CS6401-OPERATING SYSTEM

Computer System Overview-Basic Elements, Instruction Execution, Interrupts, Memory Hierarchy, Cache
Memory, Direct Memory Access, Multiprocessor and Multicore Organization. Operating system overview-
objectives and functions, Evolution of Operating System.- Computer System Organization-Operating System
PART-A
Structure and Operations- System Calls, System Programs, OS Generation and System Boot.
Computer System Overview
1. Define OS?
2. What is the goal of OS? (or) what are the purposes of OS?
3. List down the function of OS?
4. Define system software and application software?
Memory Hierarchy
5. Draw the memory hierarchy?

Cache Memory

6. What is cache memory?

7. Define spooling ? what are the different advantages of spooling?
8. What is cache hit and cache miss?
Direct Memory Access
9. Define DMA ?
10. Why most computer system provides secondary storage as an extension to main memory?
11. Compare and contrast of DMA and cache memory? (N/D 2015)
Interrupts
12. What is an interrupt?
13. Define trap?
Multiprocessor and multicore organization
14. What are the types of multiprocessor system?
15. What is SMP?
16. What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessor?
17. What is the difference between multiprocessor and multi core organization?
objectives and functions-OS
18. what are the objectives of OS?
19. What is OS?
20. List down the functions of OS?
Evolution of Operating System
21. What are the advantages of peer to peer systems over client server system?(M/J 2016)
22. Do time sharing system differs from multiprogramming? If so,How?(M/J 2015)
23. Mention the circumstances that would a user be better off using a time sharing system rather than a PC or a
single user workstations? (M/J 2014)
24. What are the benefits of multi programming systems?(M/J 2013)
25. Write the difference between batch systems and time sharing systems? (N/D 2015)
26. What is multi processor system? List out the advantage of multiprocessor system. what are the types of it?
27. What is real time system? What are the types of real systems?
28. What is the difference between tightly and loosely coupled system?
OS structure
29. What are the different structure available in OS structure?
30. What are the advantages of layered approach?
31. Draw the diagram for MS-DOS OS structure?
32. Draw the diagram for UNIX OS structure?

System Calls
33. Why API need to be used rather than system calls? (M/ J 2015)
34. What are the purposes of system programs? ( M/J 2016)
 35. Define system call? What are the classifications?
System Boot

36. What is a bootstrap program?

37. What is system boot?
38. What is MBR?
PART-B
Computer System Overview
1. Write the neat sketch discuss computer system overview?(8 M)(N/D 2015)
Memory Hierarchy
2. Draw the memory hierarchy with explanations?

Cache Memory

3. Explain about cache memory(8)

4. Define spooling ? what are the different advantages of spooling?
5. What is cache hit and cache miss?
Direct Memory Access
6. State and functions of OS and DMA ? ( 8M)( N/D 2015)
(or)
Sketches the structure of DMA ?( 6 marks)( M/J 2015) (or) Explain about DMA(8)
Interrupts
7. Explain in detail about the interrupts with examples?(8M)
Multiprocessor and multicore organization
8. Describe the difference between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing ? what are the advantages and
disadvantage of multiprocessor systems? (8M) (M/J 2016)
(or)
Explain in detail about the multiprocessing system?(13M)
objectives and functions-OS
9. Explain in detail about the operating system services ?(8M)
Evolution of Operating System
10. Distinguish between the client server and peer to peer models of distributed systems ? (8M)(M/J 2016)
(or)
Explain in detail about the distributed system ?(8M)
11. Describe the difference between symmetric and asymmetric multiprocessing ? what are the advantages and
disadvantage of multiprocessor systems? (8M) (M/J 2016)
(or)
Explain in detail about the multiprocessing system?(13M)
12. Explain the following systems (13 M)
i) Multiprogramming system ii) time sharing systems iii)batch systems iv)distributed system
(or)
Explain in detail about the evolution operating systems?
13. Explain the distributed and real time systems ( 8M)
14. Explain about computer system organization(13 M)
OS structure
15. Explain the different operating system structures ? explain with neat sketches ?(13 M) (N/D 2015)
16. Explain the different operating system structures? explain with neat sketches ?(13 M) (N/D 2015)
17. Explain in detail about the operating system services ?(8M)
18. Explain in detail about the operating system components ?(8M)
System Calls, System Programs
19. Explain in detail about the system calls ? ( 8M) ( N/D 2015)
(or)
Explain the various types of system calls with an example of each (10 marks) (M/J 2015)
 (or)
Discuss the purposes of system calls and discuss the related to device management and communication sin
brief?( 8M)(M/J 2014)
(or)
Describe the three methods for passing parameters to the operating system with example ?(8M)(M/J 2016)
System Boot
20. Discuss about the functionality of system boot with respect to OS (8 marks) ( M/J 2015)
(or)
How could a system be designed to allow a choice of operating systems from which to boot? What would the
bootstrap program need to do?(8M)(M/J 2016)
Virtualization
21. Discuss about the evolution of virtual machines? Explain how virtualization could be Implemented in
operating systems? (8M) ( M/J 2015)
(or)
Explain the concept of virtual machines, their implementations and benefits in detail. (8M)(M/J 2014)

