What Part of an Os Provides a Low-level Interface Between Hardware and Software?

--- Operating systems and application systems ---

ii.one.vi

Describe the main functions of an operating arrangement.

Instruction Notation:

This is confined to a single-user operating system. Technical details are not needed. For example, memory management should exist described simply how this is handled in a multitasking surroundings is not expected.

Sample Question -Former CURRICULUM:

One of the functions of an operating organization is file maintenance.
(a) State two functions of file maintenance. [2 marks]

JSR Notes

Definitions

To understand the context in which we find an operating system, you should know another terms too, like hardware, system software, and awarding software.

Hardware vs. Software

Hardware is all of the parts of a computer organization yous can physically touch; the keyboard, the monitor, the hard drive, the motherboard etc. Software are the computer programs loaded onto a computer.

Organisation Software vs. Awarding Software

System software are all of the software programs that run the computer and various hardware, whereas awarding software are the program used past the user to apply the computer in some useful manner, like Chrome, Photoshop or Solitaire.

Operating systems are a particular kind of organisation software. But the Bone is not the only organization software; to just option one other important category of organization software, hardware drivers are software programs fabricated past hardware companies to run their specific hardware.

Operating Arrangement

The operating organisation is the collection of software programs that run the calculator, or phone, or other complex It device. For case, two key full general parts of the operating organization are the parts that manage the interactions between hardware and software, and also the parts that manage the interface between computer and user. And it is a primal bespeak that an operating system is non just ane matter; information technology is defined collectively by all of the diverse jobs that it does in operating the computer. (Many of those jobs will be listed below.)

The Os is the core of the software that comes pre-installed on a auto, though at that place may exist other application software such as iTunes, or Solitaire that may come packaged with the reckoner when it is sold.

- Examples of operating systems: Mac, DOS, Windows, Windows 10 etc., UNIX, Linux (a complimentary version of UNIX) iOS, Android, and Symbian

One way to expect at the Bone: Higher vs. Lower Level Operations of an OS

"College" Level Operations

Operating systems exercise many things at a "higher" level, meaning closer to the user, indeed things that the user can collaborate with.

Then along with doing many other things deep inside the computer, ane main function of the operating system (Bone) is to provide the interface between user and machine. And function of an Os'due south interface capabilities will be an actual user application that provides the user interface, and allows the user to manage the files of the estimator. On a Mac, it is called the Finder, and on Windows machines it is called Windows Explorer. Practice remember that while the graphical user interface (GUI) is one part of the Os, it is not the unabridged Bone itself - it is just the part that the user sees and interacts with.

"Lower" Level Operations

What is meant by "lower" level operations is all the things that the figurer has to do to run itself, which the user has no control over, and which the user is basically unaware of.

The lowest level of the operating system is referred to as the Kernel and there are several other distinct layers of software higher up it, all the way up to the user interface.

Among the fundamental operations that the Kernel is responsible for is BIOS operations (the Bones Input and Output Organisation), though upon startup, even more bones BIOS operations are loaded right from the ROM.

Some operating systems provide both a graphical user interface (GUI) and also a panel input option, for advanced users. An example of a panel input application is Concluding on Mac computers.

In the instance of this assessment statement, do read on, and use all of the information below. And ultimately exist prepared, from all of this information, to practise what the assessment statement points to: depict the functions of an operating organization. The more than of the listing below you can remember, the better - use a Mnemonic, perhaps? And the more you can demonstrate your appreciation of the loftier-level/low-level dual nature of operating systems (as described in the above section) the improve.

List of OS Operations

I. "Machine" Direction

These would be low, motorcar level, things with CPU, retentiveness, hard drives etc.

The Os helps assist...
one. Software Execution Control – This is the determination of what applications run, and what parts of what applications run, when. There is (usually) just ane CPU, merely there are lots of applications in memory at ane time; so how is the CPU's time parceled out, via a process chosen "fourth dimension slicing". (See Action Monitor in a Mac to realize at that place are all sorts of dissimilar fiddling helper applications running at any 1 time.)

(In a higher place) The Activity Monitor of the Mac OS, showing CPU activity, and some of the many processes running at the aforementioned time.

The OS controls...
2. Retention Management – All activities that are going on in the reckoner would accept all of the RAM if they could, and so something has to package out the memory in a off-white, and efficient way, prioritizing as it goes.

(Above) The Activeness Monitor of the Mac OS, showing (RAM) memory usage, sorted from largest to smallest.

To become an idea of how the CPU and even RAM can become hogged, endeavour running a loop within a loop inside a loop etc. program, and look at Activity Monitor.
The Os plays a part in...
three. Virtual Memory Management – Virtual retentivity is the use of part of the difficult drive as if it were RAM retentiveness; it's obviously slower, but about all applications do use virtual memory, though they continually swap in and out of existent RAM the well-nigh important information needed.

Have, for instance someone running a huge Minecraft mod that takes up 5 GB, and having other large applications open at the same fourth dimension (Unity 2 GB, IntelliJ 2 GB, along with the OS 2 GB), but they only have 8 GB of RAM. Some of the modernistic pack or other applications can get into virtual memory on the hard drive, even though information technology won't be every bit fast equally the real RAM.

(Higher up) The relative space taken in a (pretty empty) difficult drive, with one of two blocks of i.00 GB virtual memory selected (green color).

Computers come up with more and more than RAM each year - in 2019, 16 GB should exist standard - but each year applications require more and more memory, so virtual memory is as of import and useful now as it ever was.

