7/21/24, 1:27 PM Top 100+ Operating System Interview Questions (2024)

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Operating System Interview Questions

Last Updated : 03 Jul, 2024
Operating System (OS) is Software that facilitates computer software to
communicate and operate computer hardware with the computer software.
An operating system acts as a GUI between the User and the computer
System. In Other words, an OS acts as an intermediary between the user
and the computer hardware, managing resources such as memory,
processing power, and input/output operations. Here some examples of
popular operating systems include Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android etc.

In this article, we provide you with the top 100+ OS interview questions
with answers that cover everything from the basics of OS architecture to
advanced operating systems concepts such as file systems, scheduling
algorithms, and multithreading. Whether you are a fresher or an experienced
IT professional, this article gives you all the confidence you need to ace your
next OS interview.

Operating System Interview Questions

Table of Content

Basics OS Interview Questions

Intermediate OS Interview Questions

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Advanced OS Interview Questions

Basics OS Interview Questions

1. What is a process and process table?

A process is an instance of a program in execution. For example, a Web

Browser is a process, and a shell (or command prompt) is a process. The
operating system is responsible for managing all the processes that are
running on a computer and allocates each process a certain amount of time
to use the processor. In addition, the operating system also allocates various
other resources that processes will need, such as computer memory or disks.
To keep track of the state of all the processes, the operating system
maintains a table known as the process table. Inside this table, every
process is listed along with the resources the process is using and the
current state of the process.

2. What are the different states of the process?

Processes can be in one of three states: running, ready, or waiting. The

running state means that the process has all the resources it needs for
execution and it has been given permission by the operating system to use
the processor. Only one process can be in the running state at any given
time. The remaining processes are either in a waiting state (i.e., waiting for
some external event to occur such as user input or disk access) or a ready
state (i.e., waiting for permission to use the processor). In a real operating
system, the waiting and ready states are implemented as queues that hold
the processes in these states.

3. What is a Thread?

A thread is a single sequence stream within a process. Because threads have

some of the properties of processes, they are sometimes called lightweight
processes. Threads are a popular way to improve the application through
parallelism. For example, in a browser, multiple tabs can be different

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threads. MS Word uses multiple threads, one thread to format the text,
another thread to process inputs, etc.

4. What are the differences between process and thread?

Process is program under action and thread is the smallest segment of

instructions (segment of a process) that can be handled independently by a
scheduler. Threads are lightweight processes that share the same address
space including the code section, data section and operating system
resources such as the open files and signals. However, each thread has its
own program counter (PC), register set and stack space allowing them to the
execute independently within the same process context. Unlike processes,
threads are not fully independent entities and can communicate and
synchronize more efficiently making them suitable for the concurrent and
parallel execution in the multi-threaded environment.

5. What are the benefits of multithreaded programming?

It makes the system more responsive and enables resource sharing. It leads
to the use of multiprocess architecture. It is more economical and preferred.

6. What is Thrashing?

Thrashing is a situation when the performance of a computer degrades or

collapses. Thrashing occurs when a system spends more time processing
page faults than executing transactions. While processing page faults is
necessary in order to appreciate the benefits of virtual memory, thrashing
has a negative effect on the system. As the page fault rate increases, more
transactions need processing from the paging device. The queue at the
paging device increases, resulting in increased service time for a page fault.

7. What is Buffer?

A buffer is a memory area that stores data being transferred between two
devices or between a device and an application.

8. What is virtual memory?

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Virtual memory creates an illusion that each user has one or more
contiguous address spaces, each beginning at address zero. The sizes of
such virtual address spaces are generally very high. The idea of virtual
memory is to use disk space to extend the RAM. Running processes don’t
need to care whether the memory is from RAM or disk. The illusion of such a
large amount of memory is created by subdividing the virtual memory into
smaller pieces, which can be loaded into physical memory whenever they
are needed by a process.

9. Explain the main purpose of an operating system?

An operating system acts as an intermediary between the user of a

computer and computer hardware. The purpose of an operating system is to
provide an environment in which a user can execute programs conveniently
and efficiently.

An operating system is a software that manages computer hardware. The

hardware must provide appropriate mechanisms to ensure the correct
operation of the computer system and to prevent user programs from
interfering with the proper operation of the system.

10. What is demand paging?

The process of loading the page into memory on demand (whenever a page
fault occurs) is known as demand paging.

11. What is a kernel?

A kernel is the central component of an operating system that manages the

operations of computers and hardware. It basically manages operations of
memory and CPU time. It is a core component of an operating system. Kernel
acts as a bridge between applications and data processing performed at the
hardware level using inter-process communication and system calls.

