Operating Systems [BCS-401]
Unit 1 - Tutorial Sheet 1
1. Keeping in mind the various definitions of operating system, consider whether the operating system
should include applications such as web browsers and mail programs. Argue both that it should and that
it should not, and support your answers.
2. Under what circumstances would a user be better off using a timesharing system than a PC or a single-
user workstation?
3. In a multiprogramming and time-sharing environment, several users share the system simultaneously.
This situation can result in various security problems
a. What are two such problems?
b. Can we ensure the same degree of security in a time-shared machine as in a dedicated machine?
Explain your answer.
4. Describe the differences between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing. What are three
advantages and one disadvantage of multiprocessor systems?
5. How do clustered systems differ from multiprocessor systems? What is required for two machines
belonging to a cluster to cooperate to provide a highly available service?
6. Consider a computing cluster consisting of two nodes running a database. Describe two ways in which
the cluster software can manage access to the data on the disk. Discuss the benefits and disadvantages of
each.
7. How are network computers different from traditional personal computers? Describe some usage
scenarios in which it is advantageous to use network computers.
8. What are the main difficulties that a programmer must overcome in writing an operating system for a
real time environment?
9. What is the purpose of interrupts? How does an interrupt differ from a trap? Can traps be generated
intentionally by a user program? If so, for what purpose?
10. Describe a mechanism for enforcing memory protection in order to prevent a program from modifying
the memory associated with other programs.
11. Which of the following instructions should be privileged?
a. Set value of timer.
b. Read the clock.
c. Clear memory.
d. Issue a trap instruction.
e. Turn off interrupts.
f. Modify entries in device-status table.
g. Switch from user to kernel mode.
h. Access I/O device
12. Some early computers protected the operating system by placing it in a memory partition that could not
be modified by either the user job or the operating system itself. Describe two difficulties that you think
could arise with such a scheme.
13. Some CPUs provide for more than two modes of operation. What are two possible uses of these
multiple modes?
14. Timers could be used to compute the current time. Provide a short description of how this could be
accomplished.
15. Give two reasons why caches are useful. What problems do they solve? What problems do they cause?
If a cache can be made as large as the device for which it is caching (for instance, a cache as large as a
disk), why not make it that large and eliminate the device?
16. Many SMP systems have different levels of caches; one level is local to each processing core, and
another level is shared among all processing cores. Why are caching systems designed this way?
17. Some computer systems do not provide a privileged mode of operation in hardware. Is it possible to
construct a secure operating system for these computer systems? Give arguments both that it is and that
it is not possible.
18. Direct memory access is used for high-speed I/O devices in order to avoid increasing the CPU’s
execution load.
a. How does the CPU interface with the device to coordinate the transfer?
b. How does the CPU know when the memory operations are complete?
c. The CPU is allowed to execute other programs while the DMA controller is transferring data. Does
this process interfere with the execution of the user programs? If so, describe what forms of
interference are caused.
19. Rank the following storage systems from slowest to fastest:
a. Hard-disk drives
b. Registers
c. Optical disk
d. Main memory
e. Nonvolatile memory
f. Magnetic tapes
g. Cache
20. Discuss, with examples, how the problem of maintaining coherence of cached data manifests itself in
the following processing environments: a. Single-processor systems
b. Multiprocessor systems
c. Distributed systems
