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Operating Systems Question Paper

Operating Systems

Course:Bbit 222

Institution: Kenya Methodist University question papers

Exam Year:2008

KENYA METHODIST UNIVERSITY

END OF FIRST TRIMESTER 2008 EXAMINATION

FACULTY : BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT STUDIES
DEPARTMENT : BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
COURSE CODE : BBIT 222
COURSE TITLE : OPERATING SYSTEMS
TIME : 3 HOURS

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer Question ONE and any THREE Questions

Question 1
a) Define the following terminologies:
i) Operating system
ii) Thread
iii) Process
iv) Race condition
v) Starvation (5marks)

b) Discuss three advantages of the microkernel approach to system design.
(6marks)
c) Outline any four characteristics of modern operating systems. (8marks)

d) Explain three objectives of an operating system. (6marks)

Question 2
a) A process may be in three states;
i) Describe these possible states. (3marks)
ii) using a diagram describe four transitions that are possible among these states.
(4marks)

b) Describe any four benefits of using threads in the multiprocessing system.
(8marks)

c) With the help of a diagram outline the structure of a computer system, describe each of the components. (10marks)

Question 3
Deadlock occurs when two or more processes are each waiting for an event that will never occur, since it can only be generated by another process in that set. It is one of the more difficult problems that Operating systems designers face:

a) Discuss four conditions that are necessary and sufficient to occur. (8marks)

b) Describe any four strategies used to solve the deadlock problem. (12marks)

c) Differentiate between the following sets of terms:
i) User-oriented and System-oriented scheduling policy goals. (3marks)
ii) Preemptive and Non-Preemptive Scheduling. (2marks)

Question 4
a) Describe the role of the scheduler. (3marks)

b) Differentiate between uniprogramming and multiprogramming. (4marks)

c) State and explain three typical problems of interprocess communication.
(4marks)
d) Using appropriate examples describe the following scheduling algorithms:
i) First come first served
ii) Round robin
iii) Shortest job first
iv) Shortest remaining job first. (12marks)

Question 5
a) State four operations associated with files. (5marks)

b) Give three operations associated with directories. (3marks)

c) Explain three activities of an operating system in regard to memory management.
(6marks)

d) Describe the following terms in regard to memory management
i) Segmentation
ii) Virtual memory
iii) Paging (6marks)

e) Describe three activities of an operating system in regard to secondary-storage management. (6marks)

Operating Systems Question Paper

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