12. What are the different scheduling algorithms?

First-Come, First-Served (FCFS) Scheduling.

Shortest-Job-Next (SJN) Scheduling.
Priority Scheduling.

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Shortest Remaining Time.

Round Robin(RR) Scheduling.
Multiple-Level Queues Scheduling.

13. Describe the objective of multi-programming.

Multi-programming increases CPU utilization by organizing jobs (code and

data) so that the CPU always has one to execute. The main objective of
multi-programming is to keep multiple jobs in the main memory. If one job
gets occupied with IO, the CPU can be assigned to other jobs.

14. What is the time-sharing system?

Time-sharing is a logical extension of multiprogramming. The CPU performs

many tasks by switches that are so frequent that the user can interact with
each program while it is running. A time-shared operating system allows
multiple users to share computers simultaneously.

15. What problem we face in computer system without OS?

Poor resource management

Lack of User Interface
No File System
No Networking
Error handling is big issue
etc.

16. Give some benefits of multithreaded programming?

A thread is also known as a lightweight process. The idea is to achieve

parallelism by dividing a process into multiple threads. Threads within the
same process run in shared memory space,

17. Briefly explain FCFS.

FCFS stands for First Come First served. In the FCFS scheduling algorithm,
the job that arrived first in the ready queue is allocated to the CPU and then
the job that came second and so on. FCFS is a non-preemptive scheduling
algorithm as a process that holds the CPU until it either terminates or

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performs I/O. Thus, if a longer job has been assigned to the CPU then many
shorter jobs after it will have to wait.

18. What is the RR scheduling algorithm?

A round-robin scheduling algorithm is used to schedule the process fairly for

each job in a time slot or quantum and interrupting the job if it is not
completed by then the job comes after the other job which is arrived in the
quantum time makes these scheduling fairly.

Round-robin is cyclic in nature, so starvation doesn’t occur

Round-robin is a variant of first-come, first-served scheduling
No priority or special importance is given to any process or task
RR scheduling is also known as Time slicing scheduling

19. Enumerate the different RAID levels?

A redundant array of independent disks is a set of several physical disk

drives that the operating system sees as a single logical unit. It played a
significant role in narrowing the gap between increasingly fast processors
and slow disk drives. RAID has different levels:

Level-0
Level-1
Level-2
Level-3
Level-4
Level-5
Level-6

20. What is Banker’s algorithm?

The banker’s algorithm is a resource allocation and deadlock avoidance

algorithm that tests for safety by simulating the allocation for the
predetermined maximum possible amounts of all resources, then makes an
“s-state” check to test for possible activities, before deciding whether
allocation should be allowed to continue.

21. State the main difference between logical and physical address
space?
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Parameter LOGICAL ADDRESS PHYSICAL ADDRESS

Basic generated by the CPU. location in a memory unit.

Logical Address Space is a set Physical Address is a set of all

Address of all logical addresses physical addresses mapped to
Space generated by the CPU in the corresponding logical
reference to a program. addresses.

Users can never view the

Users can view the logical
Visibility physical address of the
address of a program.
program.

Generation generated by the CPU. Computed by MMU.

The user can use the logical The user can indirectly access
Access address to access the physical physical addresses but not
address. directly.

22. How does dynamic loading aid in better memory space utilization?

With dynamic loading, a routine is not loaded until it is called. This method
is especially useful when large amounts of code are needed in order to
handle infrequently occurring cases such as error routines.

23. What are overlays?

The concept of overlays is that whenever a process is running it will not use
the complete program at the same time, it will use only some part of it. Then
overlay concept says that whatever part you required, you load it and once
the part is done, then you just unload it, which means just pull it back and
get the new part you required and run it. Formally, “The process of
transferring a block of program code or other data into internal memory,
replacing what is already stored”.

24. What is fragmentation?

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Processes are stored and removed from memory, which makes free memory
space, which is too little to even consider utilizing by different processes.
Suppose, that process is not ready to dispense to memory blocks since its
little size and memory hinder consistently staying unused is called
fragmentation. This kind of issue occurs during a dynamic memory allotment
framework when free blocks are small, so it can’t satisfy any request.

25. What is the basic function of paging?

Paging is a method or technique which is used for non-contiguous memory

allocation. It is a fixed-size partitioning theme (scheme). In paging, both main
memory and secondary memory are divided into equal fixed-size partitions.
The partitions of the secondary memory area unit and the main memory
area unit are known as pages and frames respectively.

