Chapter 8

Name : Genesius Hartanto
NIM : 1701308971
Class : 01PCT
Professor : Mr. Tri Djoko Wahjono, Ir., M.Sc.

1.       What is system software, and what are the two types of system software?

System software (or systems software) is computer software designed to operate and control the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software.

The two types of system software :

a.       The operating system (prominent examples being z/OS, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux), allows the parts of a computer to work together by performing tasks like transferring data between memory and disks or rendering output onto a display device. It also provides a platform to run high-level system software and application software

b.      Utility software helps to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer

2.       What are the functions of an operating system?

a.       Booting the computer

b.      Performs basic computer tasks eg managing the various peripheral devices eg mouse, keyboard

c.       Provides a user interface, e.g. command line, graphical user interface (GUI)

d.      Handles system resources such as computer's memory and sharing of the central processing unit (CPU) time by various applications or peripheral devices

e.      Provides file management which refers to the way that the operating system manipulates, stores, retrieves and saves data

3.       What is the startup process on a personal computer?

In computing, booting (also known as booting up) is the initial set of operations that a computer system performs after electrical power to the CPU is switched on or when the computer is reset. The process begins when a computer is turned on for the first time, is re-energized after being turned off, when it is reset or when the operator invokes a LOAD function from the console, and ends when the computer is ready to perform its normal operations. On modern general purpose computers, this can take tens of seconds and typically involves performing a power-on self-test, locating and initializing peripheral devices, and then finding, loading and starting an operating system. Many computer systems also allow these operations to be initiated by a software command without cycling power, in what is known as a soft reboot, though some of the initial operations might be skipped on a soft reboot. A boot loader is a computer program that loads the main operating system or runtime environment for the computer after completion of the self-tests.

The computer term boot is short for bootstrap or bootstrap load and derives from the phrase to pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.The usage calls attention to the requirement that, if most software is loaded onto a computer by other software already running on the computer, some mechanism must exist to load initial software onto the computer. Early computers used a variety of ad-hoc methods to get a small program into memory to solve this problem. The invention of read-only memory (ROM) of various types solved this paradox by allowing computers to be shipped with a start up program that could not be erased. Growth in the capacity of ROM has allowed ever more elaborate start up procedures to be implemented.

On general purpose computers, the boot process begins with the execution of an initial program stored in boot ROMs or read in another fashion. In some older computers, the initial program might have been the application to run, if no operating system was used, or the operating system. In other computers, the initial program is a boot loader that may then load into random-access memory (RAM), from nonvolatile secondary storage (such as a hard disk drive) or, in some older computers, from a medium such as punched cards, punched tape, or magnetic tape, the binary code of an operating system or runtime environment and then execute it. If the boot loader is limited in its size and capabilities, it may, instead, load a larger and more capable secondary boot loader, which would then load the operating system or runtime environment. Some embedded systems do not require a noticeable boot sequence to begin functioning and when turned on may simply run operational programs that are stored in ROM.

4.       What are features of windows 7, Mac OS X, UNIX, and Linux Operating Systems?

a.       Windows 7

Windows 7 is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablet PCs, and media center PCs. It was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009, and became generally available for retail worldwide on October 22, 2009, less than three years after the release of its predecessor, Windows Vista. Windows 7's server counterpart, Windows Server 2008 R2, was released at the same time. Windows 7 is succeeded by Windows 8.

Unlike Windows Vista's many new features, Windows 7 was an incremental upgrade designed to work with Vista-compatible applications and hardware. Presentations given by Microsoft in 2008 focused on multi-touch support, an updated Windows shell with a new taskbar, referred to internally as the Superbar, a home networking system called HomeGroup,  and performance improvements. Some standard applications that have been included with prior releases of Microsoft Windows, including Windows Calendar, Windows Mail, Windows Movie Maker, and Windows Photo Gallery, are not included in Windows 7; most are instead offered separately at no charge as part of the Windows Essentials suite.

b.      Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a multitasking operating system available only for Apple computers.

c.       UNIX

-          multi-user
more than one user can use the machine at a time
supported via terminals (serial or network connection)

-          multi-tasking
more than one program can be run at a time

-          hierarchical directory structure
to support the organisation and maintenance of files

-          portability
only the kernel ( <10%) written in assembler
tools for program development
a wide range of support tools (debuggers, compilers)

d.      Linux

Linux is an operating system, a software program that controls your computer. Most vendors load an operating system onto the hard drive of a PC before delivering the PC, so, unless the hard drive of your PC has failed, you may not understand the function of an operating system.

