Chapter Seven : Device Management

• System Devices Paper Storage Media

• Sequential Access Storage
Media
Magnetic Tape Storage
• Direct Access Storage
Devices
• Components of I/O Magnetic Disk Storage
Subsystem
• Communication Among
Devices Optical Disc Storage
• Management of I/O
Requests
Understanding 1
Operating Systems
 Device Management Functions

• Track status of each device (such as tape drives, disk

drives, printers, plotters, and terminals).
• Use preset policies to determine which process will get a
device and for how long.
• Allocate the devices.
• Deallocate the devices at 2 levels:
– At process level when I/O command has been executed & device is
temporarily released
– At job level when job is finished & device is permanently
released.

Understanding 2
Operating Systems
 System Devices

• Differences among system’s peripheral devices are a

function of characteristics of devices, and how well they’re
managed by the Device Manager.

• Most important differences among devices

– Speeds
– Degree of sharability.

• By minimizing variances among devices, a system’s

overall efficiency can be dramatically improved.

Understanding 3
Operating Systems
 Dedicated Devices

• Assigned to only one job at a time and serve that job for
entire time it’s active.
– E.g., tape drives, printers, and plotters, demand this
kind of allocation scheme, because it would be
awkward to share.

• Disadvantage -- must be allocated to a single user for

duration of a job’s execution.
– Can be quite inefficient, especially when device isn’t
used 100 % of time.

Understanding 4
Operating Systems
 Shared Devices

• Assigned to several processes.

– E.g., disk pack (or other direct access storage device)
can be shared by several processes at same time by
interleaving their requests.

• Interleaving must be carefully controlled by Device

Manager.

• All conflicts must be resolved based on predetermined

policies to decide which request will be handled first.

Understanding 5
Operating Systems
 Virtual Devices

• Combination of dedicated devices that have been

transformed into shared devices.
– E.g, printers are converted into sharable devices
through a spooling program that reroutes all print
requests to a disk.
– Output sent to printer for printing only when all of a
job’s output is complete and printer is ready to print out
entire document.
– Because disks are sharable devices, this technique can
convert one printer into several “virtual” printers, thus
improving both its performance and use.
Understanding 6
Operating Systems
 Sequential Access Storage Media

• Magnetic tape used for secondary storage on early

computer systems; now used for routine archiving &
storing back-up data.
• Records on magnetic tapes are stored serially, one after
other.
• Each record can be of any length.
– Length is usually determined by the application program.
• Each record can be identified by its position on the tape.
• To access a single record, tape is mounted & “fast-
forwarded” from its beginning until locate desired position.

Understanding 7
Operating Systems
 Magnetic Tapes

• Data is recorded on 8 parallel

tracks that run length of tape.
• Ninth track holds parity bit used Parity
for routine error checking.

• Number of characters that can be

•
•
recorded per inch is determined • •
by density of tape (e.g., 1600 or •
•
6250 bpi). Characters •
• •
• •
•
Understanding 8
Operating Systems
 Storing Records on Magnetic Tapes

• Can store records individually or grouped into blocks.

– If individually, each record is separated by a space to indicate its
starting and ending places.
– If blocks, then entire block is preceded by a space and followed by
a space, but individual records are stored sequentially within block.

• Interrecord gap (IRG) is gap between records about 1/2

inch long regardless of the sizes of the records it separates.

• Interblock gap (IBG) the gap between blocks of records;

still 1/2 inch long.

Understanding 9
Operating Systems
 Pros & Cons of Blocking

• Fewer I/O operations are needed because a single READ

command can move an entire block (physical record that
includes several logical records) into main memory.
• Less tape is wasted because size of physical record
exceeds size of gap.

• Overhead and software routines are needed for blocking,

deblocking, and record keeping.
• Buffer space may be wasted if you need only one logical
record but must read an entire block to get it.

