Understanding Operating Systems Evolution

What is the primary function of serial processing?

• To process multiple tasks simultaneously.

• To prioritize tasks based on urgency.

• To handle tasks sequentially, one at a time.

• To store tasks in a queue for later execution.

Define multiprogramming and its advantages.

• Multiprogramming leads to decreased system responsiveness and throughput.

• Multiprogramming reduces CPU utilization and increases idle time.

• Multiprogramming is only beneficial for single-task systems.

• Multiprogramming allows for better CPU utilization, increased throughput, and improved system responsiveness.

How does time-sharing improve system responsiveness?

• Time-sharing eliminates the need for user interaction during task execution.

• Time-sharing improves system responsiveness by allowing multiple tasks to be executed in a way that minimizes user wait times.

• Time-sharing increases the time each task has to complete before switching.

• Time-sharing reduces the number of tasks that can run simultaneously.

What are the key characteristics of real-time systems?

• Limited scalability

• Key characteristics of real-time systems include time constraints, predictability, reliability, and responsiveness.

• High cost of implementation

• Inflexibility in design

Explain the concept of a process in operating systems.

• A process refers to the storage space allocated for data.

• A process is a type of hardware component in a computer.

• A process is a static file that does not change during execution.

• A process is an instance of a program in execution, encompassing the program code, current activity, and allocated resources.

What are the different states a process can be in?

• New, Ready, Running, Waiting, Terminated

• Paused

• Completed

• Blocked

What is a Process Control Block (PCB) and its role?

• A Process Control Block (PCB) is a data structure that contains information about a process, enabling the operating system to manage process execution and resources.

• A PCB is a network protocol for managing data transmission.

• A PCB is a type of hardware component used for memory storage.

• A PCB is a software application that runs processes in the background.

Describe the importance of mutual exclusion in concurrency.

• Mutual exclusion is used to increase the speed of concurrent processes.

• Mutual exclusion is important in concurrency to ensure data integrity and prevent race conditions by allowing only one process to access shared resources at a time.

• It is only relevant in single-threaded applications.

• Mutual exclusion allows multiple processes to access shared resources simultaneously.

What are semaphores and how are they used in process synchronization?

• Semaphores are used to increase the speed of processes.

• Semaphores are hardware components that store data.

• Semaphores are synchronization tools that manage access to shared resources in concurrent processes.

• Semaphores are programming languages used for system design.

What strategies can be employed to prevent deadlock in a system?

• Implementing a single resource allocation strategy only

• Allowing processes to hold resources indefinitely

• Using a fixed priority scheduling algorithm

• Employ deadlock prevention, avoidance, detection and recovery, and resource allocation strategies.