Trainers Teaching and Learning material

Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

IT SUPPORT SERVICE
NTQF Level II

Learning Guide # 16
Unit of Competence: Administrate Network
and Hardware Peripherals
Module Title: Administrating Network and
Hardware Peripherals

LG Code: ICT ITS1 M03 LO8

TTLM Code: ICT ITS1 TTLM 0519

LO8: Use and maximize operating system

LO8 – Use and maximize operating

Instruction
system
LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 1 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department
 Trainers Teaching and Learning material
Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

This learning guide is developed to provide you the necessary information regarding the following
content coverage and topics –

 Introduction to operating system

 Operating system structure
 Types of operating system

This guide will also assist you to attain the learning outcome stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this Learning Guide, you will be able to –

Learning Activities

1. Read the specific objectives of this Learning Guide.

2. Read the information written in the “Information Sheet 1” in page 3-5.
3. Accomplish the “Self-check 1” in page 6.
4. If you earned a satisfactory evaluation proceed to LAP Test.
However, if your rating is unsatisfactory, see your teacher for further instructions.
5. Do the “LAP test” in page 7 (if you are ready) and show your output to your teacher.

*Your teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If unsatisfactory, your
teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory you can proceed to the next topic.

Information Sheet Use and maximize operating system

LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 2 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department
Trainers Teaching and Learning material
Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

1.1 Operating System:

An operating system is a collection of system programs that control computer and any other
peripherals connected to it. The program that hides the truth about the hardware from the
programmer and present and a nice simple view a named file that can be read & written as “operating
system”. Operating system shields the programmer from the interface, the abstraction offers by the
operating system is slower & easier to use than the underlying hardware.

Operating system is collection of software which is close to hardware. We can view operating system
as a resource – hardware and software collector.

The main functions of operating system are

1. Implementing using interface

2. Sharing hardware among number of users.
3. Allow user to share data
4. Protecting user from each other
5. Control the execution of programs

We can call operating system as resource allocator. A computer has many resource hardware and
software’s, CPU, main memory I/O devices etc. The operating system acts as manager of these
resources. Operating system is the control program. A control program manages the execution of
user program to prevent error and improve use of computer. The storage device used to store
operating system are expressed in bytes.

8 bits=1 bytes
1024 bytes=1 kilobyte
1024 kilobyte=1 megabyte
1024 megabyte = 1 GB

So. To store particular operating system, it must be satisfied the minimum requirement of memory.
Operating System as extended machine or virtual machine: generally, computer users sit in front
of computer consisting of monitor, keyboard, mouse and system unit & use parts of computer system.
E.g., I/O device, system unit, memory etc. The computer system is design so that use of resource to
maximize the user is performing. In this case the operating system is designed mostly for easy with
same attention paid for performance, the performance is important to the user but it does not matter
it most of the system is sitting idle, waiting for the slow i/o speed of the user. The operating system is
design to maximize resource utilization.

The program that hides the truth about the hardware from the programmer and present and a nice
simple view a named file that can be read & written as “operating system”. Operating system shields
the programmer from the interface, the abstraction offers by the operating system is slower & easier
to use than the underlying hardware.
The main function of operating system is to present the user with the equivalent of an extended
machine or virtual machine that is easier to program than underlying hardware.
Operating system as resource manager: Operating system is collection of software which is close
to hardware. We can view operating system as a resource – hardware and software collector. A
system has many hardware and software that may b required to solve the problem, cpu time, memory
LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 3 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department
 Trainers Teaching and Learning material
Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

space, file storage space, i/o device etc. the operating system acts as manager of these resources.
Modern computer consists of process, memories, times, disks, network, printer and wide varieties of
other devices. The tab of the operating system is to provide for an orderly and controlled allocation of
the process, memories and I/O devices among the various programs completing for them.
An operating system is a control program, a control program manages the execution of user program
to prevent errors and improve use of computer. It is especially concerned with the operation and
control of I/O devices. When a computer has multiple users the operating system manages and
protects the memory I/O devices. The operating system keeps in trace that who is using which
resource to grant resource required amount for usage and to mediate conflicting required different
programs and users.
Operating system Structure

Common features
 Process management
 Interrupts
 Memory management
 File system
 Device drivers
 Networking (TCP/IP, UDP)
 Security (Process/Memory protection)
 I/O
An operating system (OS) is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers,
manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for execution of various
application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a
computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their
computer, unless the application program is self-booting.