Understanding 10
Operating Systems
 Transfer Rates & Speeds

• Block size set to take advantage of transfer rate.

• Transfer rate -- density of the tape, multiplied by the tape

transport speed (speed of the tape)
transfer rate = density * transport speed

• If transport speed is 200 inches per second, at 1600 bpi, a

total of 320,000 bytes can be transferred in one second,
– Theoretically optimal size of a block is 320,000 bytes.
– Buffer must be equivalent.

Understanding 11
Operating Systems
 Magnetic Tape Access Times Vary Widely

Benchmarks Access time

Maximum access 2.5 minutes
Average access 1.25 minutes
Sequential access 3 milliseconds

• Variability makes magnetic tape a poor medium for routine

secondary storage except for files with very high
sequential activity.

Understanding 12
Operating Systems
 Direct Access Storage Devices (Random
Access Storage Devices)
• Direct access storage devices (DASDs)-- any devices that
can directly read or write to a specific place on a disk.

• Two major categories:

• DASD with fixed read/write heads
• DASD with movable read/write heads.

• Although variance in DASD access times isn’t as wide as

with magnetic tape, location of specific record still has a
direct effect on amount of time required to access it.

Understanding 13
Operating Systems
 Fixed-Head Drums

• Magnetically recordable drums.

• Resembles a giant coffee can

covered with magnetic film and
formatted so the tracks run
around it.
• Data is recorded serially on
each track by the read/write
head positioned over it.
• Fixed-head drums were very
fast but also very expensive,
and they did not hold as much
data as other DASDs.

Understanding 14
Operating Systems
 Fixed Head Disks

• Fixed-head disks -- each

disk looks like a phonograph Rotation
album.
• Covered with magnetic film
that has been formatted,
usually on both sides, into
concentric circles.
• Each circle is a track. Data
is recorded serially on each
track by the fixed read/write
head positioned over it.
• One head for each track.

Understanding 15
Operating Systems
 Pros & Cons of Fixed Head Disks

• Very fast—faster than movable-head disks.

• High cost.

• Reduced storage space compared to a moveable-head disk

– because tracks must be positioned farther apart to accommodate
width of the read/write heads.

Understanding 16
Operating Systems
 Movable-Head Drums and Disks

• Movable-head drums have only a few read/write heads that

move from track to track to cover entire surface of drum.
– Least expensive device has only 1 read/write head for entire drum
– More conventional design has several read/write heads that move
together.

• One read/write head that floats over the surface of the disk.

• Disks can be individual units (used with many PCs) or part

of a disk pack (a stack of disks).

Understanding 17
Operating Systems
 Cylinders

• It’s slower to fill a disk pack surface-by-surface than to fill

it up track-by-track.

• If fill Track 0 of all surfaces, got virtual cylinder of data.

– Are as many cylinders as there are tracks.
– Cylinders are as tall as the disk pack.

• To access any given record, system needs:

– Cylinder number, so arm can move read/write heads to it.
– Surface number, so proper read/write head is activated.
– Record number, so read/write head know when to begin reading or
writing.
18
 Optical Disc Storage (CD-ROM)

• Optical disc drives uses a laser beam to read and write to

multi-layered discs.

• Optical disc drives work in a manner similar to a magnetic

disk drive.
– Head on an arm that moves forward and backward across the disc.

• Uses a high-intensity laser beam to burn pits (indentations)

and lands (flat areas) in disc to represent ones and zeros,
respectively.

Understanding 19
Operating Systems
 Concentric Tracks vs. Spiraling Tracks

• Magnetic disk consists of concentric tracks of sectors and

it spins at a constant speed (constant angular velocity).
– Because sectors at outside of disk spin faster past
read/write head than inner sectors, outside sectors are
much larger than sectors located near center of disk.

• An optical disc consists of a single spiraling track of same-

sized sectors running from center to rim of disc.
– Allows many more sectors & much more data to fit on
optical disc compared to magnetic disk of same size.

