Module Code: 553/23/M08

Module Title: OPERATING SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION

ZNQF Level: 5
Credits: 18
Duration: 180 hours
Relationship with Based on Unit Standard OPERATING SYSTEMS of Qualification
Qualification Standard for an ICT Technician
Standards:
Pre-requisite NIL
modules:
Purpose of Module: This module describes the skills, knowledge and attitudes required by an
ICT Technician to describe the operation and structure of a computer
system, explain the structure and management of processes, outline the
fundamentals of memory management, install and configure a Linux and
Windows Operating System, use the Linux graphical user interface and
command line interface and Windows and MS-DOS to perform standard
user and administration tasks, adapt to trends in virtualization, emulation
and the increasing use of sophisticated operating systems in mobile
systems, and implement appropriate security and protection mechanisms
in operating systems.
Advantages of operating systems include better software choice,
avoiding software damage and significant data loss, upholding of system
operational integrity and maintenance of a reliable IT infrastructure, and
enhanced productivity. Access to this module is open to all target groups
including unemployed youths, women and men wishing to establish or
improve SMEs in the administration of hardware.
List of Learning LO1: Describe the operation and structure of a computer system.
Outcomes: LO2: Explain the structure and management of processes
LO3: Outline the fundamentals of memory management
LO4: Install and configure a Linux and Windows Operating System
LO5: Manage the Linux Server and command line interface,
Windows Server and MS-DOS to perform standard user and
administration tasks
LO6: Adapt to trends in virtualisation, emulation and the increasing
use of sophisticated OS in mobile systems
LO7: Implement appropriate security and protection mechanisms
in operating systems
Learning Outcome 01 DESCRIBE THE OPERATION AND STRUCTURE OF A
COMPUTER SYSTEM
Assessment Criteria: 1.1 Outline the goals and roles of an operating system
1.2 Analyse the structure of a computer system
1.3 Handle interrupts
Content: 1.1 Outline the goals and roles of an operating system
 Define operating system
 Describe operating system goals
 Explain operating system functions
 Describe the evolution of operating systems
 Describe types and examples of operating systems
1.2 Analyse the structure of an operating system
 Evaluate operating system structures
 Simple structure
 Monolithic structure
 Layered structure
 Micro-Kernel structure
 Exo-Kernel structure
 Virtual machines
 Explain the basic structure of a computer system
 Processor, memory and peripheral devices
 Registers and the fetch-execute cycle
1.3 Handle interrupts
 Define interrupt
 Explain hardware and software interrupts
 Explain how the CPU responds to interrupts
 Describe interrupt handling in modern operating
systems
 Explain context switching in operating systems
Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and knowledge
required to describe the operation and structure of a
computer system as outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the operation and structure of a
computer system including the following of SHEQ
requirements, the consideration of computer laboratory
environmental factors which affect the operation and
structure of a computer system based on the performance
criteria of the relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
 2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the
workplace or simulated work environment in the training
institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities,
tools, equipment and materials listed below.

Learning Outcome 02 EXPLAIN THE STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF

PROCESSES
Assessment Criteria: 2.1 Explain process management
2.2 Apply CPU scheduling algorithms
2.3 Explain process synchronization
2.4 Describe deadlock in operating systems
Content: 2.1 Explain process management
 Define process in operating systems
 Explain process creation and termination
 Describe the process control block
 Describe the process life cycle
 Explain process management in Windows and Linux
 Outline commonly used commands and tools for
managing processes
2.2 Apply CPU scheduling algorithms
 Define CPU scheduling
 Outline the types of scheduling in operating systems
 Describe process scheduling algorithms
 Explain inter-process communication
2.3 Explain process synchronization in operating systems
 Define process synchronization
 Outline the types and sections of process
synchronization
 Describe the critical section problem and solutions
2.4 Describe deadlock in operating systems
 Define deadlock
 Outline the conditions necessary for deadlock
 Explain the strategies for handling deadlock
Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and knowledge
required to explain the structure and management of
processes as outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the management of processes
including the following of SHEQ requirements, the
application of scheduling algorithms based on the
performance criteria of the relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the workplace
or simulated work environment in the training institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities, tools,
equipment and materials listed below.
.
Learning Outcome 03 OUTLINE THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MEMORY
MANAGEMENT
Assessment Criteria: 3.1 Implement memory management techniques
3.2 Explain memory swapping
3.3 Implement memory allocation
3.4 Illustrate paging, fragmentation and segmentation in
operating systems
3.5 Explain virtual memory management
Content: 3.1 Implement memory management techniques
 Define memory management
 Outline the importance of memory management
 Evaluate memory management techniques
3.2 Explain memory swapping
 Define memory swapping
 Outline the benefits of memory swapping
 Describe the process of memory swapping in operating
systems
3.3 Implement memory allocation
 Define memory allocation
 Describe the memory allocation techniques
3.4 Illustrate paging, fragmentation and segmentation in
operating systems
 Define memory paging, fragmentation and
segmentation
 Distinguish between swapping and paging in operating
systems
 Explain how segmentation works
 Distinguish between segmentation and paging in
operating systems
 Explain the types of fragmentation
 Explain how fragmentation affects system performance
3.5 Explain virtual memory management
 Define virtual memory
 Explain the following
 Demand paging
  Page wrapping
 Thrashing

Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and knowledge
required to outline the fundamentals of memory
management practice as outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the fundamentals of memory
management including the following of SHEQ
requirements, the consideration of computer laboratory
environmental factors which affect implementation of
memory management techniques, memory swapping,
memory allocation, paging, segmentation, and
fragmentation based on the performance criteria of the
relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the workplace
or simulated work environment in the training institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities,
tools, equipment and materials listed below.

Learning Outcome 04 INSTALL AND CONFIGURE A LINUX and WINDOWS

OPERATING SYSTEM
Assessment Criteria: .1 Describe the Linux and Windows operating system
organisation, components and file system.
.2 Install and configure Linux operating system
.3 Install and configure Windows operating system
Content: 4.1 Describe the Linux and Windows operating system
organisation, components and file system.
 Describe the Linux file system structure
 Outline the Linux file system features
 Describe the types of Linux file systems
 Outline the components of the Windows file system
 Describe the types of Windows file system
4.2 Install and configure Linux operating system
 Describe the installation of the Linux operating system
 Outline the steps for configuring the Linux operating
system
4.3 Install and configure Windows operating system
 Describe the installation of the Windows and Windows
Server operating systems
 Outline the steps for configuring the Windows and
 Windows Server operating systems
 Discuss the evolution of the Windows operating
systems
 Explain operating system version compatibility
Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and knowledge
required to install and configure a Linux and windows
operating system as outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the developing and maintaining
software including the following of SHEQ requirements, the
consideration of computer laboratory environmental factors
which affect the developing, the identification of the inputs,
processes and outputs of software based on the performance
criteria of the relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the workplace
or simulated work environment in the training institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities, tools,
equipment and materials listed below.

Learning Outcome 05 MANAGE THE LINUX GRAPHICAL USER

INTERFACE AND COMMAND LINE INTERFACE,
WINDOWS AND MS-DOS TO PERFORM STANDARD
USER AND ADMINISTRATION TASKS
Assessment Criteria: 5.1 Perform Linux Server administration
5.2 Perform Windows Server administration
Content: 5.1 Perform Linux administration
 Set up the Linux environment
 Outline Linux File Permissions, Processes, User
Account Management, Linux Networking or
Software Management
 Explain the Linux terminal
 Terminals, consoles, shells and commands
 Linux command structure
 The Tab key and keyboard shortcuts
 Root vs non-privileged users
 Explore the Linux file system
 Describe the management of user accounts
 Explain Linux file permissions
5.2 Perform Windows administration
 Explain virtualization and Hyper-V
 Explain the process of administering Group Policy
  Describe the deployment of a virtual machined-based
infrastructure
 Manage user accounts
 Install, upgrade, repair or backup the operating
system and components
 Install service packs (SPs)
 Configure critical operating system parameters (e.g.
password policy, access control, audit
policy, kernel mode driver configuration)
Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and
knowledge required to manage the Linux graphical user
interface and command line interface, windows and MS-
DOS to perform standard user and administration tasks as
outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the developing and maintaining
software including the following of SHEQ requirements,
the consideration of computer laboratory environmental
factors which affect the developing, the identification of
the inputs, processes and outputs of software based on the
performance criteria of the relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the
workplace or simulated work environment in the training
institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities,
tools, equipment and materials listed below.