UNIT - 2

UNIT II PROCESS MANAGEMENT

Processes-Process Concept, Process Scheduling, Operations on Processes, Interprocess Communication;
Threads- Overview, Multicore Programming, Multithreading Models; Windows 7 - Thread and SMP
Management. Process Synchronization - Critical Section Problem, Mutex Locks, Semophores,
Monitors; CPU Scheduling and Deadlocks.
PART-A
Processes-Process Concept,
39. Define thread from process
40. List out the data fields associated with process control blocks.
41. Write the difference between process and program
42. What are the various states in process?
43. What are the operations of process?

Process Scheduling

44. Define context switching

45. What is short term and medium term schedulers?
IPC
46. Define IPC? What is the use of IPC?
Threads
47. What is thread? why thread is called as light weight process?
48. Under the what circumstances is user level threads is better than kernel level threads? (M/J2016)(N/D 2015)
(or)
Define threads ? what is the difference between user level threads and kernel level threads?
49. Define thread ? what is the advantages of thread?
50. What are the types of thread models?
51. What are the benefits of multi thread?
52. What is kernel ? what is micro kernel?
53. What are the benefits of multithreads?(M/J 2013)
54. Can multiple user level threads achieve better performance on a multi processor system than a single processor
system? Justify your answer ? (M/J 2014)
Process Synchronization
55. What is concurrency?what are the principles of concurrency ?
56. What is race condition?
Lock
57. Define lock?

Critical Section Problem

58. Define critical section problem?
59. What is bounded waiting in critical section?
60. Define critical section.
61. What are the requirement that must required for Critical section algorithms
62. Declare the structure for monitors.
63. Define monitors? What does it consist of ?
64. Difference between monitors and semaphores?

65. Define Mutual Exclusion.

Semaphores
66. What is a semaphore? State the two parameters.
67. What is semaphore? Mention its importance in operating systems.
68. What is the meaning of term busy waiting (M/J 2016)
69. What is semaphore (M/J 2013)
70. What is the concept behind strong semaphore and spin locks (N/D 2015)
71. Drawback of semaphores?

CPU Scheduling
72. Define the term dispatch latency
73. What are the CPU scheduling criteria?
74. What is the difference between preemptive and non preemptive scheduling?
75. What are the different scheduling algorithm?

Deadlocks.
76. What are the methods for handling Deadlocks?
77. Define starvation
78. What are the classical problems of Synchronization?
79. What is dead lock?Give the necessary conditions for deadlock to occur.(M/J 2013)
(or)
What are the four necessary conditions a system should possess in order to be termed as deadlock?
80. What is bankers algorithm?
81. What is deadlock? What are the schemes used in operating system to handle deadlocks?

