1. What is Graceful Degradation?

Ans: In multiprocessor systems, failure of one processor will not halt the system, but only slow it down.
If there are ten processors & if any one fails then the remaining nine processors pick up the work of the
failed processor. This ability to continue providing service is proportional to the surviving hardware. This
is called graceful degradation.

2. Specify two ways by which a user program disrupt the normal operations of a system?

A user program may disrupt the normal operation of a system by,

Issuing illegal I/O operations

By accessing memory locations within the OS itself

3. a. Justify the statement “Operating System can be viewed as a government, resource allocator
and a control program”

b. Give the Most suitable term for the following

Microkernel System Structure : An OS that minimizes the kernel, and moves as much
functionality as possible into user space.

System call : Programming interfaces to the services offered by the OS

Real-time OS A real-time OS should guarantee a certain capability (e.g., data process) within
a specified time constraints.

Emulation: as opposed to virtualization simulates hardware in software

Kernel: The one program that runs at all times on the computer, and acts as a layer
between the hardware and the system call interface.

b. To what degree does a modern web browser, such as Firefox or Chrome, look and act like an
operating system? What about a scriptable application such as Microsoft Word?

Answer: Operating systems provide platforms for running programs. The two main
responsibilities of operating systems are to manage the resources of the computer and to
provide abstractions to make accessing those resources easier for a programmer. Both web
browsers and scriptable applications provide platforms for running programs. They abstract
resources by providing higher-level programming environments (e.g., JavaScript/HTML/CSS,
VBA) They also manage resources, even providing ways to control which programs are allowed
to run and to terminate the execution of programs running within them. The key difference
between complex, programmable applications and operating systems is that applications must
run on an operating system while operating systems only require computer hardware to run.
Thus applications provide provide their OS-like services by building on top of the functionality the
underlying operating system provides.
4. Distinguish among the following terminologies associated with the operating system and explain
each of them in detail with necessary diagrams. 6 Marks
i) Multiprogramming systems.
ii) Multitasking systems.
iii) Multiprocessor systems

Multiprogramming is the ability of an operating system to execute more than one

program on a single processor machine. More than one task/program/job/process
can reside into the main memory at one point of time. A computer running excel
and firefox browser simultaneously is an example of multiprogramming.

Memory layout for Multiprogramming System

Multitasking
Multitasking is the ability of an operating system to execute more than one
task simultaneously on a single processor machine. Though we say so but in
reality no two tasks on a single processor machine can be executed at the
same time. Actually CPU switches from one task to the next task so quickly
that appears as if all the tasks are executing at the same time. More than one
task/program/job/process can reside into the same CPU at one point of time.
 Multitasking System

Multiprocessing
Multiprocessing is the ability of an operating system to execute more than one process
simultaneously on a multi processor machine. In this, a computer uses more than one CPU at a
time.

Multiprocessing System

5. Define a virtual machine (VM). With a neat diagram, explain the working of a VM.

6. What is the main advantage for an operating-system designer of using a virtual-machine

architecture? What is the main advantage for a user?
 Answer: The system is easy to debug, and security problems are easy to solve. Virtual machines
also provide a good platform for operating system research since many different operating
systems may run on one physical system

7. for (i = 0; i < n; i++) fork();

2^n - 1