Paging is a memory management method accustomed fetch processes from

the secondary memory into the main memory in the form of pages. in
paging, each process is split into parts wherever the size of every part is the
same as the page size. The size of the last half could also be but the page
size. The pages of the process area unit hold on within the frames of main
memory relying upon their accessibility

26. How does swapping result in better memory management?

Swapping is a simple memory/process management technique used by the

operating system(os) to increase the utilization of the processor by moving
some blocked processes from the main memory to the secondary
memory thus forming a queue of the temporarily suspended processes and
the execution continues with the newly arrived process. During regular
intervals that are set by the operating system, processes can be copied from
the main memory to a backing store and then copied back later. Swapping
allows more processes to be run that can fit into memory at one time

27. Write a name of classic synchronization problems?

Bounded-buffer
Readers-writers
Dining philosophers
Sleeping barber

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28. What is the Direct Access Method?

The direct Access method is based on a disk model of a file, such that it is
viewed as a numbered sequence of blocks or records. It allows arbitrary
blocks to be read or written. Direct access is advantageous when accessing
large amounts of information. Direct memory access (DMA) is a method that
allows an input/output (I/O) device to send or receive data directly to or from
the main memory, bypassing the CPU to speed up memory operations. The
process is managed by a chip known as a DMA controller (DMAC).

29. When does thrashing occur?

Thrashing occurs when processes on the system frequently access pages,

not available memory.

30. What is the best page size when designing an operating system?

The best paging size varies from system to system, so there is no single best
when it comes to page size. There are different factors to consider in order to
come up with a suitable page size, such as page table, paging time, and its
effect on the overall efficiency of the operating system.

31. What is multitasking?

Multitasking is a logical extension of a multiprogramming system that

supports multiple programs to run concurrently. In multitasking, more than
one task is executed at the same time. In this technique, the multiple tasks,
also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a
CPU.

32. What is caching?

The cache is a smaller and faster memory that stores copies of the data from
frequently used main memory locations. There are various different
independent caches in a CPU, which store instructions and data. Cache
memory is used to reduce the average time to access data from the Main
memory.

33. What is spooling?

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Spooling refers to simultaneous peripheral operations online, spooling refers

to putting jobs in a buffer, a special area in memory, or on a disk where a
device can access them when it is ready. Spooling is useful because devices
access data at different rates.

34. What is the functionality of an Assembler?

The Assembler is used to translate the program written in Assembly

language into machine code. The source program is an input of an assembler
that contains assembly language instructions. The output generated by the
assembler is the object code or machine code understandable by the
computer.

35. What are interrupts?

The interrupts are a signal emitted by hardware or software when a process

or an event needs immediate attention. It alerts the processor to a high-
priority process requiring interruption of the current working process. In I/O
devices one of the bus control lines is dedicated to this purpose and is called
the Interrupt Service Routine (ISR).

36. What is GUI?

GUI is short for Graphical User Interface. It provides users with an interface
wherein actions can be performed by interacting with icons and graphical
symbols.

37. What is preemptive multitasking?

Preemptive multitasking is a type of multitasking that allows computer

programs to share operating systems (OS) and underlying hardware
resources. It divides the overall operating and computing time between
processes, and the switching of resources between different processes
occurs through predefined criteria.

38. What is a pipe and when is it used?

A Pipe is a technique used for inter-process communication. A pipe is a

mechanism by which the output of one process is directed into the input of

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another process. Thus it provides a one-way flow of data between two

related processes.

39. What are the advantages of semaphores?

They are machine-independent.

Easy to implement.
Correctness is easy to determine.
Can have many different critical sections with different semaphores.
Semaphores acquire many resources simultaneously.
No waste of resources due to busy waiting.

40. What is a bootstrap program in the OS?

Bootstrapping is the process of loading a set of instructions when a

computer is first turned on or booted. During the startup process, diagnostic
tests are performed, such as the power-on self-test (POST), which set or
checks configurations for devices and implements routine testing for the
connection of peripherals, hardware, and external memory devices. The
bootloader or bootstrap program is then loaded to initialize the OS.

41. What is IPC?

Inter-process communication (IPC) is a mechanism that allows processes to

communicate with each other and synchronize their actions. The
communication between these processes can be seen as a method of
cooperation between them.

42. What are the different IPC mechanisms?

These are the methods in IPC:

Pipes (Same Process): This allows a flow of data in one direction only.
Analogous to simplex systems (Keyboard). Data from the output is
usually buffered until the input process receives it which must have a
common origin.
Named Pipes (Different Processes): This is a pipe with a specific name it
can be used in processes that don’t have a shared common process origin.
E.g. FIFO where the details written to a pipe are first named.