Understanding 20
Operating Systems
 Measures of Performance
for Optical Disc Drives
• Sustained data-transfer rate -- speed at which massive
amounts of data can be read from disc.
– Measured in bytes per second (such as Mbps).
– Crucial for applications requiring sequential access.
• Average access time -- average time required to move
head to a specific place on disc.
– Expressed in milliseconds (ms).
• Cache size -- hardware cache acts as a buffer by
transferring blocks of data from the disc
– Anticipates user may want to reread some recently retrieved info.
– Act as read-ahead buffer, looking for next block of info on disc.

Understanding 21
Operating Systems
 CD-ROM Technology

• CD-ROM -- first commonly used optical storage DASD.

• Stores very large databases, reference works, complex

games, large software packages, system documentation,
and user training material.

• CD-ROM jukeboxes (autochangers or libraries) are

capable of handling multiple discs and networked to
distribute multimedia and reference works to distant user.

Understanding 22
Operating Systems
 CD-Recordable Technology (CD-R)

• CD-R drives record data on optical discs using a write-

once technique.

• WORM (write once, read many).

• Only a finite amount of data can be recorded on each disc

and, once data is written, it can’t be erased or modified.

• It has an extremely long shelf life.

Understanding 23
Operating Systems
 CD-Rewritable Technology (CD-RW)

• CD-RW drives can read a standard CD-ROM, CD-R and

CD-RW discs.

• CD-RW discs can be written and rewritten many times by

focusing a low-energy laser beam on surface, heating
media just enough to erase pits that store data and restoring
recordable media to its original state.

• Useful for storing large quantities of data and for sound,

graphics, and multimedia applications.

Understanding 24
Operating Systems
 Digital Video Disc (DVD) Techonolgy

• DVD uses infrared laser to read disc (holds equivalent of

13 CD-ROM discs).
• By using compression technologies, has more than enough
space to hold a 2-hour of movie with enhanced audio.
– Single layered DVDs can hold 4.7 GB
– Double-layered disc can hold 8.5 GB on each side of the disc.
DVDs are used to store music, movies, and multimedia
applications.

• DVD-RAM is a writable technology that uses a red laser

to read, modify, and write data to DVD discs.
25
 Three Factors Contribute To Time
Required To Access a File
• Seek time -- time required to position the read/write head
on the proper track. (Doesn’t apply to devices with fixed
read/write heads.)
– Slowest of the three factors

• Search time (rotational delay) -- time it takes to rotate

DASD until requested record is under read/write head.

• Transfer time -- when data is actually transferred from

secondary storage to main memory.
– Fastest.
Understanding 26
Operating Systems
 Access Time For Fixed-Head Devices

• Fixed-head devices can access a record by knowing its

track number and record number.

• Total amount of time required to access data depends on:

– Rotational speed is constant within each device (although it varies
from device to device)
– Position of record relative to position of the read/write head.

search time (rotational delay)

+ transfer time (data transfer)
access time

Understanding 27
Operating Systems
 Example of Access Time For
Fixed-Head Devices
• How long will it take to access a record?

• Typically, one complete revolution takes 16.8 ms, so

average rotational delay is 8.4 ms.
• Data transfer time varies from device to device, but a
typical value is 0.00094 ms per byte
– size of record dictates this value.
• For example, it takes 0.094 ms (almost 0.1 ms) to transfer
a record with 100 bytes.

Understanding 28
Operating Systems
 Access Time For Movable-Head Devices

• Movable-head DASDs adds time required to move arm

into position over the proper track (seek time).

seek time (arm movement)

search time (rotational delay)
+ transfer time (data transfer)
access time

• Seek time is the longest and several strategies have been

developed to minimize it.

