UNIX/Linux 2017

B.C.A.-4(UNIX.)
Bachelor of Computer Application
(Semester – IV)
Saurashtra University

No. Topics Details

1. Introduction Meaning of OS
Functions of OS
Features of OS


Chapter No. 1
Introduction

1.1 Meaning of Operating System:

It is general thing that we are using software and physical parts of computer like
word, excel, power-point, printer, scanner etc. these all are software and physical parts of
computer but we should think about that while we are booting computer at that time
windows or any other software load itself, we are not able to load word, excel or any
other application or developing software directly. Yes this is true because user can not
deal directly with any physical parts of computer for that user requires a control programs
which will control all physical parts of computer and also supporting to load other
software and tools as per user requirement. Such a control program is known as
operating system.

An operating system is one kind of software it is system software, which will

support us to use hardware component and also providing us a platform to launch
application software, developing software and system software too which will
support us to perform some specific operation. It is a bridge between user and
physical parts of computer.

Any computer needs a control program to boot itself without control program it is
not possible to work on computer. So it is important that any computer must have its
control program to identify user requirement and also providing such a service to satisfy
user requirement. There are many operating systems available in market like Dos,
Windows, Novel Netware, UNIX etc… All operating system have its own functionality.
Which operating system should be chosen by the user it is depends on user’s work.

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Is Operating System a control Program?

It is true that an operating system is a control program because it controls all

physical parts of computer as well as also identify user requirement and as per user
requirement it provides support to user to perform specific operation. Any operation of
user on computer which is totally controlled by operating system. It works like manager
of any organization who is responsible for all works. The same way operating system is
working in computer.

***********

Summary
An operating system is platform between hardware and software, and it is a
control program because it controls all physical parts of computer as well as also identity
user requirement.

Function of Operating System

1.2 Functions of Operating System

Any computer needs a control program to boot itself without control program it is
not possible to work on computer. So it is important that any computer must have its
control program to identify user requirement and also providing such a service to satisfy
user requirement. There are many operating systems available in market like Dos,
Windows, Novel Netware, UNIX etc… All operating system have its own functionality.
Which operating system should be chosen by the user it is depends on user’s work.

“An operating system is a system software, control program and a bridge between
user and computer that will support us to use hardware resources and also to launch
application, development and system software”

Function of Operating System

Different operating system has different functionality. But we can guess some
general purpose or functionality of all operating system which are discussed below.

(1) The operating system as a user/computer interface

The end user generally is not concerned with the details of the computer’s
hardware. Thus the end user views a computer system in terms of a set of application.

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Such a application can be expressed in programming language and it is developed by

application programmer. If one were to develop an application program then first he/she
will have to use set of machine instruction that is a complex task. To ease this task a set
of system program is provided. Such a program is known as operating system. The
operating system masks the details of the hardware from the programmer and provides
the programmer with a convenient interface for using the system. It acts as mediator,
making it easier for the programmer and for application programs to access and user
those facilities and services.

End User Programmer OS Designer

Application Program

Utilities / Developing Tools

Operating System

Computer Hardware

Layers and Views of Computer System

Services of Operating System

(1) Program Development

(2) Program Execution
(3) Access I/O Devices
(4) Control Access To Files
(5) System Access
(6) Error Detection And Response
(7) Accounting

(2) The Operating System As Resource Manager

A computer system is a set of resources for the movement, storage and processing
of data and for the control of function. The operating system is responsible for managing
these resources.

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Memory Printer
I/O Controller
Keyboards, Os
I/O Controller
Digital
Camera, Programs

and Data Etc.

I/O Controller
 Storage
Processor Processor
(1)OS (2) Programs (3) Data

The Operating System As Resource Manager

Operating system provides services to user that he/she can use computer physical
parts and he/she can get his/her work with from computer with high efficiency. Example
If we wants to have a print on page then we can use devices like printer this is a sure
resource that will support to user to have a print on page. In that way there are many
internal and external resources there. To use such resources you need a program which is
control all resources and providing you the best service to get work with efficiency. This
program known as operating system. Operating system manages all resources of
computer it works like a resource manager and manage all resources which in the system.

(3) Ease of Evolution of an Operating Systems

1. Hardware upgrades plus new types of hardware

Operating system is going to be evaluated at hardware point of view itself day by

day if we take example in earliest version of os we did have Graphics User Interface
environment we were using Typing User Interface but at that time we did have such a
hardware which support us to run GUI application but now a day we can…

2. New Services
Operating system provides service to user as his/her demands. Day by day
services given in operating system are going to be increased. For example If user found
any difficulty to maintain good performance with existing tools, new measurement and
control tools may be added to the operating system.

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3. Fixes

Any operating system has faults. These are discovered over the course of time
and fixes are made. The fix may introduce new faults.

Summary

Functions of O.S. are memory management, I/O management, Process

management, File management, Security management, Exception management.

