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Students Assignments - Checkpoint
Question Review :
1. What is system software, and what are the two
types of system software?
System software (or systems
software) is computer software designed to operate and control the computer
hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.
The two types of system software :
a.
The operating system (prominent examples
being z/OS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux), allows the parts of a
computer to work together by performing tasks like transferring data between memory
and disks or rendering output onto a display device. It also provides a
platform to run high-level system software and application software
b.
Utility software helps to analyze,
configure, optimize and maintain the computer
2. What are the functions of an operating system?
a.
Booting the computer
b.
Performs basic computer tasks eg managing the
various peripheral devices eg mouse, keyboard
c.
Provides a user interface, e.g. command line,
graphical user interface (GUI)
d.
Handles system resources such as computer's
memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various
applications or peripheral devices
e.
Provides file management which refers to the way
that the operating system manipulates, stores, retrieves and saves data
3. What is the startup process on a personal
computer?
In computing, booting (also known as
booting up) is the initial set of operations that a computer system
performs after electrical power to the CPU is switched on or when the computer
is reset. The process begins when a computer is turned on for the first time,
is re-energized after being turned off, when it is reset or when the operator
invokes a LOAD function from the console, and ends when the computer is ready
to perform its normal operations. On modern general purpose computers, this can
take tens of seconds and typically involves performing a power-on self-test,
locating and initializing peripheral devices, and then finding, loading and
starting an operating system. Many computer systems also allow these operations
to be initiated by a software command without cycling power, in what is known
as a soft reboot, though some of the initial operations might be skipped on a
soft reboot. A boot loader is a computer program that loads the main
operating system or runtime environment for the computer after completion of
the self-tests.
The computer term boot is short for bootstrap
or bootstrap load and derives from the phrase to pull oneself up by
one's bootstraps.The usage calls attention to the requirement that, if most
software is loaded onto a computer by other software already running on the
computer, some mechanism must exist to load initial software onto the computer.
Early computers used a variety of ad-hoc methods to get a small program into
memory to solve this problem. The invention of read-only memory (ROM) of
various types solved this paradox by allowing computers to be shipped with a
start up program that could not be erased. Growth in the capacity of ROM has
allowed ever more elaborate start up procedures to be implemented.
On general purpose computers, the boot process
begins with the execution of an initial program stored in boot ROMs or read in
another fashion. In some older computers, the initial program might have been
the application to run, if no operating system was used, or the operating
system. In other computers, the initial program is a boot loader that may then
load into random-access memory (RAM), from nonvolatile secondary storage (such
as a hard disk drive) or, in some older computers, from a medium such as punched
cards, punched tape, or magnetic tape, the binary code of an operating system
or runtime environment and then execute it. If the boot loader is limited in
its size and capabilities, it may, instead, load a larger and more capable
secondary boot loader, which would then load the operating system or runtime
environment. Some embedded systems do not require a noticeable boot sequence to
begin functioning and when turned on may simply run operational programs that
are stored in ROM.
4. What are features of windows 7, Mac OS X, UNIX,
and Linux Operating Systems?
a.
Windows 7
Windows 7 is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on
personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet
PCs, and media center PCs. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009,
and became generally available for retail worldwide on October 22, 2009, less
than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows
7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time.
Windows 7 is succeeded by Windows 8.
Unlike Windows Vista's many new features, Windows 7 was an incremental
upgrade designed to work with Vista-compatible applications and hardware.
Presentations given by Microsoft in 2008 focused on multi-touch support, an
updated Windows shell with a new taskbar, referred to internally as the Superbar,
a home networking system called HomeGroup,
and performance improvements. Some standard applications that have been
included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, including Windows Calendar, Windows
Mail, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are not included in
Windows 7; most are instead offered separately at no charge as part of the Windows
Essentials suite.
b.
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a multitasking operating system available only for Apple
computers.
c.
UNIX
-
multi-user
more than one user can use the machine at a time
supported via terminals (serial or network connection)
-
multi-tasking
more than one program can be run at a time
-
hierarchical
directory structure
to support the organisation and maintenance of files
-
portability
only the kernel ( <10%) written in assembler
tools for program development
a wide range of support tools (debuggers, compilers)
d.
Linux
Linux is an operating system, a software program that controls your
computer. Most vendors load an operating system onto the hard drive of a PC
before delivering the PC, so, unless the hard drive of your PC has failed, you
may not understand the function of an operating system.