Understanding 29
Operating Systems
 Components of the I/O Subsystem
Disk 1
Control Unit 1
Channel 1 Disk 2
Control Unit 2 Disk 3

Tape 1
CPU
Tape 2

Control Unit 3 Tape 3

Channel 2 Tape 4
Control Unit 4
Disk 4
Disk 5
Understanding 30
Operating Systems
 I/O Subsystem : I/O Channel

• I/O Channel -- keeps up with I/O requests from CPU and

pass them down the line to appropriate control unit.
– Programmable units placed between CPU and control unit.
– Synchronize fast speed of CPU with slow speed of the I/O device.
– Make it possible to overlap I/O operations with processor
operations so the CPU and I/O can process concurrently.
• Use channel programs that specifies action to be
performed by devices & controls transmission of data
between main memory & control units.
• Entire path must be available when an I/O command is
initiated.

31
 I/O Subsystem : I/O Control Unit

• I/O control unit interprets signal sent by channel.

– One signal for each function.

• At start of I/O command, info passed from CPU to

channel:
– I/O command (READ, WRITE, REWIND, etc.)
– Channel number
– Address of physical record to be transferred (from or to secondary
storage)
– Starting address of a memory buffer from which or into which
record is to be transferred

Understanding 32
Operating Systems
 Device Manager Must

• Know which components are busy

and which are free.
Solved by structuring
interaction between
units • Be able to accommodate requests
that come in during heavy I/O traffic.

• Accommodate disparity of speeds

Handled by “buffering”
between CPU and I/O devices.
records & queueing
requests

Understanding 33
Operating Systems
 Communication Among Devices

• Each unit in I/O subsystem can finish its operation

independently from others.

• CPU is free to process data while I/O is being performed,

which allows for concurrent processing and I/O.

• Success of operation depends on system’s ability to know

when device has completed operation.
– Uses a hardware flag that must be tested by CPU.

Understanding 34
Operating Systems
 Hardware Flag Used To Communicate When A
Device Has Completed An Operation

• Composed made up of three bits.

– Each bit represents a component of I/O subsystem.
– One each for channel, control unit, and device.

• Resides in the Channel Status Word (CSW)

– In a predefined location in main memory and contains
info indicating status of channel.

• Each bit is changed from zero to one to indicate that unit

has changed from free to busy.
Understanding 35
Operating Systems
 Testing the Flag : Polling or Interrupts

• Polling uses a special machine instruction to test flag.

– CPU periodically tests the channel status bit (in CSW).

• Major disadvantage with this scheme is determining how

often the flag should be polled.
– If polling is done too frequently, CPU wastes time
testing flag just to find out that channel is still busy.
– If polling is done too seldom, channel could sit idle for
long periods of time.

Understanding 36
Operating Systems
 Interrupts

• Use of interrupts is a more efficient way to test flag.

• Hardware mechanism does test as part of every machine
instruction executed by CPU.
• If channel is busy flag is set so that execution of current
sequence of instructions is automatically interrupted.
• Control is transferred to interrupt handler, which resides
in a predefined location in memory.
• Some sophisticated systems are equipped with hardware
that can distinguish between several types of interrupts.

Understanding 37
Operating Systems
 Direct Memory Access (DMA)

• I/O technique that allows a control unit to access main

memory directly.
• Once reading or writing begins, remainder of data can be
transferred to and from memory without CPU intervention.
• To activate this process CPU sends enough info to control
unit to initiate transfer of data
• Then CPU goes to another task while control unit
completes transfer independently.
• This mode of data transfer is used for high-speed devices
such as disks.

Understanding 38
Operating Systems
 Buffers

• Buffers are temporary storage areas residing in convenient

locations throughout system: main memory, channels, and
control units.

• Used extensively to better synchronize movement of data

between relatively slow I/O devices & very fast CPU.

• Double buffering --2 buffers are present in main memory,

channels, and control units.
– While one record is being processed by CPU another can be read
or written by channel
Understanding 39
Operating Systems
 Management of I/O Requests

• Device Manager divides task into 3 parts, with each

handled by specific software component of I/O subsystem.

