Functions of Operating System

By Current Affairs Team - September 18, 2014

There are Many Functions those are Performed by the Operating System. But the Ma
in Goal of Operating System is to Provide the Interface between the user and the
hardware.
Device Management
OS manages device communication via their respective drivers. Operating System d
oes the following activities for device management. Keeps tracks of all devices.
Programs responsible for this task is known as the I/O controller. Decides whi
ch process gets the device when and for how much time. Allocates and de-allocate
s the device in the efficient way.
File Management
A file system is normally organized into directories for easy navigation and usa
ge. These directories may contain files and other directions. Operating System d
oes the following activities for file management. Keeps track of information, l
ocation, uses, status etc. The collective facilities are often known as file sys
tem. Decides who gets the resources. Allocates the resources.
Memory Management
Memory management refers to management of Primary Memory or Main Memory. Main me
mory is a large array of words or bytes where each word or byte has its own addr
ess. Main memory provides a fast storage that can be access directly by the CPU.
So for a program to be executed, it must in the main memory. Operating System d
oes the following activities for memory management. Keeps tracks of primary memo
ry i.e. what part of it are in use by whom, what part are not in use.
Processor Management
In multi-programming environment, OS decides which process gets the processor wh
en and how much time. This function is called process scheduling. Operating Syst
em does the following activities for processor management. Keeps tracks of proc
essor and status of process. Program responsible for this task is known as traff
ic controller. Allocates the processor (CPU) to a process. De-allocates processo
r when processor is no longer required.
Types of Operating system
There are 4 types of operating system. They are explained below.
Batch Operating System:-A batch system is one in which jobs are bundled together
with the instructions necessary to allow them to be processed without intervent
ion
Multi-programming Operating System
As machines with more and more memory became available, it was possible to exten
d the idea of multi-programming (or multiprocessing) as used in spooling batch s
ystems to create systems that would load several jobs into memory at once and cy
cle through them in some order, working on each one for a specified period of ti
me. There are different type of Multi-programming Operating System, some main st
ream are discussed below.
Multitasking Operating System

A running state of a program is called a process o

r a task.multitasking allows the computer system to more reliably guarantee each

process a regular slice of operating time. It also allows the system to rapidly d
eal with important external events like incoming data, which might require the i
mmediate attention of one or another process. So, multitasking operating system
is a type of multi-programming operating system which can perform several proces
s simultaneously.
Multi-user Operating System
A multi-user operating system allows for multiple us
ers to use the same computer at the same time and/or different times. Linux,Unix
,Windows OS are some example of multitasking operating system.
Multiprocessing Operating System An operating system capable of supporting and u
tilizing more than one computer processor.Linux,Unix,Windows OS are some example
of multitasking operating system
Real Time Operating System It is an OS where there are a number of possibly unre
lated external activities needed to be controlled by a single processor system.
Network Operating System A network operating system (NOS) is software that contr
ols a network and its message (e.g. packet) traffic and queues, controls access
by multiple users to network resources such as files, and provides for certain a
dministrative functions, including security.
Distributed Operating System
Distributed systems are very much like traditional
operating systems. First, they act as resource managers for the underlying hardw
are, allowing multiple users and applications to share resources such as CPUs, m
emories, peripheral devices, the network, and data of all kinds
USER INTERFACE
Character user interface
CUI is another name for a command line. Sometimes referred to as the command scr
een or a text interface, the command line is a user interface that is navigated
by typing commands prompts, as opposed to using the mouse to perform a command.
Unlike a GUI operating system, a command line only uses a keyboard to navigate b
y entering commands and does not utilize a mouse.
Because a command line interface requires unique commands, this interface is oft
en more difficult to learn because of the need to memorize different commands. H
owever, a command line operating system can be a very valuable resource and shou
ld not be ignored. For example, users who have Microsoft Windows may find trivia
l tasks such as renaming 100+ files in a folder a very difficult task; however,
this is something that can be done in a matter of seconds through a simple comma
nd at the command line.
Graphical User Interface
A GUI uses windows, icons, and menus to carry out commands, such as opening, del
eting, and moving files. Although many GUI operating systems are through the use
of a mouse, the keyboard can also be utilized by using keyboard shortcuts or ar
row keys.Unlike a command line operating system or CUI like Unix or MS-DOS, GUI
operating systems are much easier to learn and use because commands do not need
memorized. Additionally, users do not need to know any programming languages. Be
cause of their ease of use, GUI operating systems have become the dominant opera
ting system today s end-users.
A few examples of a GUI operating system
Microsoft Windows
Linux
Chrome OS