Grade 12 ICT – 1st & 2nd periods – 15/11/2021

Lesson No: 05 - Using operating systems to manage the functionality

of computers
Introduction to Computer operating system
An operating system (OS) is a system software that provides a virtual machine (hides hardware
details, provides an interface to applications and end users), manages computing resources (keeps
track of resource usage, grants/revokes permissions for resources), and executes application
software.

Evolution of Operating System

No operating system era (Late 1940s – mid 1950s)

 Serial Processing – processed programs one after another

 Single user system
 Programmer/User directly interacted with the hardware.
 No operating system
 Programs loaded directly into computer
 Machines run from a console with display lights, toggle switches.

Features

 Manual Program Scheduling

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 Grade 12 ICT – 1st & 2nd periods – 15/11/2021
 Uniprogramming
 Processor sat idle when loading programs and doing I/O

Simple Batch System

 Introduced to maximize the processor utilization

 Programs recorded in a magnetic tape with an inexpensive machine
 OS loaded and executed programs in tape one at a time
 When the current program ended execution, its output was written to another tape and OS
loaded next program
 At the end of entire batch of programs, output tape was printed with an inexpensive machine

Features
 No direct access to hardware
 Uniprogramming
 High response time
 Processor sat idle during I/O

Multi-Programmed batch Systems

 Central theme of modern OS

 Introduce in 3rd generation to minimize the processor idle time during I/O
 Memory is partitioned to hold multiple programs
 When current program waiting for I/O, OS switches processor to execute another program in
memory
 If memory is large enough to hold more programs, processor could keep 100% busy

Time Sharing System

 Introduced to minimize the response time and maximize the user interaction during program
execution
 Uses context switching
 Enables to share the processor time among multiple programs
 Rapidly switching among programs, credits illusion of concurrent execution of multiple
programs

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 Grade 12 ICT – 1st & 2nd periods – 15/11/2021
Important functions of an operating system

There are two important functions of an operating system. Those are;

1. Managing all the resources

2. Providing user interface
1. Managing all the resources

Operating system manages all the computer resources. Under that it does;

 Memory management
 Storage management
 I/O device management (Input output device)
 Security management
 Process management
 Network management

2. Providing user interface

Providing an interface for the users to give commands to satisfy their requirements is a basic
function of an operating system. There are two types of user interfaces. Those are;

I. Command Line Interface (CLI)

II. Graphical User Interface (GUI)

I. Command Line Interface (CLI)

Here users communicate with the computer using commands and these interfaces were used
by all the operating systems in early days. Command Line Interface (CLI) is a text-based
interface used for entering commands. Every CLI has a prompt, which is displayed when the
interface is ready to accept a command. In CLI correct syntax has to be used. Otherwise the
given command is not fulfilled.

II. Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Here users communicate with the computer using graphical element such as Windows,
Icons, Menus and Pointers (WIMP). All most all the present operating systems use graphical
user interfaces. GUI provides the ability to use the mouse or finger tips to navigate the
commands.

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 Grade 12 ICT – 1st & 2nd periods – 15/11/2021

Different types of operating systems

Operating systems can be categorized based on different criteria.

1. Different types of Operating Systems based on users

I. Single user – These operating systems facilitate single user to use the system at a
time.
II. Multi user - These operating systems facilitate multiple users to use the systems at a
time.
2. Different types of Operating Systems based on number of tasks
I. Single task – These Operating systems execute only one programme at a time.
II. Multi task – These operating systems execute multiple programmes at a time.
3. Different types of Operating Systems based on both users and number of tasks
I. Single user – single task
These operating systems facilitate to perform a single task by one user at a time.
Eg: MS DOS, Palm OS for palm handed computers
II. Single user – multi task
These operating systems facilitate to run several programmes at the same time by a
single user.
Eg: MS Windows, Apple MacOS
III. Multi user – multi task
These operating systems facilitate to run several programmes at the same time by
more than one user (By several users).
Eg: Windows Server OS, Unix, VMS, Mainframe OS such as MVS
IV. Multi-threading
A thread is also called a sub process. Threads provide a way to improve application
performance through the parallel execution of sub process. Multi-threading is the
ability of an OS process to manage its use by more than one user at a time and to
multiple requests by the same user without having to have multiple copies of the
programming running in the computer.
V. Real Time
These Operating Systems are designed to run application with very precise timing
and with a high degree of reliability. This type of OS intended to serve real time
applications that process data as it came in, typically without buffer delays.
Processing time requirements are measured in tenths of seconds or shorter

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 Grade 12 ICT – 1st & 2nd periods – 15/11/2021
increments of time. The main objective of real time OS is their quick and predictable
response to events. These types of operating systems are needed in situations where
downtime is costly or a programme delay could cause a safety hazard.
Eg: VRTX, RT Linux, Lynx
VI. Time sharing systems
In these operating systems processor’s time is shared among multiple
users/applications. It allocates computer resources in time slots to several
programmes simultaneously. This type of operating systems provides quick response
and reduces CPU idle time.

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