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SPC 2306 Systems Programming Year III Semester II

This document provides instructions for a university examination on systems programming. It outlines 5 questions, with some having multiple parts. Question 1 asks students to define and explain systems software concepts like systems software, programs, shells and shell variables. It also asks students to describe program translation phases, UNIX abstractions, and computing environments like client-server, cluster and batch systems. Question 2 focuses on microprocessor components and I/O interfaces. Question 3 covers system utilities, zombie processes, shells and unnamed pipes. Question 4 involves writing a C program to append a character to a file. Question 5 addresses memory representation of data and instructions, programming language advantages and disadvantages, the UNIX shutdown process, and inter-process communication schemes.

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hassan adam
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49 views

SPC 2306 Systems Programming Year III Semester II

This document provides instructions for a university examination on systems programming. It outlines 5 questions, with some having multiple parts. Question 1 asks students to define and explain systems software concepts like systems software, programs, shells and shell variables. It also asks students to describe program translation phases, UNIX abstractions, and computing environments like client-server, cluster and batch systems. Question 2 focuses on microprocessor components and I/O interfaces. Question 3 covers system utilities, zombie processes, shells and unnamed pipes. Question 4 involves writing a C program to append a character to a file. Question 5 addresses memory representation of data and instructions, programming language advantages and disadvantages, the UNIX shutdown process, and inter-process communication schemes.

Uploaded by

hassan adam
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION 2020/2021

EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN


MATHEMATICS & COMPUTER SCIENCE/BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SPC 2306 Systems Programming Year III Semester II

Date: Friday, 17th September 2021 Time: 11.00am – 1.00pm


INSTRUCTIONS:
Answer question ONE (compulsory) and any other two questions

QUESTION ONE (30 MARKS)


a) Explain each of the following with respect to systems programming.
i. Systems software (2 marks)
ii. Programs (2 marks)
iii. Shell (2 marks)
iv. Shell variables (2 marks)
b) Explain the two main phases in program translation (4 marks)
c) Name two abstractions provided by the UNIX operating system. (4 marks)
d) Justify the statement that UNIX is a monolithic kernel (3 marks)
e) Briefly discuss the following computing environments. (6 marks)
i. client-server system
ii. Cluster systems
iii. Batch systems

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f) Explain the following terms as used in system software development and translation.
(5 marks)
(i) Grammar
(ii) Lexical analysis
(iii) Synaptic analysis
(iv) Token
(v) Interpreter
QUESTION TWO (20 MARKS
a) Briefly explain the uses of the components of the of the Control Unit of a typical
microprocessor. (6 marks)
(i) The Program Counter (PC)
(ii) Instruction Register (IR)
(iii) Processor Status Word (PSW)
b) Discuss the functions of the I/O interface in a computer system (4 marks)
c) Write a program segment to explain how system programs make direct use of the
operating system services through the following types of system calls (10 marks)
(i) File management
(ii) Device management
(iii) Process management
(iv) Communication
QUESTION THREE (20 MARKS)
a) Explain, giving a valid example the term system utility? Give an example. (4 marks)
b) Discuss the term zombie process and outline how can you create a zombie process in
linux (3 marks)
c) Elaborate what is a shell and outline its functions in Linux Operating system.
(4 marks)
d) Discuss the typical sequence of events associated when a child process reads the
message buffer of the parent using unnamed pipes. (5 marks)
e) Distinguish between system and application software (4 marks)

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QUESTION FOUR (20 MARKS)
a) Write a C program asks the user to enter a character and writes that character at the
end of the file. If the file doesn’t exist then this program will create a file with the
specified name and writes the input character into the file. (8 marks)
b) Describe the process control block and the various pieces of information that it
contains in regard to process management. (6 Marks)
c) Describe three (3) commands available for checking disk usage in UNIX environment.
(6marks)
QUESTION FIVE (20 MARKS)
a) Explain how Bits in the memory may represent data or instruction and how does the
processor categorize these as data and instruction? (4marks)
b) Distinguish between low level and high level programming languages, giving a
disadvantage of each. (4marks)
c) Discuss what happens during system shutdown in UNIX Environment (4marks)
d) Inter-process communication (IPC) supports various ways by which different
processes running on same OS communicate between each other. Explain the schemes
that facilitate IPC in the computer system (8 marks)

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