ST.

JOSEPH’S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & Format ACD-

TECHNOLOGY No. CF-QB
Elupatti, Thanjavur – 613 403 Issue No. 01
VIVA Question and Answer Rev. No. 00
Academic Year: 2023-2024 / EVEN Dept/Year&Sec/Semester: CSE/II&A/IV

Subject Code & Name: CS3461& Operating Systems Laboratory

1. What are the objectives of operating systems?

The requirements can be divided into two basic groups: User goals and System goals. Users desire that the
system should be convenient and easy to use, easy to learn, reliable, safe and fast. The Operating system should be
easy to design, implement, and maintain. Also it should be flexible, reliable, error free and efficient. These are some
of the requirements, which are vague and have no general solution.
2. What are the advantages of peer to peer systems over client-server systems?
Easy and simple to set up only requiring a hub or a switch to connect all computers together. You can access
any file on the computer as-long as it is set to a shared folder. If one computer fails to work all the other computers
connected to it still continue to work.
3. What is the purpose of system programs?
System programs can be thought of as bundles of useful system calls. They provide basic functionality to
users so that users do not need to write their own programs to solve common problems.
4. Compare and contrast DMA and Cache memory.
DMA is a hardware device that can move to/from memory without using CPU instructions. Cache stores
memory to somewhere closer to where you can access so you don't have to spend as much time for the I/O.
DMA provides this capability to carry out memory specific operations with minimal processor intervention. When
any I/O device needs a memory access. It sends a DMA request (in form of interrupt) to the processor. The
processor initiates the transfer by providing appropriate grant signals to the data bus. And passes the control to the
DMA controller which controls the rest of the data transfer and transfers the data directly to I/O device.
5. Write the difference between Batch Systems and Time Sharing systems.
Batch systems are quite appropriate for executing large jobs that need little interaction. The user can submit
jobs and return later for the results. It is not necessary to wait while the job is processed. Operators batched together
jobs with similar needs and ran them through the computer as a group. Time-sharing or multitasking is a logical
extension of multiprogramming. It allows many users to share the computer simultaneously.
6. Do timesharing differ from Multiprogramming? If so, How?
Time-sharing or multitasking is a logical extension of multiprogramming. It allows many users to share the
computer simultaneously. The CPU executes multiple jobs by switching among them, but the switches occur so
frequently that the users can interact with each program while it is running.
7. Why API’s need to be used rather than system calls?
An API is a generic term for a way to interface with an existing library / service etc... Whereas a system
call is about an application calling down the stack to the underlying resources and such, usually via a standard API in
its own right. System calls provide the interface between a process and the Operating system.
8. Can multiple user level threads achieve better performance on a multiprocessor system than a single
processor system? Justify your answer.
We assume that user-level threads are not known to the kernel. In that case, the answer is because the
scheduling is done at the process level. On the other hand, some OS allows user-level threads to be assigned to
different kernel level processes for the purposes of scheduling. In this case the multithreaded solution could be faster.
9. Mention the circumferences that would a user be better off using time-sharing system rather than a PC or
a single user work station?
A user is better off under three situations: when it is cheaper, faster, or easier. For example:
 When the user is paying for management costs and the costs are cheaper for a time-sharing system than for a
single-user computer.
 When running a simulation or calculating that takes too long to run on a single PC or workstation.
 When a user is travelling and doesn't have laptop to carry around, they can connect remotely to a time-shared
system and do their work.
10. What is meant by Mainframe Systems?
Mainframe systems are the first computers developed to tackle many commercial and scientific applications.
These systems are developed from the batch systems and then multiprogramming system and finally time sharing
systems