Evaluation of Operating System

Evaluation of Operating System

To use computer resource and to launch application software, developing

software and system software we need one control program to control the hardware
resource and also able to execute program and understand user requirement and giving
response to user such a control program known as operating system. There are many
type of operating system available in market. They have their own functionality. Earlier
day we had some limited source but day by day updating has been done in operating
system.

Evolution:-

To attempting to understand the key requirements for an operating system and the
significance of the major features of operating system, it is useful to consider how
operating system has evolved over the year.

1. Batch Processing

Early machines were very expensive therefore it was important to maximize

machine utilization. The wasted time due to scheduling and setup time was unacceptable.

To improve utilization a batch operating system was developed. It was

developed in mid 1950s. The central idea behind the batch processing operating
system scheme was the use of a piece of software known as the monitor. With the
use of this type of operating system, the user no longer has direct access to the
machine. Rather, the user submits the job on cards or tape to a computer operator,
who batches the jobs together sequentially and places the entire batch on an input

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device, for the use by the monitor. Each program is constructed to branch back to
the monitor when it completes processing at which point the monitor would
automatically begin loading the next program.

Interrupt Processing
Monitor
Device Driver

Job Sequencing

Control Language
Interpreter

User Program Area

Boundary

To understand how this scheme works, let us look at it form two point of view:
Monitor and Processor.

Monitor Point Of View:

It is monitor that controls the sequence of event. Monitor must always be in main
memory and available for execution such a monitor known as resident monitor. The rest
of the monitor that are loaded as subroutines to the user program at the beginning of any
job device. As it reads in current job is placed in the user program are, and control is
passed to the job. When the job is completed, it returns of each job are sent to an output
device such as a printer, for delivery to user.

Process Point Of View:

At a certain point, the processor is executing instruction from the portion of main
memory containing the monitor. These instructions cause the next job to read into
another portion of main memory. Once a job has been read in, the processor will
encounter a branch instruction in the monitor that instructs the processor to continue
execution at the start of the user program. The processor will then execute the instruction
in the user’s program until it encounters an ending or error condition. Either event cause
the processor to fetch its next instruction from the monitor program. Thus the phrase
“control is passed to a job” simply means that the processor is now fetching and
executing instructions in a user program is now fetching and executing instructions from
the monitor program.

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2. Multiprogramming Operating System

Even with the automatic job sequence provided by a batch operating system,
the processor is often idle. The problem is that I/O devices are slow compared to
processor. So processor is idle for such a time. To solve this problem
multiprogramming operating system was developed. This operating system having
same sequence of process which batch operating system has but difference is there that in
batch processing system there is only one program is loaded in memory and waiting for
I/O response but in multiprogramming there is one or more then one programs are loaded
in main memory. If one process is going on and job waiting for I/O, the processor can
switch to the other job, which likely not waiting for I/O. Furthermore, we might expand
memory to hold three, four or more programs and switch among all of them. The process
is known as multiprogramming or multitasking. It is the central theme or modern
operating system.

3. Time-Sharing System

With the use of multiprogramming, batch processing can be quite efficient.

However, for many jobs, it is desirable to provide a mode in which the user interacts
directly with the computer. Indeed, for some jobs, such as transaction processing, an
interactive mode is essential.

Today, the requirement for an interactive computing facility can be, and often is,
met by the use of a dedicated microcomputer. That option was not available in the 1960s,
when met computers were big and costly. Instead time sharing was developed.

Just as multiprogramming allows the processor to handle multiple batch jobs

at a time, multiprogramming can be used to handle multiple interactive jobs. In this
latter case, the technique is referred to as time sharing, because the processor’s time
is shared among multiple users. In a time-sharing system, multiple users
simultaneously access the system through terminals, The time sharing Operating System
also be multiprogramming operating system but difference is there compared to batch
processing and multiprogramming like that the batch processing and multiprogramming
operating system support one user at a time but time sharing system support multiple user
and processor giving particular time to each user.

Real Time Sharing Operating System:

Real time operating system is used in environments where a large number of

events, mostly external to the computer system, must be accepted and processed in a
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short time or within certain deadlines. Such applications include industrial control:
telephone switching equipment, flight control and real time simulations. Real time
systems are also frequently used in military applications.

A primary objective of real-time systems is to provide quick event-response

times, and thus meet the scheduling deadlines. The processor is normally allocated to
the higher priority processes usually preempt execution of the lower-priority processes.
This form of scheduling called priority-base preemptive scheduling is used by a majority
of real-time systems. Memory management in real-time system is comparatively less
demanding than in other types of multiprogramming system. The primary reason for this
is that many processes permanently reside in memory in order to provide quick response
time.

Summary

Types of Operation System:-

Batch O.S, Multiprogramming O.S, Multiprocessing O.S, Time Sharing

O.S, Real-time O.S

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