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Message Queuing: This allows messages to be passed between

processes using either a single queue or several message queues. This is
managed by the system kernel these messages are coordinated using an
API.
Semaphores: This is used in solving problems associated with
synchronization and avoiding race conditions. These are integer values
that are greater than or equal to 0.
Shared Memory: This allows the interchange of data through a defined
area of memory. Semaphore values have to be obtained before data can
get access to shared memory.
Sockets: This method is mostly used to communicate over a network
between a client and a server. It allows for a standard connection which is
computer and OS independent

43. What is the difference between preemptive and non-preemptive

scheduling?

In preemptive scheduling, the CPU is allocated to the processes for a

limited time whereas, in Non-preemptive scheduling, the CPU is allocated
to the process till it terminates or switches to waiting for the state.
The executing process in preemptive scheduling is interrupted in the
middle of execution when a higher priority one comes whereas, the
executing process in non-preemptive scheduling is not interrupted in the
middle of execution and waits till its execution.
In Preemptive Scheduling, there is the overhead of switching the process
from the ready state to the running state, vice-verse, and maintaining the
ready queue. Whereas the case of non-preemptive scheduling has no
overhead of switching the process from running state to ready state.
In preemptive scheduling, if a high-priority process frequently arrives in
the ready queue then the process with low priority has to wait for a long,
and it may have to starve. On the other hand, in non-preemptive
scheduling, if CPU is allocated to the process having a larger burst time
then the processes with a small burst time may have to starve.
Preemptive scheduling attains flexibility by allowing the critical processes
to access the CPU as they arrive in the ready queue, no matter what
process is executing currently. Non-preemptive scheduling is called rigid
as even if a critical process enters the ready queue the process running
CPU is not disturbed.
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Preemptive Scheduling has to maintain the integrity of shared data that’s

why it is cost associative which is not the case with Non-preemptive
Scheduling.

44. What is the zombie process?

A process that has finished the execution but still has an entry in the
process table to report to its parent process is known as a zombie process. A
child process always first becomes a zombie before being removed from the
process table. The parent process reads the exit status of the child process
which reaps off the child process entry from the process table.

45. What are orphan processes?

A process whose parent process no more exists i.e. either finished or

terminated without waiting for its child process to terminate is called an
orphan process.

46. What are starvation and aging in OS?

Starvation: Starvation is a resource management problem where a process

does not get the resources it needs for a long time because the resources are
being allocated to other processes.

Aging: Aging is a technique to avoid starvation in a scheduling system. It

works by adding an aging factor to the priority of each request. The aging
factor must increase the priority of the request as time passes and must
ensure that a request will eventually be the highest priority request

47. Write about monolithic kernel?

Apart from microkernel, Monolithic Kernel is another classification of Kernel.

Like microkernel, this one also manages system resources between
application and hardware, but user services and kernel services are
implemented under the same address space. It increases the size of the
kernel, thus increasing the size of an operating system as well. This kernel
provides CPU scheduling, memory management, file management, and
other operating system functions through system calls. As both services are

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implemented under the same address space, this makes operating system
execution faster.

48. What is Context Switching?

Switching of CPU to another process means saving the state of the old
process and loading the saved state for the new process. In Context
Switching the process is stored in the Process Control Block to serve the
new process so that the old process can be resumed from the same part it
was left.

49. What is the difference between the Operating system and kernel?

Operating System Kernel

Operating System is system The kernel is system software that is

software. part of the Microkerneloperating system.

Operating System provides an

The kernel provides an interface b/w the
interface b/w the user and the
application and hardware.
hardware.

Its main purpose is memory

It also provides protection and management, disk management,
security. process management and task
management.

All systems need a real-time

All operating system needs a kernel to
operating system, and a microkernel
run.
system to run.

Type of operating system includes

single and multiuser OS, Type of kernel includes Monolithic and
multiprocessor OS, real-time OS, Microkernel.
Distributed OS.

It is the first program to load when It is the first program to load when the
the computer boots up. operating system loads

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50. What is the difference between process and thread?

S.NO Process Thread

Process means any program is Thread means a segment of a

1.
in execution. process.

The process is less efficient in Thread is more efficient in terms of

2.
terms of communication. communication.

3. The process is isolated. Threads share memory.

The process is called

4. Thread is called lightweight process.
heavyweight the process.

Process switching uses, another Thread switching does not require to

5. process interface in operating call an operating system and cause
system. an interrupt to the kernel.