PART-B
Processes-Process Concept,

22. Explain in detail about the PCB and process states with diagram?(8M)
Process Scheduling

23. Describe the actions taken by a kernel to context switch between process( 8M)(M/J 2016)
24. Explain in detail about the process scheduling (8M)
25. What are different operations on process?
IPC
26. Explain in detail about the IPC ?(13 M)
Threads
27. Define thread ? write the advantages of thread? Explain in detail about the thread life cycle and its
model(types)?(13 M)
28. Provide two programming examples in which multi threading does not provide better performance than a
single threaded solution ?(8M)(M/J 2016)
29. Explain the different multi threading models along with their issues?(8M)(M/J 2015)
30. Explain thread and SMP management ?(8M)(N/D 2015)
Process Synchronization
31. Explain in detail about the process synchronization(13M)
Locks
32. Explain in detail about the Mutex and locks (8M)

Critical Section Problem

33. What is a critical section? Give examples. What are the minimum requirements that should be satisfied by a
solution to critical section problem? Write Peterson Algorithm for 2-process synchronization to critical
section problem and discuss briefly. (13M)
34. What is critical section? Specify the requirements, for a solution to the critical section problem.(4)

Semophores
35. Show how wait() and signal() semaphore operations could be implemented in multiprocessor environments
using TEST and set() instruction. The solution should exhibit minimal busy waiting .Develope pseudocode for
implementing operations ? (13M) (M/J 2015)
36. Illustrate the semaphore with examples (8M)(N/D 2015)

CPU Scheduling
37. Discuss the different techniques used for evaluating CPU scheduling ?(13M) (M/J 2013)
38. Explain the FCFS , preemptive and non preemptive versions of shortest job first and round robin (time slice
=2) scheduling algorithm with gantt chart for the four process given below. Compare their average turn around
time and waiting time .(13M)(M/J 2015)
Process Arrival time Burst time
P1 0 10
P2 1 6
P3 2 12
P4 3 15

39. Consider the following process with the CPU burst time given in milli seconds
Process Burst time priority
P1 10 3
P2 1 1
P3 2 3
P4 1 4
P5 5 2
Process are arrived in order p1 ,p2,p3,p4,p5
i)draw the gantt chart to show execution using FIFO,SJF,preemptive priority and round robin
(qunantum=1)scheduling
 ii)also calcullate waiting time and turn around time for eacg scheduling algorithm (13 M)(N/D 2015)
40. Consider the following swt of processes , with the length of the CPU burst time givn in milli seconds . all the
five processes arrive at time 0 in the order given .
Burst time
Process
P1 10
P2 29
P3 3
P4 7
P5 12
1)Draw the gantt chart illustrate the execution of these processs using FCFS,SJF and RR(quantum=10ms)
Scheduling
2)calculate the average turn around time and waiting time for each type of scheduling above.(13M)(M/J
2013)
Deadlocks.
41. It is possible to have concurrency but not parallelism ? explain?(8M) (M/J 2016)
42. Discuss the deadlock could be detected in detail .( 8M)(M/J 2015)
43. Consider a system consisting of four resources of the same type that are shared by three processes, each of
which need at most two resources. show that the system is dead lock free.(13M) (M/J 2016)
44. The operating system contains three resources the number of instance of resource type are 7,7,10. The
current resource allocates state is as shown below:
process Current allocation Maximum need
R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3
P1 2 2 3 3 6 8
P2 2 0 3 4 3 3
P3 1 2 4 3 4 4
Is the current allocation is safe state ?(8M ) (N/D 2015)
45. Discuss the bankers algorithm for deadlock avoidance with an illustration (13 M)
46. Consider the following snapshot of a system : p0-p4 are 5 processes present and A,B,C,D are the resources .
the maximumneed of a process and the allocated resources details are given below:
Answer the following based on bankers algorithm.
1)what is the content of need matrix?
2)Is the system in a safe state ?
3)if a request from process p1 arrives for(0,2,0)can the request be granted immediately.

process Allocation Maximum available

A B C A B C A B C
P0 0 1 0 7 5 3 3 3 2
P1 2 0 0 3 2 2
P2 3 0 2 9 0 2
P3 2 1 1 2 2 2
P4 0 0 2 4 3 3

47. Explain in detail about the deadlock solution ? ( 13M)

48. What is a deadlock? What are the necessary conditions for a deadlock to occur?(8)
49. Explain Banker's deadlock-avoidance algorithm with an illustration. (8)
50. Explain the two different methods by which deadlock can be recovered? (8)

