CSE 380
Computer Operating Systems
Instructor: Insup Lee
University of Pennsylvania
Fall 2003
Lecture Note 1: Introduction
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What is an Operating System?
Operating systems provides an interface between hardware and user
programs, and makes hardware usable
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Resource Abstraction and Sharing
q It is an extended machine providing abstraction of the
hardware
ß Hides the messy details which must be performed
ß Presents user with a virtual machine, easier to use
q It is a resource manager
ß Time on CPU is shared among multiple users/programs
ß Space in memory and on disks is shared among multiple
users/programs
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Pentium Architecture
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Abstractions in OS
Hardware OS abstraction
q Disks q Files
q Memory q Programs
q Processors q Threads / Processes
q Network q Communication
q Monitor q Windows and GUI
q Keyboard q Input
q Mouse q Locator
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Sharing of Memory
Issues
q Allocation schemes
Program 1
q Protection from each other
Free space q Protecting OS code
q Translating logical addresses to physical
Program 3
q Swapping programs
Program 2
q What if physical memory is small: Virtual
memory
OS
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Timesharing
P1 OS P2 OS P1 OS P3 OS
q At any point, only one program can run on CPU
q Context switch: changing the program that has CPU
q When to switch (goal: to optimize the CPU usage)
ß When a program terminates
ß When a program has run “long enough”
ß When a program executes a system call or waits for I/O
ß When an external interrupt arrives (e.g. mouse click)
q OS must do all the book-keeping necessary for context switch, with minimum number
of instructions
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Challenges in OS
Why can’t Microsoft still get rid of all bugs in Windows ?
q Performance is critical
ß How to reduce the memory and time overhead due to OS
q Synchronization and deadlocks due to shared resources
q Scheduling of multiple programs
ß Fairness, response time, real-time applications
q Memory management
ß Virtual memory, paging, segmentation
q Security and Protection
ß Authorization, authentication, viruses
q Interrupt management and error handling
q Marketability and backward compatibility
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How does OS work?
q OS gets control of the CPU repeatedly
q Let’s look at two typical scenarios to get a glimpse of how
things work (we will get a more accurate and detailed
understanding as the course progresses)
q Basic knowledge about computer architecture is essential !
(Read Sec 1.4 to review CSE 240)
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Inside a CPU
q State of a running program
ß Registers
ß Program counter (PC)
ß Stack pointer
ß Program status word (PSW)
q Key distinction in PSW: user mode vs kernel (OS) mode
q Key instruction for OS calls: TRAP (switch to kernel mode)
q Many operations (such as accessing I/O devices) are possible only in
the kernel mode
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Different types of Memory
q Use of disks unavoidable (permanence and size)
q Access time is significantly slower for disks
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Sample Scenario 1
q Consider a statement to read from a file in a user program P
q User program stores parameters such as file-id, memory-address, number-
of-bytes, and system-call number of read, and executes TRAP instruction
to invoke OS
q Hardware saves the state of current program, sets the mode-bit in PSW
register in CPU to 1, and transfers control to a fixed location in OS code
q OS maintains an internal file table that stores relevant information about all
open files
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Sample Scenario 1 (continued)
q OS read routine examines the parameters, checks for errors (e.g. file must
be open), consults its file table, and determines the disk address from
where data is to be retrieved
q then it sets up registers to initiate transfer by the disk controller
q While disk controller is transferring data from disk to memory, OS can
suspend current program, and switch to a different program
q When OS routine finishes the job, it stores the status code, and returns
control to the user program P (hardware resets mode-bit)
q Note: Disk controller is accessed only by OS code (this is ensured by
hardware protection)
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Sample Scenario 2
q Consider an assignment x:=y in a program P
q Compiler assigns logical addresses, say Add1 and Add2, for program
variables in P’s data space
q When P is loaded in memory, OS assigns a physical base address to store
P and its data
q Compiled code looks like
Load (R, Add1); Store (R, Add2)
q While executing Load instruction the hardware translates the logical
address Add1 to a physical memory location (this is done by Memory
Management Unit MMU)
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Sample Scenario 2 (continued)
q However, OS may not keep all of P in memory all the time
q OS maintains an internal table, called page table, that keeps track of which blocks
of P are in memory
q If Add1 is not in memory, MMU generates a page fault, and transfers control to OS
q OS examines the cause, and initiates a disk transfer to load in the relevant block of
P
q OS needs to decide memory allocation for the block to be fetched (page
replacement algorithms)
q While this block is being fetched, P may be suspended using a context switch
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Brief History of Operating Systems
q 1940's -- First Computers
q 1950's -- Batch Processing
q 1960's -- Multiprogramming (timesharing)
q 1970's -- Minicomputers & Microprocessors
q 1980's -- Networking, Distributed Systems, Parallel
(multiprocessor) Systems
q 1990's and Beyond -- PCs, WWW, Mobile Systems,
embedded systems
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1940's -- First Computers
q Computer dedicated to one user/programmer at a time. Program
loaded manually by programmer, using console switches.