If one process is blocked then it The second, thread in the same task
6. will not affect the execution of could not run, while one server
other process thread is blocked.

The process has its own Thread has Parents’ PCB, its own
7. Process Control Block, Stack Thread Control Block and Stack and
and Address Space. common Address space.

51. What is PCB?

the process control block (PCB) is a block that is used to track the process’s
execution status. A process control block (PCB) contains information about
the process, i.e. registers, quantum, priority, etc. The process table is an array
of PCBs, that means logically contains a PCB for all of the current processes
in the system.

52. When is a system in a safe state?

The set of dispatchable processes is in a safe state if there exists at least

one temporal order in which all processes can be run to completion without
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resulting in a deadlock.

53. What is Cycle Stealing?

cycle stealing is a method of accessing computer memory (RAM) or bus

without interfering with the CPU. It is similar to direct memory access
(DMA) for allowing I/O controllers to read or write RAM without CPU
intervention.

54. What are a Trap and Trapdoor?

A trap is a software interrupt, usually the result of an error condition, and is

also a non-maskable interrupt and has the highest priority Trapdoor is a
secret undocumented entry point into a program used to grant access
without normal methods of access authentication.

55. Write a difference between process and program?

S.NO Program Process

Program contains a set of

Process is an instance of an
1. instructions designed to complete
executing program.
a specific task.

Process is an active entity as it is

Program is a passive entity as it
2. created during execution and
resides in the secondary memory.
loaded into the main memory.

The program exists in a single Process exists for a limited span of

3. place and continues to exist until time as it gets terminated after the
it is deleted. completion of a task.

4. A program is a static entity. The process is a dynamic entity.

Program does not have any Process has a high resource

resource requirement, it only requirement, it needs resources like
5.
requires memory space for storing CPU, memory address, and I/O
the instructions. during its lifetime.

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S.NO Program Process

The program does not have any

The process has its own control
6. control block.
block called Process Control Block.

56. What is a dispatcher?

The dispatcher is the module that gives process control over the CPU after it
has been selected by the short-term scheduler. This function involves the
following:

Switching context
Switching to user mode
Jumping to the proper location in the user program to restart that
program

57. Define the term dispatch latency?

Dispatch latency can be described as the amount of time it takes for a

system to respond to a request for a process to begin operation. With a
scheduler written specifically to honor application priorities, real-time
applications can be developed with a bounded dispatch latency.

58. What are the goals of CPU scheduling?

Max CPU utilization [Keep CPU as busy as possible]Fair allocation of

CPU.
Max throughput [Number of processes that complete their execution per
time unit]
Min turnaround time [Time taken by a process to finish execution]
Min waiting time [Time a process waits in ready queue]
Min response time [Time when a process produces the first response]

59. What is a critical- section?

When more than one processes access the same code segment that
segment is known as the critical section. The critical section contains shared
variables or resources which are needed to be synchronized to maintain the
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consistency of data variables. In simple terms, a critical section is a group of

instructions/statements or regions of code that need to be executed
atomically such as accessing a resource (file, input or output port, global
data, etc.).

60. Write the name of synchronization techniques?

Mutexes
Condition variables
Semaphores
File locks

Intermediate OS Interview Questions

61. Write a difference between a user-level thread and a kernel-level

thread?

User-level thread Kernel level thread

User threads are implemented by

kernel threads are implemented by OS.
users.

OS doesn’t recognize user-level

Kernel threads are recognized by OS.
threads.

Implementation of User threads is Implementation of the perform kernel

easy. thread is complicated.

Context switch time is less. Context switch time is more.

Context switch requires no hardware

Hardware support is needed.
support.

If one user-level thread performs a If one kernel thread perform a the

blocking operation then entire blocking operation then another thread
process will be blocked. can continue execution.

User-level threads are designed as Kernel level threads are designed as

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User-level thread Kernel level thread

dependent threads. independent threads.

62. Write down the advantages of multithreading?

Some of the most important benefits of MT are:

Improved throughput. Many concurrent compute operations and I/O

requests within a single process.
Simultaneous and fully symmetric use of multiple processors for
computation and I/O.
Superior application responsiveness. If a request can be launched on its
own thread, applications do not freeze or show the “hourglass”. An entire
application will not block or otherwise wait, pending the completion of
another request.
Improved server responsiveness. Large or complex requests or slow
clients don’t block other requests for service. The overall throughput of
the server is much greater.
Minimized system resource usage. Threads impose minimal impact on
system resources. Threads require less overhead to create, maintain, and
manage than a traditional process.
Program structure simplification. Threads can be used to simplify the
structure of complex applications, such as server-class and multimedia
applications. Simple routines can be written for each activity, making
complex programs easier to design and code, and more adaptive to a
wide variation in user demands.
Better communication. Thread synchronization functions can be used to
provide enhanced process-to-process communication. In addition, sharing
large amounts of data through separate threads of execution within the
same address space provides extremely high-bandwidth, low-latency
communication between separate tasks within an application

63. Difference between Multithreading and Multitasking?

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S.No Multi-threading Multi-tasking

Multiple threads are executing at

Several programs are executed
1. the same time at the same or
concurrently.
different part of the program.