For hardware functions such as input and output and memory allocation, the operating system acts
as an intermediary between application programs and the computer hardware, [1][2] although the
application code is usually executed directly by the hardware and will frequently call the OS or be
interrupted by it. Operating systems are found on almost any device that contains a computer—from
cellular phones and video game consoles to supercomputers and web servers.

Examples of popular modern operating systems include Linux, Android, iOS, Mac OS X, and
Microsoft Windows.

LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 4 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department
 Trainers Teaching and Learning material
Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

Type
Real-time
A real-time operating system is a multitasking operating system that aims at executing real-time
applications. Real-time operating systems often use specialized scheduling algorithms so that they
can achieve a deterministic nature of behavior. The main objective of real-time operating systems is
their quick and predictable response to events. They have an event-driven or time-sharing design and
often aspects of both. An event-driven system switches between tasks based on their priorities or
external events while time-sharing operating systems switch tasks based on clock interrupts.

Multi-user vs. Single-user

A multi-user operating system allows multiple users to access a computer system concurrently. Time-
sharing system can be classified as multi-user systems as they enable a multiple user access to a
computer through the sharing of time. Single-user operating systems, as opposed to a multi-user
operating system, are usable by a single user at a time. Being able to have multiple accounts on a
Windows operating system does not make it a multi-user system. Rather, only the network
administrator is the real user. But for a Unix-like operating system, it is possible for two users to login
at a time and this capability of the OS makes it a multi-user operating system.

Multi-tasking vs. Single-tasking

When a single program is allowed to run at a time, the system is grouped under a single-tasking
system, while in case the operating system allows the execution of multiple tasks at one time, it is
classified as a multi-tasking operating system. Multi-tasking can be of two types namely, pre-emptive
or co-operative. In pre-emptive multitasking, the operating system slices the CPU time and dedicates
one slot to each of the programs. Unix-like operating systems such as Solaris and Linux support pre-
emptive multitasking. Cooperative multitasking is achieved by relying on each process to give time to
the other processes in a defined manner. MS Windows prior to Windows 95 used to support
cooperative multitasking.

Distributed
A distributed operating system manages a group of independent computers and makes them appear
to be a single computer. The development of networked computers that could be linked and
communicate with each other, gave rise to distributed computing. Distributed computations are
carried out on more than one machine. When computers in a group work in cooperation, they make a
distributed system.
Embedded

Embedded operating systems are designed to be used in embedded computer systems. They are
designed to operate on small machines like PDAs with less autonomy. They are able to operate with
a limited number of resources. They are very compact and extremely efficient by design. Windows CE
and Minix 3 are some examples of embedded operating systems.

Self-Check 1 Written Test

Name: ____________________ Date: _________________

LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 5 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department
 Trainers Teaching and Learning material
Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

Instruction: Answer all the questions listed below, if you have some clarifications – feel free to ask
your teacher.

Note: Satisfactory rating –points above / Unsatisfactory - below points. You can ask you teacher
for the copy of the correct answers

Lap Test Practical Demonstration

Name: _____________________________ Date: _______________________

Time started: ________________________ Time finished: ________________
LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 6 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department
 Trainers Teaching and Learning material
Administrate Network and Hardware Peripherals

Instructions: You are required to perform the following individually with the presence of your
teacher.

 Your teacher will evaluate your output either satisfactory or unsatisfactory. If

unsatisfactory, your teacher shall advice you on additional work. But if satisfactory, you can
proceed to the next topic.

LO8: Use and maximize operating system Version 1 Date: May,2019 Page 7 of 7
Author: Harar Polytechnic College/ICT Department