UNIT – III
 UNIT III STORAGE MANAGEMENT
Main Memory-Contiguous Memory Allocation, Segmentation, Paging, 32 and 64 bit architecture
Examples; Virtual Memory- Demand Paging, Page Replacement, Allocation, Thrashing; Allocating Kernel
Memory, OS Examples.
PART-A
Main Memory
82. Write Memory management function ?
83. What is the difference between physical and logical address?
84. What is the advantages and disadvantages of fixed partition size?
Contiguous Memory Allocation
85. Define Lazy swapper.
86. Define swapping?
87. Differentiate a page from a segment.
88. What is page frame?
89. Define fragmentation ?
90. What is internal and external fragmentation?
91. What is address binding?
92. What is meant by mounting of file?
93. In memory management consider the program named as stack1 which size is 100KB . this program is loaded
in the main memory from 2100 to 2200KB.show the contents of the page map table for the given scenario.
(N/D 2016)
paging
94. Define demand paging in memory management. What are the steps required to handle n page fault in demand
paging? (N/D 2016)
95. What is paging? What are the advantages of paging?
96. What is the difference between paging and segmeantation?
97. What is demand paging ? what are advantages of demand paging?
98. What is a translation look aside buffer used for?

Segmentation
99. What do you mean by page fault?
100. What is virtual memory? Mention its advantages.
101. Differentiate between global and local page replacement algorithms.
102. What is segmentation?
Thrashing
103. Define thrashing(M/J 2015)
104. Mention the significance of LDT and GDT segmentation (M/J 2015)
105. Define swapping.
106. What is segment number and offset?
107. Define locality of reference?
108. Define temporal and spatial locality?
page-replacement algorithms
109. What are the types of page-replacement algorithms?
110. Define be lady’s anomaly.(M/J 2013)

PART-B
Main Memory
51. Explain in detailabout the concept of main memory?
 Contiguous Memory Allocation
52. Why are segmentation and paging sometimes combined in to one scheme? Explain in detail with example?
(8M)(M/J 2016)
53. Explain about contiguous memory allocation with neat diagrams. (13)
54. Discuss the given memory management techniques with diagrams (N/D 2015)
55. Discuss segmentation in detail. Compare it with paging.(8)
56. Given memory partition of 100 KB, 500 KB, 200 KB and 600 KB (in order). Show with neat sketch how
would each of the first-fit, best-fit and worst fit algorithms place processes of 412 KB, 317 KB, 112 KB and
326 KB (in order). Which algorithm is most efficient in memory allocation? (13)

Virtual Memory
57. Explain how paging supports virtual memory. With a neat diagram explain how logical address is translated
into physical address. (8)
58. Under what circumstance do page fault occurs ?describe the actions taken by the operating systems when a
page fault occurs(8M)(M/J 2016)
59. Discuss the situations in which the LFU page replacement algorithm generates fewer page fault than the LRU
page replacement algorithm. Also discuss under what circumstances the opposite holds good.(8M) (M/J 2016)
Paging
60. Explain in detail about the concept of demand paging in detail with neat diagram?(13M)
61. Explain the concept of paging in detail with necessary diagrams.(8)
62. Explain FIFO, Optimal and LRU page replacement algorithms with an example reference string.(10)
63. discuss the memory management techniques with diagram (N/D 2015)
i)partition allocation methods (6M)
ii)paging and translation look aside buffer (7M)
64. What do you mean by paging? Discuss in detail about the structure of page tables with appropriate
examples. (13)
65. With a neat sketches , explain how logical address is translated in to physical address using paging
mechanism(13M) (M/J 2015)
Segmentation
66. Explain in detail about the segmentation concept?
thrashing
67. Explain in detail about the concept of thrashing (7M ) (N/D 2015)
68. Consider the following segment table: (16)
Segment Base length
0 219 600
1 2300 14
2 90 100
3 1327 580
4 1952 96
What are the physical addresses for the following logical addresses?
(1). 0 , 430 (2). 1, 10
(3). 2 , 500 (4). 3, 400

Page Replacement

69. Consider the page reference string (13M) (N/D 2015)

1,2,3,2,5,6,3,4,6,3,3,7,3,1,5,3,6,3,4,2,4,3,4,5,1
Indicate page fault and calculate total no of page fault and successful ratio for FIFO, optimal and LRU
algorithm. Assume there are four frames and initially all are empty.
70. Consider the following page reference string: (13)(M/J 2015)
1,2,3,4,5,3,4,1,6,7,8,7,8,9,7,8,9,5,4,4,5,3. How many page faults would occur for the following replacement
algorithm? Assume four frames and initially all are empty
1)LRU replacement
2)FIFO replacement
 3)optimal replacement
71. Consider the following page reference string: (13)
1,2,3,4,2,1,5,6,2,1,2,3,7,6,3,2,1,2,3,6.
How many page faults would occur for the following replacement algorithms, assuming one, two, three, four,
five, six and seven frames? Remember all frames are initially empty, so your first unique pages will all cost
one fault each.
1) FIFO 2)Optimal 3) LRU
UNIT – IV