CPU switches between multiple CPU switches between multiple

2.
threads. tasks and processes.

It is the process of a lightweight

3. It is a heavyweight process.
part.

4. It is a feature of the process. It is a feature of the OS.

Multi-threading is sharing of Multitasking is sharing of computing

5. computing resources among resources(CPU, memory, devices,
threads of a single process. etc.) among processes.

64. What are the drawbacks of semaphores?

Priority Inversion is a big limitation of semaphores.

Their use is not enforced but is by convention only.
The programmer has to keep track of all calls to wait and signal the
semaphore.
With improper use, a process may block indefinitely. Such a situation is
called Deadlock.

65. What is Peterson’s approach?

It is a concurrent programming algorithm. It is used to synchronize two

processes that maintain the mutual exclusion for the shared resource. It uses
two variables, a bool array flag of size 2 and an int variable turn to
accomplish it.

66. Define the term Bounded waiting?

A system is said to follow bounded waiting conditions if a process wants to

enter into a critical section will enter in some finite time.

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67. What are the solutions to the critical section problem?

There are three solutions to the critical section problem:

Software solutions
Hardware solutions
Semaphores

68. What is a Banker’s algorithm?

The banker’s algorithm is a resource allocation and deadlock avoidance

algorithm that tests for safety by simulating the allocation for the
predetermined maximum possible amounts of all resources, then makes an
“s-state” check to test for possible activities, before deciding whether
allocation should be allowed to continue.

69. What is concurrency?

A state in which a process exists simultaneously with another process than

those it is said to be concurrent.

70. Write a drawback of concurrency?

It is required to protect multiple applications from one another.

It is required to coordinate multiple applications through additional
mechanisms.
Additional performance overheads and complexities in operating systems
are required for switching among applications.
Sometimes running too many applications concurrently leads to severely
degraded performance.

71. What are the necessary conditions which can lead to a deadlock in a
system?

Mutual Exclusion: There is a resource that cannot be shared.

Hold and Wait: A process is holding at least one resource and waiting for
another resource, which is with some other process.
No Preemption: The operating system is not allowed to take a resource back
from a process until the process gives it back.
Circular Wait: A set of processes waiting for each other in circular form.
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72. What are the issues related to concurrency?

Non-atomic: Operations that are non-atomic but interruptible by multiple

processes can cause problems.
Race conditions: A race condition occurs of the outcome depends on
which of several processes gets to a point first.
Blocking: Processes can block waiting for resources. A process could be
blocked for a long period of time waiting for input from a terminal. If the
process is required to periodically update some data, this would be very
undesirable.
Starvation: It occurs when a process does not obtain service to progress.
Deadlock: It occurs when two processes are blocked and hence neither
can proceed to execute

73. Why do we use precedence graphs?

A precedence graph is a directed acyclic graph that is used to show the

execution level of several processes in the operating system. It has the
following properties also:

Nodes of graphs correspond to individual statements of program code.

An edge between two nodes represents the execution order.
A directed edge from node A to node B shows that statement A executes
first and then Statement B executes

74. Explain the resource allocation graph?

The resource allocation graph is explained to us what is the state of the

system in terms of processes and resources. One of the advantages of
having a diagram is, sometimes it is possible to see a deadlock directly by
using RAG.

75. What is a deadlock?

Deadlock is a situation when two or more processes wait for each other to
finish and none of them ever finish. Consider an example when two trains
are coming toward each other on the same track and there is only one track,
none of the trains can move once they are in front of each other. A similar

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situation occurs in operating systems when there are two or more processes
that hold some resources and wait for resources held by other(s).

76. What is the goal and functionality of memory management?

The goal and functionality of memory management are as follows;

Relocation
Protection
Sharing
Logical organization
Physical organization

77. Write a difference between physical address and logical address?

S.NO. Parameters Logical address Physical Address

It is the virtual address The physical address is a

1. Basic
generated by CPU. location in a memory unit.

Set of all logical Set of all physical addresses

addresses generated by mapped to the
2. Address the CPU in reference to a corresponding logical
program is referred to as addresses is referred to as a
Logical Address Space. Physical Address.