11. What is meant by Multiprogramming?

Several users simultaneously compete for system resources (i.e) the job currently waiting for I/O will yield
the CPU to another job which is ready to do calculations, if another job is waiting. Thus it increases CPU utilization
and system throughput.
12. What are the advantages of Multiprogramming?
 Increased System Throughput
 Increased CPU utilization
13. What are Operating Services?
Normally, an operating system provides certain services to programs and to the users of those programs.
Some of them are: Program Execution. I/O operations File-system manipulation Communications Error Detection
14. What is System Programs?
System programs provide a convenient environment for program development and execution. Some of these
programs are user interfaces to system calls and others are more complex. Some of them are: File Management
Status Information File modification Programming Language support Program loading, execution and
communication.
15. What is meant by System Calls?
The System Calls acts as a interface to a running program and the Operating system. These system calls available in
assembly language instructions.
16. What is meant by Batch Systems?
In this, operators batched together jobs with similar needs and ran through the computer as a group .The operators
would sort programs into batches with similar requirements and as system become available, it would run each batch.
17. What are Multiprocessor System?
Multiprocessor systems have systems more than one processor for communication, sharing the computer bus, the
memory, clock & peripheral devices
18. What are the Components of a Computer System?
Application Programs System
Program Operating System
Computer Hardware
19. What are the advantages of multiprocessors??
Increased throughput
Economy of scale
Increased reliability
20. What is meant by Real time system?
Real time systems are systems that have their iND-built characteristics as supplying immediate response. In
real time system, each process is assigned a certain level of priority according to the relative importance of the
events to be processed

21. What is meant by Multiprogramming?

Several users simultaneously compete for system resources (i.e) the job currently waiting for I/O will yield
the CPU to another job which is ready to do calculations, if another job is waiting. Thus it increases CPU utilization
and system throughput.
22. What are the advantages of Multiprogramming?
 Increased System Throughput
 Increased CPU utilization
23. What are Operating Services?
Normally, an operating system provides certain services to programs and to the users of those programs.
Some of them are: Program Execution. I/O operations File-system manipulation Communications Error Detection

24. What is System Programs?

System programs provide a convenient environment for program development and execution. Some of these
programs are user interfaces to system calls and others are more complex. Some of them are: File Management
Status Information File modification Programming Language support Program loading, execution and
communication.

25. What is meant by Multiprogramming?

Several users simultaneously compete for system resources (i.e) the job currently waiting for I/O will yield
the CPU to another job which is ready to do calculations, if another job is waiting. Thus it increases CPU utilization
and system throughput.
26. What are the advantages of Multiprogramming?
 Increased System Throughput
 Increased CPU utilization
27. What are Operating Services?
Normally, an operating system provides certain services to programs and to the users of those programs.
Some of them are: Program Execution. I/O operations File-system manipulation Communications Error Detection
28. What is System Programs?
System programs provide a convenient environment for program development and execution. Some of these
programs are user interfaces to system calls and others are more complex. Some of them are: File Management
Status Information File modification Programming Language support Program loading, execution and
communication.
29. What is meant by System Calls?
The System Calls acts as a interface to a running program and the Operating system. These system calls available in
assembly language instructions.
30. What is meant by Batch Systems?
In this, operators batched together jobs with similar needs and ran through the computer as a group .The operators
would sort programs into batches with similar requirements and as system become available, it would run each batch.
31. What are Multiprocessor System?
Multiprocessor systems have systems more than one processor for communication, sharing the computer bus, the
memory, clock & peripheral devices
32. What are the Components of a Computer System?
Application Programs System
Program Operating System
Computer Hardware
33. What are the advantages of multiprocessors??
Increased throughput
Economy of scale
Increased reliability
34. What is meant by Real time system?
Real time systems are systems that have their iND-built characteristics as supplying immediate response. In
real time system, each process is assigned a certain level of priority according to the relative importance of the
events to be processed

35. “Priority inversion is a condition that occurs in real time systems where a low priority process is starved
because higher priority processes have gained hold of the CPU”- Comment on this statement.
Priority inversion is a problem that occurs in concurrent processes when low-priority threads hold shared
resources required by some high-priority threads, causing the high priority-threads to block indefinitely. This
problem is enlarged when the concurrent processes are in a real time system where high- priority threads must be
served on time.

36. Differentiate single threaded and multi threaded processes.

A thread is a simple flow of instruction. An application can be single threaded (so imagine it as a single line
going from the entry point of the application to its end) or multi-threaded (imagine a tree: the whole app starts from
1 point, than it branches out more and more)