UNIT -5 - PART-A

1) What is Linux distribution?[R]

A Linux distribution includes all the standard components of the Linux system, plus a set of
administrative tools to simplify the initial installation and subsequent upgrading of Linux and manage
installation and removal of other packages on the system.
2) What is the use of User mode? [R]
Under Linux, no user code is built into the kernel. Any operating-system-support code that does
not need to run in kernel mode is placed into the system libraries and runs in user mode.
3) What are the components of kernel mode[R]
The module support under Linux has four components:
1. The module-management system allows modules to be loaded into memory and to
communicate with the rest of the kernel.
2. The module loader and unloader, which are user-mode utilities, work with the module-
management system to load a module into memory.
3. The driver-registration system allows modules to tell the rest of the kernel that a new driver
has become available.
4. A conflict-resolution mechanism allows different device drivers to reserve hardware
resources and to protect those resources from accidental use by another driver.
4) What is process Identity? [R]
Each process has a unique identifier. The PID is used to specify the process to the operating system
when an application makes a system call to signal, modify, or wait for the process. Additional identifiers
associate the process with a process group (typically, a tree of processes forked by a single user command
and login session.
5) Define DNS[R]
The Domain Name System (DNS) provides host-name-to-network-address translations for the
entire Internet. Before DNS became widespread, files containing the same information were sent via e-
mail or ftp between all networked hosts.
6) What is virtualization? [R]
Virtualization, in computing, refers to the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of
something, including but not limited to a virtual computer hardware platform, operating system (OS),
storage device, or computer network resources.
7) What is pluggable authentication modules [R]
The pluggable authentication modules (PAM) system is based on a shared library that can be
used by any system component that needs to authenticate users. An implementation of this system is
available under Linux. PAM allows authentication modules to be loaded on demand as specified in a
system-wide configuration file. If a new authentication mechanism is added at a later date, it can be
added to the configuration file, and all system components will immediately be able to take advantage
of it. PAM modules can specify authentication methods, account restrictions, session setup functions,
and password-changing functions (so that, when users change their passwords, all the necessary
authentication mechanisms can be updated at once).
8) What is the use of firewall manager[R]
The firewall manager maintains a number of separate firewall chains and allows a skbuff to be
matched against any chain. Chains are reserved for separate purposes: one is used for forwarded
packets, one for packets being input to this host, and one for data generated at this host. Each chain is
held as an ordered list of rules, where a rule specifies one of a number of possible firewall-decision
functions plus some arbitrary data for matching purposes.
9) Do FAT file system is advantageous? Why?[An]
FAT File System is best for cross-compatibility with other platforms. There are NTFS file
system drivers for Linux, but not really for Windows. FAT, however, can be read more or less
transparently by both operating systems. There is also a slight speed gain in FAT.
10) What is the responsibility of kernel in Linux operating system?[R]
Kernel is the core part of Linux. It is responsible for all major activities of this operating system. It
is consists of various modules and it interacts directly with the underlying hardware. Kernel provides the
required abstraction to hide low level hardware details to system or application programs.
11) Why Virtualization is required? (Nov/Dec 2015) [An]
Virtualization reduces the number of physical servers, reducing the energy required to power
and cool them. Save time. With fewer servers, you can spend less time on the manual tasks required for
server maintenance. It's also much faster to deploy a virtual machine than it is to deploy a new physical
server.
12) Enumerate the requirements for Linux system administrator. Brief any one.(Nov/Dec 2015)
[An]
1. While specific knowledge is a boon, most hiring managers require that you possess basic knowledge
about all aspects of Linux. For example, a little knowledge about Solaris, BSD or various flavors of
Linux never hurt anyone!
2. Knowledge in at least one of the upper tier scripting language is a must. You have options before
you, for instance, Python, Perl, Ruby or more, but you need to make yourself proficient in at least one of
them.
3. Experience is welcome, but you at least need to have some hands-on experience of system
management, system setup and managing Linux or Solaris based servers as well as configuring them.
4. Knowledge in shell programming and architecture is valued very much in the job market. If you
know Buorne or Korn well, you can even score a high-paying salary with minimal experience.
5. Storage technologies like FC, NFS or iSCSI is great, while knowledge regarding backup
technologies is a must for a system administrator.