An operating system solves several problems arising from hardware
variation. As you're aware, no two PC models (or models of other computers, for
that matter) have identical hardware. For example, some PCs have an IDE hard
drive, whereas others have a SCSI hard drive. Some PCs have one hard drive,
others have two or more. Most PCs have a CD-ROM drive, but some do not. Some
PCs have an Intel Pentium CPU, whereas others have an AMD K-6, and so on.
Suppose that, in a world without operating systems, you're programming a new PC
application, perhaps a new multimedia word processor. Your application must
cope with all the possible variations of PC hardware. As a result, it becomes
bulky and complex. Users don't like it because it consumes too much hard drive
space, takes a long time to load, and - because of its size and complexity -
has more bugs than it should.
Operating systems solve this problem by providing a single standard way
for applications to access hardware devices. When an operating system exists,
applications can be more compact, because they share the commonly used code for
accessing the hardware. Applications can also be more reliable because this
code is written only once, and by expert programmers, rather than by every
application programmers.
As you'll soon learn, operating systems do many other things as well; for
example, they generally provide a file system so that you can store and
retrieve data, and a user interface so that you can control the operation of
your computer. However, if you think of a computer's operating system as its
subconscious mind, you won't be far off the mark. It's the computer's conscious
mind - applications such as word processors and spreadsheets - that
do useful work. But, without the subconscious - the operating
system - the computer would cease breathing and applications would not
function.
5. What are various server operating systems?
Server operating systems include Windows
Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Netware. Windows Server 2008 is an upgrade to Windows Server 2003 and
includes features of previous Windows Server versions. UNIX, like Linux, is a multipurpose
operating system because it is both a stand-alone and server operating
system. Solaris, a version of UNIX
developed by Sun Microsystems, is a server operating system designed
specifically for e-commeree applications. Novell’s NetWare is a server operating system designed for client/server
networks.
6. What are the features of several embedded
operating systems?
An embedded system is a computer system
with a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electrical system,
often with real-time computing constraints. It is embedded as part of a
complete device often including hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, a
general-purpose computer, such as a personal computer (PC), is designed to be
flexible and to meet a wide range of end-user needs. Embedded systems control
many devices in common use today.
Modern embedded systems are often based on microcontrollers
(i.e CPUs with integrated memory and/or peripheral interfaces) but ordinary microprocessors (using external
chips for memory and peripheral interface circuits) are also still common,
especially in more complex systems. In either case, the processor(s) used may
be types ranging from rather general purpose to very specialised in certain
class of computations, or even custom designed for the application at hand. A
common standard class of dedicated processors is the digital signal processor
(DSP).
The key characteristic, however, is being
dedicated to handle a particular task. Since the embedded system is dedicated
to specific tasks, design engineers can optimize it to reduce the size and cost
of the product and increase the reliability and performance. Some embedded
systems are mass-produced, benefiting from economies of scale.
Physically, embedded systems range from
portable devices such as digital watches and MP3 players, to large stationary
installations like traffic lights, factory controllers, and largely complex
systems like hybrid vehicles, MRI, and avionics. Complexity varies from low,
with a single microcontroller chip, to very high with multiple units, peripherals
and networks mounted inside a large chassis or enclosure
7.What is the purpose of several utility programs?
Utility Software is essentially what takes care of your computer system. Utility Software consists of but is not limited to the following: Disk cleaner - Finds files that are not in use anymore, or may have never been in use that take up a lot of space on the hard drive. Defragmenter - Locating the files that may be broken and therefore not completely functionary to the system and grouping them together, placing them in a different area of your computer’s hard drive. Checker - Similar to cleaners, disk checkers scan your computer to see if you have any files that are corrupt or unusable due to incorrect saving, to create a more capable computer system. Anti-virus system - A utility that scans your computer for threats or viruses that have made their way on to your computer, whether it’s from visiting un-trusted websites or downloads. It quarantines any viruses and allows you to delete them how you wish. Space analyzer - This option shows you how much of your hard drive is being used and by what. It gives you the size of each document, folder, and systems and groups it all together to also show you how much space is not being used. Backups " Backing up a system is handy to do and very recommended for important files. It saves or copies on your computer system and can restore all or portions of a document or system in the case of a system error, or improper saving of a document. Networks - This utility will check your computer's connectivity to one or more networks. It offers ways of repairing lost connections as well as keeps a record of networks you may have used. All of these put together are used to optimize your computer and make it work in the most efficient way possible.
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