Mass Storage Structure- Overview, Disk Scheduling and Management; File System Storage-File
Concepts, Directory and Disk Structure, Sharing and Protection; File System Implementation- File
System Structure, Directory Structure, Allocation Methods, Free Space Management, I/O Systems
PART-A
Mass Storage Structure

111. Characteristic of storage device?

112. What are the two types of system directories?
113. What is garbage collection?
114. How does DMA increases the system concurrency? (M/J 2016)
115.
Disk Scheduling

116. List out the disk scheduling techniques.

117. Define seek time and latency time for hard disk mechanism?
118. What is the need for disk scheduling?
119. What is rotational latency ?(M/J 2013)
120. What are the disk performance parameter?
Disk Management

121. Define disk formatting?

122. What is swap space ?
123. Define mirroring and shadowing?
124. What are the parameters are used to evaluate the disk performance?
125. What is access time?
126. Define RAID?
127. Give the importance of swap space management?
128. Discuss how free space is managed by operating system?(8)
129. List out the major attributes and operations of file
130. What is HSM? Where it is used?(M/J 2015)
131. List out the major operations and attributes on file ? (M/J 2015)
132. Why rotational latency usually not considered in disk scheduling? (M/J 2016)

133. Mention the major attributes and operations of a file.

134. What is meant by free- space management?
135. What is a file? List some operations on it.
136. What are the various file accessing methods?
137. Mention the objectives of file management system.
138. Identify the two important functions of virtual file system layer in the concept of file system
implementation ?(N/D 2015)
139. A disk has 26310 cylinders ,16 tracks and 63 sectors .the disk spins at 7200 rpm. Seek time between
adjacent track in 1ms . how does it take to read entire disk?(N/D 2015)
140. Define UFD and MFD.
141. Explain how free space is managed using Bit vector implementation?
142. What are the types of path names?
File System Implementation

143. What are the files attributes?

144. What are the file operations?
145. What are the responsibilities of File Manager?
Directory Structure

146. What are the operation of directory?

147. What are the types of directory?

Allocation Methods

148. What are the different file allocation methods?

Free Space Management

149. What are the different techniques used in free space management ?

PART-B
Mass Storage Structure
72. Explain in detail about the mass storage structure(13M)
73. Explain in detail about the I/O devices with its types?(8M)
74. Explain in detail about the disk performance parameters?(8M)
75. Explain in detail about the organization of I/O function?(8M)
76. Why is it important to balance file system I/O among the disks and the controllers on a system in a

multitasking environment ?(7M)(M/J 2016)

Disk Scheduling
77. Compare the functionality of FCFS, SSTF,CSCAN, and C-LOOK disk scheduling algorithms with an

examples for each.(13M) (M/J 2015)

78. Explain and compare FCFS, SSTF, C- SCAN and C- LOOK disk scheduling algorithms with an

example. (16)
79. . Describe the important concepts of application I/O interface. (16)
80. Explain the different types of disk scheduling algorithms with suitable example. (16)
81. On a disk with 200 cylinders numbered 0 to 199, compute the number of tracks the disk arm must move to

satisfy the entire request on the disk queue. Assume the last request received was at track 100. The queue in

FIFO order contains the request for the following tracks 55,58,39,18,90,160,150,38,184. Perform the

computation to find the seek time for the following disk scheduling algorithm.
1)FCFS 2)SSTF 3)SCAN 4)C-SCAN 5)LOOK
Disk Management
82. Explain in detail about the disk management with necessary examples?(13M)
 83. Explain about the RAID structure in disk management with various RAID levels of organizations in detail.

