Explain various Functions of OS (Process Management, Memory Management, File Management, Device Management, Protection and Security, Under Interface of Command Interpreter) - Question & Answer Book

 

Answer: - Operating system is large and complex software consisting of several components. Each component of the operating system has its own set of defined inputs and outputs. Different components of OS perform specific tasks to provide the overall functionality of the operating system. The main functions of the operating system are as follows:

·         Process Management – The process management activities handled by the OS are-(1) control access to shared resources like files, memory, I/O, and CPU, (2) control the execution of applications, (3) create, execute, and delete a process (system process or user process), (4) cancel or resume a process (5) schedule a process, and (6) synchronization, and deadlock handling for processes.

 

·         Memory Management – The activities of memory management handled by OS are - (1) allocate memory, (2) free memory, (3) re-allocate memory to a program when a used block is freed, and (4) keep track of memory usage.

·         File Management – File management tasks include – (1) creating and deleting both files and directories, (2) providing success to files, (3) allocating space for files, (4) keeping back-up of files, and (5) securing files.

·         Device Management – The device management tasks handled by OS are – (1) opening, closing, and writing devices, and (2) communicating, controlling, and monitoring the device driver.

·         Protection and Security – OS protects the resource of the system. User authentication, and file attributes like read, write, encryption, and backup of data are used by OS to provide basic protection.

·         User Interface of Command Interpreter – The operating system provides an interface between the computer user and the computer hardware. The user interface is a set of commands or a graphical user interface via which the user interacts with the applications and the hardware.