Learning Outcome 06 ADAPT TO TRENDS IN VIRTUALISATION,

EMULATION AND THE INCREASING USE OF
SOPHISTICATED OS IN MOBILE SYSTEMS
Assessment Criteria: 6.1 Outline the need for virtualization and emulation in
computer systems
6.2 Implement strategies for virtualization and emulation in
computer systems
Content: 6.1 Outline the need for virtualization and emulation in
computer systems
 Define virtualization and emulation
 Distinguish between virtualization and emulation
 Explain why virtualization and emulation are important
in modern day computing
 Explain the relationship between virtualization and
 cloud computing
6.2 Implement strategies for virtualization and emulation in
computer systems
 Outline the virtualization techniques for desktop and
mobile systems
 Discuss types of virtualization
 Explain virtualization and emulation in mobile
operating systems
 Discuss the trends in virtualization and emulation in
computing
Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and knowledge
required to adapt to trends in virtualization, emulation and
the increasing use of sophisticated OS in mobile systems as
outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the developing and maintaining
software including the following of SHEQ requirements, the
consideration of computer laboratory environmental factors
which affect the developing, the identification of the inputs,
processes and outputs of software based on the performance
criteria of the relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the workplace
or simulated work environment in the training institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities,
tools, equipment and materials listed below.

Learning Outcome 07 IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE SECURITY AND

PROTECTION MECHANISMS IN OPERATING
SYSTEMS
Assessment Criteria: 7.1 Outline the importance of computer security at the OS level
7.2 Establish methods to implement security and protection in
operating systems
Content: 7.1 Outline the importance of security at the OS level

 Define operating system security and protection

 Distinguish between security and protection in OS

 Discuss the levels at which the computer system must

be protected
  Explain security features in operating systems

7.2 Establish methods to implement security and protection in

operating systems
 Outline operating system related security threats and
vulnerabilities
 Describe measures that can be taken to ensure security
and protection in operating systems
Assessment Tasks: 1. Written and/or oral assessment on the skills and knowledge
required to implement security and protection mechanisms
in operating systems as outlined in the assessment criteria.
2. Practical assessment on the developing and maintaining
software including the following of SHEQ requirements,
the consideration of computer laboratory environmental
factors which affect the developing, the identification of the
inputs, processes and outputs of software based on the
performance criteria of the relevant unit standard.
Conditions/Context of 1. Written and/or oral assessment can be conducted in a
assessment classroom environment. Oral assessment can also be
conducted by the assessor during the performance of the
practical assessment by the trainees.
2. The practical assessment will be conducted in the
workplace or simulated work environment in the training
institution.
3. The context of assessment should include the facilities,
tools, equipment and materials listed below.

ASSESSMENT SCHEME
Theory: A minimum of 100%
3 hour paper • 2 Assignments 20%
(Weighted 20%) • 2 Practical assignments 20%
Practical: • 2 Tests 20%
3 hour paper
(Weighted 20%)

ASSESSMENT SPECIFICATION GRID

THEORY PAPER
No. TOPIC WEIGHTING %
LO1 Describe the operation and structure of a computer system. 15
LO2 Explain the structure and management of processes 15
LO3 Outline the fundamentals of memory management 15
LO4 Install and configure a Linux and Windows operating 15