13) State the components of a Linux System? (May/Jun 2016)[R]
 Kernel: The kernel is responsible for maintaining all the important abstractions of the operating
system, including such things as virtual memory and processes.
 System libraries: The system libraries define a standard set of functions through which applications
can interact with the kernel. These functions implement much of the operating-system functionality that
does not need the full privileges of kernel code.
 System utilities: The system utilities are programs that perform individual, specialized management
tasks. Some system utilities are invoked just once to initialize and configure some aspect of the system.
14) Define the function of Caching-only servers. (May/Jun 2016)[R]
All DNS servers cache answers to queries they receive from outside their own zone of authority.
A cache-only DNS server is not authoritative for any zone. Related Topics: DNS root servers: Root
servers are critical to the function of a DNS server that is directly connected to the Internet.
15) What is virtualization? (NOV/DEC 2016)[R]
In computing, virtualization refers to the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of
something, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network
resources.
16) What scheduling algorithm is used in linux operating system to schedule jobs?
(NOV/DEC 2016)[R]
The Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS) Algorithm is used in Linux operating system to
schedule jobs.
17) Mention any two features of Linux file systems. (APR/MAY 2017)[U]
 Portable
 Open Source
 Multi user
 Multi Programming
18) Enlist the advantages of using kernel modules in Linux (APR/MAY 2017)[U]
 Loading and unloading a module is much more flexible and faster than recompiling a kernel and
rebooting.
  You can try different options each time you load a module. Most drivers that handle hardware
will take options for I/O addresses, IRQ or DMA numbers, plus more esoteric options like full
or half duplex. When you have problems getting a card to run correctly, the ability to try
different options can save hours.
 Makes it easier to maintain multiple machines on a single kernel base.
17) List the advantages of Linux OS.[U] (NOV/DEC 2017)
Advantages of Linux OS:
Low cost
Stability
Performance
Security, Flexibility, Compatibility
18) Write the purpose of using virtualization.[R] (NOV/DEC 2017)
Operating system virtualization provides application-transparent virtualization to users by
decoupling applications from the OS. The OS virtualization technique offers granular control at the
application level by facilitating the transparent migration of individual applications. OS virtualization
can also be used to migrate critical applications to another running operating system instance.
19) List the advantages and disadvantage of writing an operating system in high level language
such as C.[R] (APR/MAY 2018)
The code can be written faster, is more compact, and is easier to understand and debug. In
addition, improvements in compiler technology will improve the generated code for the entire operating
system by simple recompilation. Finally, an operating system is far easier to port to move to some other
hardware if it is written in a higher- level language
20) What is handle? How does a process obtain a handle? [U] (APR/MAY 2018)
The handle is an integer value in the operating system assigned to the associated process when
the process was started. The system uses this handle to keep track of process attributes. An application
can obtain a handle to a process that can be used as a parameter to many process-information and
control functions.
21. Write short notes on driver registration in Linux. (APR/MAY 2019)
The driver registration allows modules to tell the rest of the kernel that a new driver has become available.
22. List out the methods used to recover from the deadlock. (APR/MAY 2019)
We can use a protocol to prevent or avoid deadlocks, ensuring that the system will never
enter a deadlocked state.
• We can allow the system to enter a deadlocked state, detect it, and recover.
• We can ignore the problem altogether and pretend that deadlocks never occur in the system.
44. What are the Components of a Linux System?
Every OS has component parts, and the Linux OS also has the following components parts:
 Boot loader
 OS Kernel
 Background services
 OS Shell
 Graphics server
 Desktop environment
 Applications.