• I/O traffic controller watches status of all devices, control

units, and channels.
• I/O scheduler implements policies that determine
allocation of, and access to, devices, control units, and
channels.
• I/O device handler performs actual transfer of data and
processes the device interrupts.

Understanding 40
Operating Systems
 I/O Traffic Controller

• Monitors status of every device, control unit, and channel.

– Becomes more complex as number of units in I/O subsystem
increases and as number of paths between these units increases.
• Three main tasks: (1) it must determine if there’s at least 1
path available; (2) if there’s more than 1 path available, it
must determine which to select; and (3) if paths are all
busy, it must determine when one will become available.
• Maintains a database containing status and connections for
each unit in I/O subsystem, grouped into Channel Control
Blocks, Control Unit Control Blocks, and Device Control
Blocks.

Understanding 41
Operating Systems
 Traffic Controller Maintains Database For
Each Unit In I/O Subsystem

Channel Control Block Control Unit Control Device Control Block

Block
 Channel identification  Control Unit  Device identification
status Identification status status
 List of control units  List of channels  List of control units
connected to it connected to it connected to it
 List of processes  List of devices  List of processes
waiting for it connected to it waiting for it
 List of processes
waiting for it

Understanding 42
Operating Systems
 I/O Scheduler

• I/O scheduler performs same job as Process Scheduler-- it

allocates the devices, control units, and channels.

• Under heavy loads, when # requests > # available paths,

I/O scheduler must decide which request satisfied first.

• I/O requests are not preempted: once channel program has

started, it’s allowed to continue to completion even though
I/O requests with higher priorities may have entered queue.
– Feasible because programs are relatively short (50 to 100 ms).

Understanding 43
Operating Systems
 I/O Scheduler - 2

• Some systems allow I/O scheduler to give preferential

treatment to I/O requests from “high-priority” programs.
– If a process has high priority then its I/O requests also
has high priority and is satisfied before other I/O
requests with lower priorities.

• I/O scheduler must synchronize its work with traffic

controller to make sure that a path is available to satisfy
selected I/O requests.

Understanding 44
Operating Systems
 I/O Device Handler

• I/O device handler processes the I/O interrupts, handles

error conditions, and provides detailed scheduling
algorithms, which are extremely device dependent.
• Each type of I/O device has own device handler algorithm.
– first come first served (FCFS)
– shortest seek time first (SSTF)
– SCAN (including LOOK, N-Step SCAN, C-SCAN, and C-LOOK)
• Every scheduling algorithm should :
– Minimize arm movement
– Minimize mean response time
– Minimize variance in response time

Understanding 45
Operating Systems
 First Come First Served (FCFS) Device
Scheduling Algorithm
• Simplest device-scheduling algorithm:

• Easy to program and essentially fair to users.

• On average, it doesn’t meet any of the three goals of a seek

strategy.

• Remember, seek time is most time-consuming of functions

performed here, so any algorithm that can minimize it is
preferable to FCFS.

Understanding 46
Operating Systems
 Shortest Seek Time First (SSTF) Device
Scheduling Algorithm
• Uses same underlying philosophy as shortest job next
where shortest jobs are processed first & longer jobs wait.

• Request with track closest to one being served (that is, one
with shortest distance to travel) is next to be satisfied.

• Minimizes overall seek time.

• Favors easy-to-reach requests and postpones traveling to

those that are out of way.

Understanding 47
Operating Systems
 SCAN Device Scheduling Algorithm

• SCAN uses a directional bit to indicate whether the arm is

moving toward the center of the disk or away from it.

• Algorithm moves arm methodically from outer to inner

track servicing every request in its path.

• When it reaches innermost track it reverses direction and

moves toward outer tracks, again servicing every request
in its path.

Understanding 48
Operating Systems
 LOOK (Elevator Algorithm) : A Variation
of SCAN
• Arm doesn’t necessarily go all the way to either edge
unless there are requests there.