Debugging using console lights.
q Advantages:
ß Interactive (user gets immediate response)
q Disadvantages:
ß Expensive machine idle most of time, because people are slow.
ß Programming & debugging are tedious.
ß Each program must include code to operate peripherals -- error
prone, device dependencies.
q Libraries of subroutines to drive peripherals are example of
typical OS service.
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1950's -- Batch Processing
q User/programmer submits a deck of cards that describes a job to be
executed.
q Jobs submitted by various users are sequenced automatically by a
resident monitor.
q Tape drives available for batching of input and spooling of output.
q Advantages:
ß Computer system is kept busier.
q Disadvantages:
ß No longer interactive; longer turnaround time.
ß CPU is still idle for I/O-bound jobs.
q OS issues -- command processor (JCL), protection of resident monitor
from user programs, loading of user programs after monitor.
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Typical Batch System
Early batch system
ß bring cards to 1401
ß read cards to tape
ß put tape on 7094 which does computing
ß put tape on 1401 which prints output
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1960's -- Multiprogramming
(timesharing)
q The advent of the I/O processor made simultaneous I/O and CPU processing
possible.
q CPU is multiplexed (shared) among a number of jobs -- while one job waiting for
I/O, another can use CPU.
q Advantages:
ß Interactiveness is restored.
ß CPU is kept busy.
q Disadvantages:
ß Hardware and O.S. required become significantly more complex.
q Timesharing - switch CPU among jobs for pre-defined time interval
q Most O.S. issues arise from trying to support multiprogramming -- CPU scheduling,
deadlock, protection, memory management, virtual memory, etc.
q CTSS (Compatible Time Sharing System), Multics
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1970's - Minicomputers &
Microprocessors
q Trend towards many small to mid-range personal computers,
rather than a single mainframe.
q Early minicomputers and microprocessors were small, so there
was some regression to earlier OS ideas.
ß e.g. DOS on PC is still essentially a batch system similar to those
used in 1960, with some modern OS ideas thrown in (e.g.,
hierarchical file system).
q This trend changing rapidly because of powerful new
microprocessors.
q Also, the user interface (GUI) became more important.
q UNIX, DOS
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1980's - Networking
q Powerful workstations (e.g., PDP, VAX, Sunstations, etc.)
q Local area networks (e.g., Ethernet, Token ring) and long-distance
network (Arpanet)
q Networks organized with clients and servers
q Decentralization of computing requires more communication (e.g.,
resource sharing)
q O.S. issues -- network communication protocols, data encryption,
security, reliability, consistency of distributed data
q Real-Time Systems – timing constraints, deadlines, QoS (quality of
service)
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1990's and Beyond
q Parallel Computing (tera-flops)
q Powerful PCs, Multimedia computers
q High-speed, long-distance communication links to send large amounts of
data, including graphical, audio and video
q World Wide Web
q Electronic notebooks and PDAs using wireless communication
technologies
q Embedded computers: medical devices, cars, smartcards
q O.S. issues -- Large heterogeneous systems, mobile computing, utilization
of power, security, etc.
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Operating System Structure
q Monolithic Systems
q Layered Systems
q Virtual Machines
q Client-Server Model
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Operating System Structure (1)
Simple structuring model for a monolithic system
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Operating System Structure (2)
Structure of the THE operating system
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Operating System Structure (3)
Structure of VM/370 with CMS
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Operating System Structure (4)
The client-server model
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Operating System Structure (5)
The client-server model in a distributed system
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