The user can view the The user can never view the
3. Visibility logical address of a physical address of the
program. program

The user uses the logical

The user can not directly
4. Access address to access the
access the physical address
physical address.

The Logical Address is Physical Address is

5. Generation
generated by the CPU Computed by MMU

78. Explain address binding?

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The Association of program instruction and data to the actual physical

memory locations is called Address Binding.

79. Write different types of address binding?

Address Binding is divided into three types as follows.

Compile-time Address Binding

Load time Address Binding
Execution time Address Binding

80. Write an advantage of dynamic allocation algorithms?

When we do not know how much amount of memory would be needed

for the program beforehand.
When we want data structures without any upper limit of memory space.
When you want to use your memory space more efficiently.
Dynamically created lists insertions and deletions can be done very easily
just by the manipulation of addresses whereas in the case of statically
allocated memory insertions and deletions lead to more movements and
wastage of memory.
When you want to use the concept of structures and linked lists in
programming, dynamic memory allocation is a must

81. Write a difference between internal fragmentation and external

fragmentation?

S.NO Internal fragmentation External fragmentation

In internal fragmentation
In external fragmentation, variable-
fixed-sized memory, blocks
1. sized memory blocks square measure
square measure appointed to
appointed to the method.
process.

Internal fragmentation
External fragmentation happens
happens when the method or
2. when the method or process is
process is larger than the
removed.
memory.

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S.NO Internal fragmentation External fragmentation

The solution to internal Solution for external fragmentation is

3. fragmentation is the best-fit compaction, paging and
block. segmentation.

External fragmentation occurs when

Internal fragmentation occurs
memory is divided into variable-size
4. when memory is divided into
partitions based on the size of
fixed-sized partitions.
processes.

The unused spaces formed between

The difference between
non-contiguous memory fragments
memory allocated and
5. are too small to serve a new process,
required space or memory is
which is called External
called Internal fragmentation.
fragmentation.

82. Define the Compaction?

The process of collecting fragments of available memory space into

contiguous blocks by moving programs and data in a computer’s memory or
disk.

83. Write about the advantages and disadvantages of a hashed-page

table?

Advantages

The main advantage is synchronization.

In many situations, hash tables turn out to be more efficient than search
trees or any other table lookup structure. For this reason, they are widely
used in many kinds of computer software, particularly for associative
arrays, database indexing, caches, and sets.

Disadvantages

Hash collisions are practically unavoidable. when hashing a random

subset of a large set of possible keys.
Hash tables become quite inefficient when there are many collisions.
Hash table does not allow null values, like a hash map.

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Define Compaction.

84. Write a difference between paging and segmentation?

S.NO Paging Segmentation

In paging, program is divided

In segmentation, the program is
1. into fixed or mounted-size
divided into variable-size sections.
pages.

For the paging operating For segmentation compiler is

2.
system is accountable. accountable.

Page size is determined by Here, the section size is given by the

3.
hardware. user.

It is faster in comparison of
4. Segmentation is slow.
segmentation.

Paging could result in internal Segmentation could result in external

5.
fragmentation. fragmentation.

In paging, logical address is

Here, logical address is split into
6. split into that page number
section number and section offset.
and page offset.

Paging comprises a page While segmentation also comprises

7. table which encloses the base the segment table which encloses the
address of every page. segment number and segment offset.

A page table is employed to Section Table maintains the section

8.
keep up the page data. data.

In paging, operating system In segmentation, the operating system

9. must maintain a free frame maintains a list of holes in the main
list. memory.

10. Paging is invisible to the user. Segmentation is visible to the user.

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S.NO Paging Segmentation

In paging, processor needs

In segmentation, the processor uses
page number, offset to
11. segment number, and offset to
calculate the absolute
calculate the full address.
address.

85. Write a definition of Associative Memory and Cache Memory?

S.No. Associative Memory Cache Memory

A memory unit accessed by

Fast and small memory is called
1 content is called associative
cache memory.
memory.

It reduces the time required to find It reduces the average memory

2
the item stored in memory. access time.

Here data is accessed by its Here, data are accessed by their

3
content. address.

It is used where search time is It is used when a particular group

4
very short. of data is accessed repeatedly.