• “Looks” ahead for a request before going to service it.

• Eliminates possibility of indefinite postponement of

requests in out-of-the-way places—at either edge of disk.

• As requests arrive each is incorporated in its proper place

in queue and serviced when the arm reaches that track.

Understanding 49
Operating Systems
 Other Variations of SCAN

• N-Step SCAN -- holds all requests until arm starts on way

back. New requests are grouped together for next sweep.
• C-SCAN (Circular SCAN) -- arm picks up requests on its
path during inward sweep.
– When innermost track has been reached returns to outermost track
and starts servicing requests that arrived during last inward sweep.
– Provides a more uniform wait time.
• C-LOOK (optimization of C-SCAN) --sweep inward stops
at last high-numbered track request, so arm doesn’t move
all the way to last track unless it’s required to do so.
– Arm doesn’t necessarily return to the lowest-numbered track; it
returns only to the lowest-numbered track that’s requested.
50
 Which Device Scheduling Algorithm?

• FCFS works well with light loads, but as soon as load

grows, service time becomes unacceptably long.
• SSTF is quite popular and intuitively appealing. It works
well with moderate loads but has problem of localization
under heavy loads.
• SCAN works well with light to moderate loads and
eliminates problem of indefinite postponement. SCAN is
similar to SSTF in throughput and mean service times.
• C-SCAN works well with moderate to heavy loads and has
a very small variance in service times.

Understanding 51
Operating Systems
 Search Strategies: Rotational Ordering

• Rotational ordering -- optimizes search times by ordering

requests once read/write heads have been positioned.
– Nothing can be done to improve time spent moving
read/write head because it’s dependent on hardware.

• Amount of time wasted due to rotational delay can be

reduced.
– If requests are ordered within each track so that first
sector requested on second track is next number higher
than one just served, rotational delay is minimized.

Understanding 52
Operating Systems
 Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks
(RAID)
• RAID is a set of physical disk drives that is viewed as a
single logical unit by OS.

• RAID assumes several smaller-capacity disk drives

preferable to few large-capacity disk drives because, by
distributing data among several smaller disks, system can
simultaneously access requested data from multiple drives.

• System shows improved I/O performance and improved

data recovery in event of disk failure.

Understanding 53
Operating Systems
 RAID -2

• RAID introduces much-needed concept of redundancy to

help systems recover from hardware failure.

• Also requires more disk drives which increase hardware

costs.

Understanding 54
Operating Systems
 Six standard levels of RAID fall into 4 categories. Each
offers a unique combination of advantages.

Level Category Description I/O Request Data

Rate Transfer
Rate
0 Data Striping Nonredundant Excellent Excellent
1 Mirroring Mirrored Good/Fair Fair/Fair
2 Parallel Access Redundant Poor Excellent
3 Parallel Access Bit-interleaved parity Poor Excellent
4 Independent Block-interleaved parity Excellent/ Fair Fair/Poor
Access
5 Independent Block-interleaved Excellent/ Fair Fair/Poor
Access distributed parity

Understanding 55
Operating Systems
 Terminology

• access time • I/O device handler

• blocking • I/O scheduler
• buffers • I/O subsystem
• Channel Status Word (CSW) • I/O traffic controller
• cylinder • interblock gap (IBG)
• dedicated device • interrecord gap (IRG)
• direct access storage devices • interrupts
(DASDs) • LOOK
• direct memory access (DMA) • magnetic tape
• first come first served (FCFS) • optical disc drive
• I/O channel • polling
• I/O control unit • RAID
Understanding 56
Operating Systems
 Terminology - 2

• rotational ordering • transport speed

• SCAN • virtual device
• search strategy
• search time
• seek strategy
• seek time
• sequential access media
• shared device
• shortest seek time first (SSTF)
• transfer rate
• transfer time

Understanding 57
Operating Systems