Operating Systems

OS Structures

Operating Systems 1
 Introduction OS Structures

• The design process itself requires a highly structured, modularized (even object oriented)
approach
• Need the ability to allow hundreds of people to work on the system at one time in an orderly
way
• System must be testable and verifiable
• Need the ability to maintain the system:
✓ Fix bugs
✓ Add new features
✓ Tune/customize the system
• Need to get the system out on time with “no bugs” … remember Windows 95!
✓ System must be bullet-proof
• Systematic OS design approach would support the above requirements.

Operating
System
Structures

Simple Monolithic
Micro Kernel Layered Virtual
structure/No Kernel
Approach Structures Machines
structure Approach

Operating Systems 2
 Introduction Simple OS Structure

• MS-DOS – written to provide the most functionality in the

least space
✓ not divided into modules
✓ Although MS-DOS has some structure, its interfaces and levels of
functionality are not well separated

Operating Systems 3
 Introduction UNIX System Structure

•UNIX – limited by hardware functionality, the original UNIX operating system had
limited structuring. The UNIX OS consists of two separable parts.
✓ Systems programs
✓ The kernel
❑ Consists of everything below the system-call interface and above the physical
hardware
❑ Provides the file system, CPU scheduling, memory management, and other
operating-system functions; a large number of functions for one level.
Layered
apps
structure
System
programs

Kernel ➔

Operating Systems 4
 Introduction Layered Approach

•The operating system is divided into a number of layers (levels),

each built on top of lower layers. The bottom layer (layer 0), is the
hardware; the highest (layer N) is the user interface.
•With modularity, layers are selected such that each uses
functions (operations) and services of only lower-level layers.
•Encapsulates data , uses “access methods”

Operating Systems 5
 Introduction Layered Approach

• Examples:
✓ THE (6 layers)
✓ MULTICS (8 rings)
• Pros
✓ Layered abstraction
✓ Separation of concerns
✓ Elegance
✓ Aids in maintainability, and ease and speed of development.
✓ Allows reusable code.
• Cons
✓ Protection boundary crossings
✓ Performance
✓ Inflexible

Operating Systems 6
 Introduction Monolithic

• All kernel routines are together, any

can call any
• A system call interface
• Examples:
✓ Linux, BSD Unix, Windows
Command Interpreter
• Pros File System
✓ Shared kernel space
✓ Good performance Security

• Cons Network Support

✓ No information hiding Memory Management
✓ Chaotic CPU Scheduling
✓ Hard to understand
Process Management
✓ How many bugs in 5M lines of code?
Device Management
Hardware
Operating Systems 7
 Introduction Microkernel System Structure

• Strip down the kernel: minimal

process, memory, management
and communication facilities.
• Moves as much from the kernel
into “user” space. API
• Communication between services Network File Window
running in user space takes place Support Server Server
between user modules using
message passing. Messages go Memory
Mgmt.
CPU
Scheduling ...
thru microkernel.
• All new services to OS are added Device Interrupt Boot and
to user space and do not require Drivers Handler Init.
modification to kernel.
Message Passing …

Hardware
Operating Systems 8
 Introduction Microkernel System Structure

• Example: Mach (Maps UNIX system calls into appropriate

user level services),Taos, L4.
• Pros:
• easier to extend a microkernel
• easier to port the operating system to new architectures
• more reliable (less code is running in kernel mode)
• more secure
• Cons:
• Inefficient (boundary crossings)
• Insufficient protection
• Inconvenient to share data
• between kernel and services

Operating Systems 9
 Introduction Virtual Machines

•A virtual machine takes the layered approach to its logical conclusion. It treats
hardware and the operating system kernel as though they were all hardware.
•A virtual machine provides an interface identical to the underlying bare
hardware.
•The operating system creates the illusion of multiple processes, each
executing on its own processor with its own (virtual) memory.
•The resources of the physical computer are shared to create the virtual
machines.
✓ CPU scheduling can create the appearance that users have their own
processor - you get an “operators” console.
✓ Spooling and a file system can provide virtual card readers and virtual
line printers.
✓ A normal user time-sharing terminal serves as the virtual machine
operator’s console.
•Examples: IBM VM/370, Java VM, VMWare, Xen

Operating Systems 10
 Introduction System Models

Shared resources:
Mem, devices,
disk, cpu, ….

Non-virtual Machine Virtual Machine

Pros and Cons

▪ The virtual-machine concept provides complete protection of system resources since
each virtual machine is isolated from all other virtual machines. This isolation,
however, permits no direct sharing of resources – shared only thru emulator.

▪ A virtual-machine system is a perfect vehicle for operating-systems research and

development. System development is done on the virtual machine, instead of on a
physical machine and so does not disrupt normal system operation.

▪ The virtual machine concept is difficult to implement due to the effort required to
provide an exact duplicate to the underlying machine.

Operating Systems 11
 Bibliography
❖ Silberschatz, A, Galvin, P.B, and Gagne, G., Operating System
Principles, 9e, John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
❖ Stallings W., Operating Systems-Internals and Design Principles, 7e,
Pearson Education, 2014.
❖ Harvey M. Deital, “Operating System”, Third Edition, Pearson
Education, 2013.
❖ Andrew S. Tanenbaum, “Modern Operating Systems”, Second
Edition, Pearson Education, 2004.
❖ Gary Nutt, “Operating Systems”, Third Edition, Pearson Education,
2004.
 Acknowledgements
❖I have drawn materials from various sources such as mentioned in
bibliography or freely available on Internet to prepare this presentation.
❖I sincerely acknowledge all sources, their contributions and extend my
courtesy to use their contribution and knowledge for educational
purpose.
Thank You!!
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