System Call

A system call is a programmatic way in which a computer program requests

a service from the kernel of the operating system it is executed on. A system
call is a way for programs to interact with the operating system. A
computer program makes a system call when it requests the operating
system’s kernel.
System call provides the services of the operating system to the user
programs via the Application Program Interface(API). It provides an interface
between a process and an operating system to allow user-level processes to
request services of the operating system. System calls are the only entry
points into the kernel system. All programs needing resources must use
system calls.
What is a System Call?
A system call is a mechanism used by programs to request services from the
operating system (OS). In simpler terms, it is a way for a program to interact
with the underlying system, such as accessing hardware resources or
performing privileged operations.
A user program can interact with the operating system using a system call. A
number of services are requested by the program, and the OS responds by
launching a number of systems calls to fulfill the request. A system call can
be written in high-level languages like C or Pascal or in assembly language.
If a high-level language is used, the operating system may directly invoke
system calls, which are predefined functions.
A system call is initiated by the program executing a specific instruction,
which triggers a switch to kernel mode, allowing the program to request a
service from the OS. The OS then handles the request, performs the
necessary operations, and returns the result back to the program.
System calls are essential for the proper functioning of an operating system,
as they provide a standardized way for programs to access system
resources. Without system calls, each program would need to implement its
methods for accessing hardware and system services, leading to
inconsistent and error-prone behavior.
Services Provided by System Calls
 Process Creation and Management
 Main Memory Management
 File Access, Directory, and File System Management
 Device Handling(I/O)
 Protection
 Networking, etc.
 o Process Control: end, abort, create, terminate, allocate, and
free memory.
o File Management: create, open, close, delete, read files, etc.
o Device Management
o Information Maintenance
o Communication
Features of System Calls
 Interface: System calls provide a well-defined interface between user
programs and the operating system. Programs make requests by calling
specific functions, and the operating system responds by executing the
requested service and returning a result.
 Protection: System calls are used to access privileged operations that
are not available to normal user programs. The operating system uses
this privilege to protect the system from malicious or unauthorized access.
 Kernel Mode: When a system call is made, the program is temporarily
switched from user mode to kernel mode. In kernel mode, the program
has access to all system resources, including hardware, memory, and
other processes.
 Context Switching: A system call requires a context switch, which
involves saving the state of the current process and switching to the
kernel mode to execute the requested service. This can introduce
overhead, which can impact system performance.
 Error Handling: System calls can return error codes to indicate problems
with the requested service. Programs must check for these errors and
handle them appropriately.
 Synchronization: System calls can be used to synchronize access to
shared resources, such as files or network connections. The operating
system provides synchronization mechanisms, such as locks
or semaphores, to ensure that multiple programs can access these
resources safely.
How does System Call Work?
Here is a detailed explanation step by step how system calls work:
 Users need special resources: Sometimes programs need to do some
special things that can’t be done without the permission of the OS like
reading from a file, writing to a file, getting any information from the
hardware, or requesting a space in memory.
 The program makes a system call request: There are special
predefined instructions to make a request to the operating system. These
instructions are nothing but just a “system call”. The program uses these
system calls in its code when needed.
 Operating system sees the system call: When the OS sees the system
call then it recognizes that the program needs help at this time so it
temporarily stops the program execution and gives all the control to a
special part of itself called ‘Kernel’. Now ‘Kernel’ solves the need of the
program.
 The operating system performs the operations: Now the operating
system performs the operation that is requested by the program.
Example: reading content from a file etc.
 Operating system give control back to the program : After performing
the special operation, OS give control back to the program for further
execution of program .
Examples of a System Call in Windows and Unix
System calls for Windows and Unix come in many different forms. These are
listed in the table below as follows:
Process Windows Unix

CreateProcess() Fork()
Process Control ExitProcess() Exit()
WaitForSingleObject() Wait()

Open()
CreateFile()
Read()
File manipulation ReadFile()
Write()
WriteFile()
Close()

SetConsoleMode() Ioctl()
Device Management ReadConsole() Read()
WriteConsole() Write()

GetCurrentProcessID() Getpid()
Information Maintenance SetTimer() Alarm()
Sleep() Sleep()

CreatePipe() Pipe()
Communication CreateFileMapping() Shmget()
MapViewOfFile() Mmap()

Protection SetFileSecurity() Chmod()

InitializeSecurityDescriptor() Umask()
 Process Windows Unix

SetSecurityDescriptorgroup() Chown()

Open(): Accessing a file on a file system is possible with the open() system
call. It gives the file resources it needs and a handle the process can use. A
file can be opened by multiple processes simultaneously or just one process.
Everything is based on the structure and file system.
Read(): Data from a file on the file system is retrieved using it. In general, it
accepts three arguments:
 A description of a file.
 A buffer for read data storage.
 How many bytes should be read from the file
Before reading, the file to be read could be identified by its file descriptor
and opened using the open() function.
Wait(): In some systems, a process might need to hold off until another
process has finished running before continuing. When a parent process
creates a child process, the execution of the parent process is halted until
the child process is complete. The parent process is stopped using the wait()
system call. The parent process regains control once the child process has
finished running.
Write(): Data from a user buffer is written using it to a device like a file. A
program can produce data in one way by using this system call. generally,
there are three arguments:
 A description of a file.
 A reference to the buffer where data is stored.
 The amount of data that will be written from the buffer in bytes.
Fork(): The fork() system call is used by processes to create copies of
themselves. It is one of the methods used the most frequently in operating
systems to create processes. When a parent process creates a child
process, the parent process’s execution is suspended until the child process
is finished. The parent process regains control once the child process has
finished running.
Exit(): A system call called exit() is used to terminate a program. In
environments with multiple threads, this call indicates that the thread
execution is finished. After using the exit() system function, the operating
system recovers the resources used by the process.