(13M) (M/J 2015)

84. Could a RAID level 1 organization achieve better performance for read request than a RAID level 0

organizations? If so , how?
85. Explain the different levels of RAID. (8)
86. Discuss briefly about the various directory structures?(8M) (M/J 2015)
87. Write short notes on free space management (6M )(8M) (M/J 2015)(N/D 2015)
88. Explain the various attributes of a file.(4)
89. Explain linked file allocation methods.(6)

File System Storage

90. Explain in detail about the basic file concepts with relevant examples?(13M)
(or)
Explain in detail about the issues in designing of file system?(13M)
91. Explain in detail about the different file accessing methods?(8M)
92. Discuss the functions of file and file implementation (7M)( N/D 2015)
93. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of supporting links to files that cross mount points (7M) (M/J 2016)
94. Explain why logging meta data updates ensures recovery of file system after a file system crash( 8M) (M/J

2016)
95. Write short notes on free space management?
(or)
Explain in detail about the concept of virtual file system?(M/J 2015) (6 M)
96. Explain in detail about the file directory and its structure?(13M)(M/J 2013)(M/J 2015)
Directory Structure

97. Explain the various file directory structures. (8)

98. Explain the different file access methods in detail. (8)

99. Describe the two level and acyclic graph schemes for defining the logical structure of a directory. (8)
Allocation Methods
100. Explain the linked list and indexed file allocation methods with neat diagrams. Mention their

advantages and disadvantages. (8)

101. Write a detailed note on various file access methods with neat sketch? (16)
102. Discuss the different file allocation methods with suitable examples. (16)
Free Space Management
103. Explain in detail the free space management with neat diagram. (16)

UNIT – 5

Linux System- Basic Concepts; System Administration-Requirements for Linux System

Administrator, Setting up a LINUX Multifunction Server, Domain Name System, Setting Up Local
Network Services; Virtualization- Basic Concepts, Setting Up Xen,VMware on Linux Host and
PART-A
Adding Guest OS.
Linux System
150. Components of linux system ?(M/J 2016)
151. What is open source software?
152. What is the difference between linux and windows os ?
153. What is the responsibility of kernel in Linux operating system? (M/J 2015)

System Administration

154. List the task of system administrator?

155. Enumerate the requirement of linux system administrator . Brief any one of them.(N/D 2015)
Domain Name System

156. Define resolver in DNS?

157. What are the components of BIND?
158. Define DNS
159. Define name servers?
Virtualization

160. Why virtualization is required? (N/D 2015)

161. Define the function of caching only serves? (M/J 2016)
162. What is virtualization?what are the benefits of virtualization?
163. What does swap-space management mean?
164. What is Seek Time?
165. What characteristic determine the disk access speed?
166. Define disk bandwidth.
167. What is a swap space?
168. Define RAID structure.
169. Define caching and spooling.
170. Do FAT file system is advantageous? Why?(M/J 2015)
171. Give the importance of swap – space management.
PART-B
Linux System- Basic Concepts
104. Explain in detail about the Linux components and its utilities (13M)
105. Write about Linux architecture and Linux kernel with neat sketch(8M)(N/D 2015)
System Administration
106. Briefly discuss about the requirements to become a Linux system administrator (8M)(M/J 2015)
Setting up a LINUX Multifunction Server
107. Discuss about the steps involved in the installation of a Linux multifunction server .(7M)(M/J 2015)
(or)
Explain the step by step procedure for setting up a Linux multi function server (13M)(M/J 2016)
Domain Name System
108. Explain in detail about the DNS and explain the components of DNS (13M)
109. What are the primary goals of the conflict resolution
Setting Up Local Network Services
110. Write a short notes on Linux network services (7M) (M/J 2015)
111. Write short notes on I/O hardware. (8)
112. Explain the services provided by a kernel I/O subsystem. (8)
113. Explain in detail about Disk Attachment. (8)
114. Explain in detail the salient features of Linux I/O.(10)

Virtualization- Basic Concepts, Setting Up Xen,VMware on Linux Host and Adding Guest OS.

115. Explain the significance and steps involved in setting up xen,VMware softwares on linux host for
successful virtualization in detail .(13M)(M/J 2015)
116. Explain in detail about the Linux multi function server , DNS Vmware on the Linux host (13M)(N/D
2015)
117. Why is live migration possible in virtual environments but much less possible for a native operating
system ?(7M)(M/J 2016)