45. Which layer of iOS contains fundamental system services for apps?
The Core Services layer contains the fundamental system services that all applications use, The
Core Services layer provides an abstraction over the services provided in the Core OS layer. It provides
fundamental access to iOS services and consists of the following components:
 Collections
 Address Book
 Networking
 File Access
 SQLite
 Core Location
 Net Services
 Threading
 Preferences
 URL Utilities
PART-B & C
1. Explain in detail about the concepts of Linux system. [U]
2. Explain in detail about virtualization [U]
3. Explain in detail about setting up a Linux mainframe server [An]
4. Explain in detail about Linux host and adding guest OS [U]
5. Explain the significance and steps involved in setting up Xen, VMware software‘s on Linux host
for successful virtualization in detail. [An] May/June 2015
6. Briefly discuss about the requirements to become a Linux system administrator.[An] May/June 2015
7. Discuss about the steps involved in the installation of a Linux Multifunction server.[An] May/June 2015
8. Write a short note on Linux Network Services. [U] May/June 2015
9. Write about LINUX architecture and LINUX kernel with neat sketch. [U] (Nov/Dec 2015)
10. Explain in detail about LINUX multifunction server, DNS VMware on LINUX host.[An] (Nov/Dec
2015)
11. (i) Why is live migration possible in virtual environments but much less possible for a native operating
system?
(ii) What are the primary goals of the conflict-resolution mechanism used by the Linux kernel
for loading kernel modules. [An] (May/June 2016)
12.Explain in step-by-step procedure for setting up a Linux multifunction server.[An] (May/June 2016)
13.(i) Discuss three advantages of dynamic (shared) linkage of libraries compared with static linkage.
Describe two cases in which static linkage is preferable (8) [U] (NOV/DEC 2016)
(ii) Explain the step by step procedure for setting up a local network services. (8)[U] (NOV/DEC 2016)
14. Explain the concepts of domain name system and multifunction server (13) [U] (APR/MAY
2017)
15. Write short notes on Linux kernel and virtualization with neat sketch.(13)[U] (APR/MAY
2017)
16. What do you mean by term synchronization? What is semaphore? Explain how semaphore can used
as synchronization tool. Consider a coke machine that has 10 slots.The producer is the delivery person
and the consumer is the student using the machine.it uses the following three semaphores:
Semaphore mutex
Semaphore fullBuffer /*Number of filled slots */ Semaphore
emptyBuffer /* Number of empty slots */
(i) Write pseudo code for delivery person() and student ()
(ii) What will be the initial values of the semaphores?
(iii) Write a solution that guarantees the mutual exclusion and has no deadlocks (15)[An] (APR/MAY
2017)
17. What is deadlock? What are the necessary conditions for deadlock to occur? Explain the deadlock
prevention method of handling deadlock.
Consider the following information about resources in a system.
(i) There are two classes of allocatable resource labeled R1 and R2
(ii) There are two instances of each resource
(iii) There are four processes labeled p1 through p4
(iv) There are some resource instances already allocated to processes as follows:
 One instance of R1 held by p2,another held by p3
  One instance of R2 held of P1, another held by p4
(v) Some processes have required additional resources, as follows:
 P1 wants one instance of R1
 P3 wants one instance of R2
1. Draw the resource allocation graph for this system
2. What is the state (runnable, waiting) of each process ? For each process that is waiting indicate
what it is waiting for.
(iv) Is this system deadlocked? If so, state which processes are involved. If not, give an execution
sequence that eventually ends, showing resource acquisition and release at each step. [An] (APR/MAY
2017)
18. (i)Explain the components of Linux system with neat sketch. (6)[U (ii)Write the various system
administrator roles in LINUX OS. [R] (7) ] (NOV/DEC 2017)
19. (i)How to install and configuring network services in LINUX. (9) [U]
(ii)Describe the benefits of virtualization in LINUX OS. [U] (4) (NOV/DEC 2017)
20. Under what circumstance would an user process request an operation that results in the allocation of a
demand-zero memory region.(8)[An] (APR/MAY 2018)
ii) Describe an useful application of the no-access page facility provided in Window XP.(5) [U]
(APR/MAY 2018)
21. i) What optimization were used to minimize the discrepancy between CPU and I/O
speeds on early computer systems. [R](8)
ii) What manages cache in Windows XP ? How is cache managed?(5) [R] (APR/MAY 2018)
22. Discuss the process and memory management in Linux. (13) (APR/MAY 2019)
23. Explain the architecture of iOS. Discuss the media and service layers clearly. (13)
(APR/MAY 2019)
24. (i) Explain in details about how process is managed and scheduled in linux?
(ii) Discuss about Inter Process Communication (IPC) in linux. (NOV/DEC 2021)
25. With frame work explain the working function of android operating system architecture.
Compare the feature of IoS and android. (13) (NOV/DEC 2021)

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