The OS helps with...
four. Car Level File Management & Maintenance – This is all the lower level file organization that is required to go on things operation properly.  The File Allotment Table, in particular has to be managed and maintained so that files are able to be found – and not just user files, just files used past the calculator itself.

II. Hardware Interfaces & Peripherals

Hardware interfaces are the connections betwixt various parts inside the estimator itself, and peripherals are other hardware devices connected to the computer. (There volition be more than to follow on this with the HL Topic 6.)

Generally, in terms of what needs to be managed with both kinds of connections, there are 2 things to keep in mind: how the communication is done, and the security of that communication. A neat illustration would be the "interface" bastille between the school and Nichada Thani. And moving further outside the center of where we operate, the "interface" gate/guardhouse, which connects Nichada Thani to the "peripheral" neighborhoods like Samakee Road.

The OS plays a office in...
1. Hardware interfaces – All applications ultimately take to be able to properly access the diverse hardware on the motherboard of the computer, which they need in order to do what they do. The OS assists the interfacing - basically the connecting - of these parts, via their connections on the motherboard. A basic example is the interface between the motherboard and the hard drive; in that location are various standards for such connections. Other examples of hardware inside the calculator needing interface management by the OS includes graphics cards, sound cards, and network cards.

Shown above is Arrangement Information you become from the Mac OS by clicking on the Apple, Nearly this Mac, System Report). It shows diverse categories of hardware that tin can be connected. Selected in the picture is the hard drive connected to the motherboard of my laptop. An "SATA" hard drive such every bit this is one example of hardware needing interface control in my computer. Other categories of internal devices needing interface management in the listing above include Sound, Bluetooth, and Camera.

The Os helps with...
2. Input/Output (I/O) Control of Peripherals – Not only is aid with interfacing needed for components inside a estimator, there also needs to be a software interface help between all peripherals and the computer. With peripherals, nosotros're talking nigh all sorts of things that plug into the reckoner, such as mice, keyboards, and printers, to proper noun a few. The cardinal part of interfacing with peripherals is the management of input and output to and from the peripheral device.

Here, in the same Organization Information utility as used in a higher place, this time it's the USB category which is selected. You tin run into I have 3 peripheral devices connected via the USB bus: my wireless mouse Bluetooth ergonomic controller, my ergonomic keyboard, and the wireless optical mouse itself. All are peripherals in need of connection management by the Os. Ii other obvious categories of peripherals my MacBook could use in this listing are Printers and Thunderbolt.

The Os helps control...
3. Drivers Management - Though the apply of drivers is role of the above two hardware considerations, drivers are important enough to deserve special mention. Drivers are programs that operate specific hardware. The OS is responsible for interfacing with drivers, and making use of them to utilise sure hardware. This, also, is patently more lower level management than college level. So, for example, when y'all install a driver for your printer, or a fancy joystick, the drivers that they come with will have to be managed. You tin can call back of the Os as working with both the hardware driver software, and the hardware itself.

Iii. User Level

These are the higher level functions that you as the user are involved in.

The OS supplies the...
ane. User Interface – This is the Finder/Windows Explorer etc.  It allows the user to interact with the computer, and to set it up in an optimal way for his/her detail circumstances. Nosotros can consider things similar the Dock and System Preferences equally being part of the user interface.

The OS allows for...
2. User Level File Management - This is the user-level management of user files and folders a la Windows Explorer on Windows machines or the Finder on Macs. (Annotation this is different than depression level file maintenance, mentioned higher up.)

The OS provides...
3. Utilities
Forth with the nuts for opening/closing applications, and for managing files ans folders, the OS usually provides a bunch of user level utilities to perform certain semi-geeky tasks, like checking the heath of the computer (Disk Utility), and determining what RGB values a color is (Digital Color Meter). The Mac Bone groups these applications in the "Utilities" folder, which is establish in part of the "Applications" folder.

The Mac Bone Utilities Binder

Four. All Levels - Security -  I very important area of responsibleness of the Bone is security. And this goes across all levels mentioned above. It is a ultimately a motorcar level responsibility, only security is very crucial to all interface/input/output situations, and the preferences for how information technology is achieved tin can be tweaked at the user level. Everything from firewalls to user accounts to permissions are all part of this nigh important category of tasks. (Patently, in that location's a low level component to each of these, only the user tin alter/tighten up settings.)

Matching Exercise

As an practice, try to lucifer upwardly the following functionality with the list above of operating arrangement operations. (They should lucifer upward i-to-one.):

>> Checking to encounter if a password entered is correct - ____________________

>> Allow a new printer to exist able to exist used (not outputting the print chore itself, but allowing the computer to collaborate with the printer) - ____________________

>> Output sound to a speaker. - ____________________

>> Creating folders and sub folders for the user organize their files. - ____________________

>> Let the user to customize the way they want to use their estimator. - ____________________

>> Interface betwixt specific software and hardware that is a core role of the computer. - _________________

>> Manage the society in which applications are actually able to be executed past the CPU. - __________________

>> When all of your RAM memory is taken up merely y'all notwithstanding desire to load some other application, making function of your hard bulldoze seem to act similar additional RAM memory. - ____________________

>> Take a movie y'all are no longer watching out of RAM memory when you lot load a big game. - _________________

>> Maintaining an internal directory of how to find files. - ____________________

>> Checking the health of your computer ____________________

A Last Signal:

The analogy of the homo trunk having certain bones "operations", similar circulation and sense of bear upon, but the ability knit, or compose a piece of music are specific "applications" of a human torso.

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