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Understanding Abstraction in Operating Systems

Abstraction hides lower level details of hardware and provides high-level functions to programs. It performs operations on behalf of programs and introduces new functions that abstract hardware. For example, it introduces the file abstraction so programs don't need direct disk access. The operating system transforms the computer into multiple virtual machines through abstraction, treating each running program as a separate process. Abstraction also allows the operating system to enforce security.

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Glenn A. Asuncion
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113 views14 pages

Understanding Abstraction in Operating Systems

Abstraction hides lower level details of hardware and provides high-level functions to programs. It performs operations on behalf of programs and introduces new functions that abstract hardware. For example, it introduces the file abstraction so programs don't need direct disk access. The operating system transforms the computer into multiple virtual machines through abstraction, treating each running program as a separate process. Abstraction also allows the operating system to enforce security.

Uploaded by

Glenn A. Asuncion
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

ABSTRACTION

Glenn A. Asuncion
MSIT, BulSU
[Link]

A software that hides lower level


details and provides a set of high-level
functions.
Concepts about Abstraction
• The code needed to control
peripheral devices is not
standardized.

• Performs operations on behalf of


programs. Example: Input/Output
• The operating system introduces
new functions as it abstracts the
hardware.

• Operation systems introduce the


file abstraction so that programs
don’t need to have a disk to
operate.
• The operating system transforms
the computer hardware into
multiple virtual computers.

• Each running program is called a


process.

• The operating system can enforce


security through abstraction.
Abstraction
It is where you hide the details of a concept
( could be interface , object ,etc ) . You only
deal with that concept and forget about the
implementation of the concept.
M Taha Masood, Founder and CEO at Mobile Cortech

Example:
In a video frame , the pixel is an abstraction which is used
to build another abstraction called a single image frame , the image
frame is an abstraction in turn used to make a video . The concept is
critical in most areas of human endeavors. In Computer Science , it is
used amply including inside operating systems .
Abstraction
In general, abstraction is a logical
view of something. You don’t
look at the (technical) details, but
only at the principle.
Vaclav Krpec
Abstraction of Hardware
The fundamental operation of the
operating system (OS) is to abstract the
hardware to the programmer and user.
The operating system provides generic
interfaces to services provided by the
underlying hardware.
Abstraction of Hardware (by an OS)

It means basically shielding the


applications from the fine details,
providing common logical view
of the hardware.
Note that there may be (and
typically are) layers of abstraction.
Example:
One layer may be a sound port. An app may “ask”
the OS to “Play this sound sample, with this bit-
rate, using this volume level etc. on that sound
port.” But there may be another, higher-level layer,
a sound mixer. Working with this layer of
abstraction, the app will say “Play this sound
sample for me. I don’t care what device you will
use. Use the current volume settings.”
Along with resource allocation,
resource abstraction is one of the
major responsibilities of the operating
system. Resource abstraction is the
process of hiding the details of how
the hardware operates,
making computer hardware relatively
easy for an application programmer to
use.
An operating system abstraction
layer (OSAL) provides an
application programming interface
(API) to an abstract operating
system making it easier and
quicker to develop code for
multiple software or hardware
platforms.
There are three key elements of an
operating system, which are:
(1)Abstractions (process, thread, file,
socket, memory)
(2) Mechanisms(create, schedule, open,
write, allocate)
(3) Policies (LRU, EDF).
Glenn A. Asuncion
MSIT, BulSU

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