NetWare small devices
| Windows CE is a
scaled down version
of Windows