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Operating Systems Question Paper

Operating Systems

Course:Diploma In Information Technology

Institution: Kca University question papers

Exam Year:2010

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS: 2008/2009
STAGE III EXAMINATION FOR DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
DIT 301: OPERATING SYSTEMS
DATE: APRIL 2010 TIME: 1½HOURS
INSTRUCTIONS: Answer any THREE questions
Question One
a) Briefly discuss the EIGHT functions of an operating system. [8 Marks]
b) Briefly discuss any three (3) goals of scheduling. [6 Marks]
c) Shortest-Job-First provides the minimal average turnaround time for jobs. Show why this is true.
What is a disadvantage of this batch scheduling algorithm? [6 Marks]
Question Two
a) Briefly discuss the four (4) control structures namely Memory tables, I/O tables, Files tables and
Process tables used by the operating system to manage processes. [8 Marks]
b) State the circumstances that may force the processor to switch execution of one process to another.
[5 Marks]
c) Define the following terms:
i. Kernel [1 Mark]
ii. Dispatcher [1 Mark]
iii. Program counter [1 Mark]
iv. Scheduler [1 Mark]
d) Discuss the benefits of multiprogramming. [3 Marks]
2
Question Three
a) Using a well labeled diagram, describe the five-state process model including the suspend states.
[10 Marks]
b) Differentiate between the following terms:
i. Semaphores and monitors [2 Marks]
ii. Process and thread [2 Marks]
iii. Ready, Suspend and Blocked, Suspend [2 Marks]
iv. Preemptive and Non-preemptive scheduling [2 Marks]
v. Deadlock and Starvation [2 Marks]
Question Four
a) Describe the shortest-job-first (SJF) (3 Marks)
b) One of the techniques or dealing with deadlock is deadlock avoidance
i. Briefly describe the banker’s algorithm for deadlock avoidance (3 Marks)
ii. What are the advantages of deadlock avoidance over deadlock detection and recovery
(3 Marks)
c) i) What is a priority based process (7 Marks)
ii) With regard to priority based process give FOUR internal priorities (4 Marks)
Question Five
Consider the algorithm for mutual exclusion
Process 1 {
While true {
While (turn==1)
; /*do nothing * /
Critical section
Turn=2;
Other non critical section code
}
}
Process 2 {
While true {
While (turn==2)
3
; /*do nothing * /
Critical section
Turn=1;
Other non critical section code
}
}
a) Does it satisfy mutual exclusion? Explain (4 Marks)
b) Does it prevent deadlock? Explain (3 Marks)
c) What problem does this solution have? (4 Marks)
d) What are semaphores, locks and condition variables used for (9 Marks)

Operating Systems Question Paper

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