Its basic characteristic is its logic Its basic characteristic is its fast
5
circuit for matching its content. access

86. What is “Locality of reference”?

The locality of reference refers to a phenomenon in which a computer

program tends to access the same set of memory locations for a particular
time period. In other words, Locality of Reference refers to the tendency of
the computer program to access instructions whose addresses are near one
another.

87. Write down the advantages of virtual memory?

A higher degree of multiprogramming.

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Allocating memory is easy and cheap

Eliminates external fragmentation
Data (page frames) can be scattered all over the PM
Pages are mapped appropriately anyway
Large programs can be written, as the virtual space available is huge
compared to physical memory.
Less I/O required leads to faster and easy swapping of processes.
More physical memory is available, as programs are stored on virtual
memory, so they occupy very less space on actual physical memory.
More efficient swapping

88. How to calculate performance in virtual memory?

The performance of virtual memory of a virtual memory management

system depends on the total number of page faults, which depend on
“paging policies” and “frame allocation”.

Effective access time = (1-p) x Memory access time + p x page fault time

89. Write down the basic concept of the file system?

A file is a collection of related information that is recorded on secondary

storage. Or file is a collection of logically related entities. From the user’s
perspective, a file is the smallest allotment of logical secondary storage.

90. Write the names of different operations on file?

Operation on file:

Create
Open
Read
Write
Rename
Delete
Append
Truncate
Close

91. Define the term Bit-Vector?

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A Bitmap or Bit Vector is a series or collection of bits where each bit

corresponds to a disk block. The bit can take two values: 0 and 1: 0 indicates
that the block is allocated and 1 indicates a free block.

92. What is a File allocation table?

FAT stands for File Allocation Table and this is called so because it allocates
different files and folders using tables. This was originally designed to
handle small file systems and disks. A file allocation table (FAT) is a table
that an operating system maintains on a hard disk that provides a map of the
cluster (the basic units of logical storage on a hard disk) that a file has been
stored in.

93. What is rotational latency?

Rotational Latency: Rotational Latency is the time taken by the desired

sector of the disgeek to rotate into a position so that it can access the
read/write heads. So the disk scheduling algorithm that gives minimum
rotational latency is better.

94. What is seek time?

Seek Time: Seek time is the time taken to locate the disk arm to a specified
track where the data is to be read or written. So the disk scheduling
algorithm that gives a minimum average seek time is better.

Advanced OS Interview Questions

95. What is Belady’s Anomaly?

Bélády’s anomaly is an anomaly with some page replacement policies

increasing the number of page frames resulting in an increase in the number
of page faults. It occurs when the First In First Out page replacement is
used.

96. What happens if a non-recursive mutex is locked more than once?

Deadlock. If a thread that had already locked a mutex, tries to lock the
mutex again, it will enter into the waiting list of that mutex, which results in

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a deadlock. It is because no other thread can unlock the mutex. An operating

system implementer can exercise care in identifying the owner of the mutex
and return it if it is already locked by the same thread to prevent deadlocks.

97. What are the advantages of a multiprocessor system?

There are some main advantages of a multiprocessor system:

Enhanced performance.
Multiple applications.
Multi-tasking inside an application.
High throughput and responsiveness.
Hardware sharing among CPUs.

98. What are real-time systems?

A real-time system means that the system is subjected to real-time, i.e., the
response should be guaranteed within a specified timing constraint or the
system should meet the specified deadline.

99. How to recover from a deadlock?

We can recover from a deadlock by following methods:

Process termination
Abort all the deadlock processes
Abort one process at a time until the deadlock is eliminated
Resource preemption
Rollback
Selecting a victim

100. What factors determine whether a detection algorithm must be

utilized in a deadlock avoidance system?

One is that it depends on how often a deadlock is likely to occur under the
implementation of this algorithm. The other has to do with how many
processes will be affected by deadlock when this algorithm is applied.

101. Explain the resource allocation graph?

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The resource allocation graph is explained to us what is the state of the

system in terms of processes and resources. One of the advantages of
having a diagram is, sometimes it is possible to see a deadlock directly by
using RAG.

Also check: Last Minute Notes – Operating Systems

We will soon be covering more Operating System questions.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the field of operating systems is a crucial aspect of computer
science, and a thorough understanding of its concepts is essential for anyone
looking to excel in this area. By reviewing the Top 2024 100+ operating
systems interview questions we have compiled, you can gain a deeper
understanding of the key principles and concepts of OS and be better
prepared to tackle any interview questions that may come your way.
Remember to study and practice regularly, and use these questions as a
starting point to delve deeper into the complex world of operating systems.
With dedication and hard work, you can become an expert in this field and
succeed in any OS-related job or interview.

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