An operating system solves several problems arising from hardware variation. As you're aware, no two PC models (or models of other computers, for that matter) have identical hardware. For example, some PCs have an IDE hard drive, whereas others have a SCSI hard drive. Some PCs have one hard drive, others have two or more. Most PCs have a CD-ROM drive, but some do not. Some PCs have an Intel Pentium CPU, whereas others have an AMD K-6, and so on. Suppose that, in a world without operating systems, you're programming a new PC application, perhaps a new multimedia word processor. Your application must cope with all the possible variations of PC hardware. As a result, it becomes bulky and complex. Users don't like it because it consumes too much hard drive space, takes a long time to load, and - because of its size and complexity - has more bugs than it should.

Operating systems solve this problem by providing a single standard way for applications to access hardware devices. When an operating system exists, applications can be more compact, because they share the commonly used code for accessing the hardware. Applications can also be more reliable because this code is written only once, and by expert programmers, rather than by every application programmers.

As you'll soon learn, operating systems do many other things as well; for example, they generally provide a file system so that you can store and retrieve data, and a user interface so that you can control the operation of your computer. However, if you think of a computer's operating system as its subconscious mind, you won't be far off the mark. It's the computer's conscious mind - applications such as word processors and spreadsheets - that do useful work. But, without the subconscious - the operating system - the computer would cease breathing and applications would not function.

5.       What are various server operating systems?

Server operating systems include Windows Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Netware. Windows Server 2008 is an upgrade to Windows Server 2003 and includes features of previous Windows Server versions. UNIX, like Linux, is a multipurpose operating system because it is both a stand-alone and server operating system. Solaris, a version of UNIX developed by Sun Microsystems, is a server operating system designed specifically for e-commeree applications. Novell’s NetWare is a server operating system designed for client/server networks.

6.       What are the features of several embedded operating systems?

An embedded system is a computer system with a dedicated function within a larger mechanical or electrical system, often with real-time computing constraints. It is embedded as part of a complete device often including hardware and mechanical parts. By contrast, a general-purpose computer, such as a personal computer (PC), is designed to be flexible and to meet a wide range of end-user needs. Embedded systems control many devices in common use today.

Modern embedded systems are often based on microcontrollers (i.e CPUs with integrated memory and/or peripheral interfaces)  but ordinary microprocessors (using external chips for memory and peripheral interface circuits) are also still common, especially in more complex systems. In either case, the processor(s) used may be types ranging from rather general purpose to very specialised in certain class of computations, or even custom designed for the application at hand. A common standard class of dedicated processors is the digital signal processor (DSP).

The key characteristic, however, is being dedicated to handle a particular task. Since the embedded system is dedicated to specific tasks, design engineers can optimize it to reduce the size and cost of the product and increase the reliability and performance. Some embedded systems are mass-produced, benefiting from economies of scale.

Physically, embedded systems range from portable devices such as digital watches and MP3 players, to large stationary installations like traffic lights, factory controllers, and largely complex systems like hybrid vehicles, MRI, and avionics. Complexity varies from low, with a single microcontroller chip, to very high with multiple units, peripherals and networks mounted inside a large chassis or enclosure

7.       What is the purpose of several utility programs?

Utility Software is essentially what takes care of your computer system. Utility Software consists of but is not limited to the following: Disk cleaner - Finds files that are not in use anymore, or may have never been in use that take up a lot of space on the hard drive. Defragmenter - Locating the files that may be broken and therefore not completely functionary to the system and grouping them together, placing them in a different area of your computer’s hard drive. Checker - Similar to cleaners, disk checkers scan your computer to see if you have any files that are corrupt or unusable due to incorrect saving, to create a more capable computer system. Anti-virus system - A utility that scans your computer for threats or viruses that have made their way on to your computer, whether it’s from visiting un-trusted websites or downloads. It quarantines any viruses and allows you to delete them how you wish. Space analyzer - This option shows you how much of your hard drive is being used and by what. It gives you the size of each document, folder, and systems and groups it all together to also show you how much space is not being used. Backups " Backing up a system is handy to do and very recommended for important files. It saves or copies on your computer system and can restore all or portions of a document or system in the case of a system error, or improper saving of a document. Networks - This utility will check your computer's connectivity to one or more networks. It offers ways of repairing lost connections as well as keeps a record of networks you may have used. All of these put together are used to optimize your computer and make it work in the most efficient way possible.