Intro 1

What is an Operating System?

¯ Three views of an operating system

Application View: what services does it provide?
System View: what problems does it solve?
Implementation View: how is it built?

An operating system is part cop, part facilitator.

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 2

Application View of an Operating System

¯ The OS provides an execution environment for running programs.

– The execution environment provides a program with the processor time
and memory space that it needs to run.
– The execution environment provides interfaces through which a program
can use networks, storage, I/O devices, and other system hardware
components.
£ Interfaces provide a simplified, abstract view of hardware to application
programs.
– The execution environment isolates running programs from one another
and prevents undesirable interactions among them.

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 31

Other
WhatViews
is anofOperating
an Operating
System?
System

System View: The OS manages the hardware resources of a computer system.

¯ Resources include processors, memory, disks and other storage devices,
network
¯ Three viewsinterfaces, I/O devices
of an operating systemsuch as keyboards, mice and monitors, and
so on. View: what services does it provide?
Application
¯ The operating
System View: whatsystem allocates
problems doesresources
it solve? among running programs. It
controls the sharing of resources among programs.
Implementation View: how is it built?
¯ The OS itself also uses resources, which it must share with application
programs.
Implementation View: The OS is a concurrent, real-time program.
An operating system is part cop, part facilitator.
¯ Concurrency arises naturally in an OS when it supports concurrent
applications, and because it must interact directly with the hardware.
¯ Hardware interactions also impose timing constraints.

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 42

Application
Schematic View
Viewof
ofan
anOperating
OperatingSystem
System

User Programs

¯ The OS provides an execution environment for running programs.

system calls system call
– The execution environment provides a program
results with the processor time
and memory space that it needs to run. system call interface
– The execution environment provides interfaces through which a program
can use networks, storage, I/O devices, and other system hardware
Operating System
components.
£ Interfaces provide a simplified, abstract view of hardware to application
programs. commands data and interrupts
and data
– The execution environment isolates running programs from one another
and prevents undesirable interactions among them.

Resources

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 531

Other
Operating
WhatViews
is anof
System
Operating
an Operating
Abstractions
System?
System

System View: The OS manages the hardware resources of a computer system.

¯ The execution environment provided by the OS includes a variety of abstract
¯ Resources include processors, memory, disks and other storage devices,
entities that can be manipulated by a running program. Examples:
¯ Three network
viewsinterfaces, I/O devices
of an operating systemsuch as keyboards, mice and monitors, and
filessoand
on.file View:
systems: abstract view of secondary storage
Application what services does it provide?
address spaces:
¯ The operating abstract
system view of primary
allocates memory
System View: what problems doesresources
it solve? among running programs. It
processes,
controlsthreads: abstract
the sharing view ofamong
of resources program execution
programs.
Implementation View: how is it built?
¯ The OS
sockets, pipes:
itselfabstract view
also uses of network
resources, whichor it
other
mustmessage channels
share with application
programs.
¯ This course will cover
Implementation
– why theseView: The OS
abstractions areisdesigned
a concurrent, real-time
the way program.
they are
An operating system is part cop, part facilitator.
–¯ Concurrency arises naturally
how these abstractions in an OS when
are manipulated it supportsprograms
by application concurrent
applications, and because it must interact directly with the hardware.
– how these abstractions are implemented by the OS
¯ Hardware interactions also impose timing constraints.

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 642

Application
Schematic View
View
Course
of
ofan
an
Outline
Operating
OperatingSystem
System

User Programs

¯ Introduction
¯ The OS provides an execution environment for running programs.
¯ Processes and Threads system call
system
– The execution calls
environment provides a program
results with the processor time
¯ Concurrency andspace
and memory Synchronization
that it needs to run. system call interface
¯ Address
– The execution
Spaces andenvironment provides interfaces through which a program
Virtual Memory
can use networks, storage, I/O devices, and other system hardware
¯ Scheduling Operating System
components.
¯ Devices and Device
£ Interfaces Management
provide a simplified, abstract view of hardware to application
programs.
¯ File Systems commands data and interrupts
and data
– The execution environment isolates running programs from one another
¯ Interprocess Communication and Networking
and prevents undesirable interactions among them.
¯ Security

Resources

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 531

Other
Operating
WhatViews
is anof
System
Operating
an Operating
Abstractions
System?
System

System View: The OS manages the hardware resources of a computer system.

¯ The execution environment provided by the OS includes a variety of abstract
¯ Resources include processors, memory, disks and other storage devices,
entities that can be manipulated by a running program. Examples:
¯ Three network
viewsinterfaces, I/O devices
of an operating systemsuch as keyboards, mice and monitors, and
filessoand
on.file View:
systems: abstract view of secondary storage
Application what services does it provide?
address spaces:
¯ The operating abstract
system view of primary
allocates memory
System View: what problems doesresources
it solve? among running programs. It
processes,
controlsthreads: abstract
the sharing view ofamong
of resources program execution
programs.
Implementation View: how is it built?
¯ The OS
sockets, pipes:
itselfabstract view
also uses of network
resources, whichor it
other
mustmessage channels
share with application
programs.
¯ This course will cover
Implementation
– why theseView: The OS
abstractions areisdesigned
a concurrent, real-time
the way program.
they are
An operating system is part cop, part facilitator.
–¯ Concurrency arises naturally
how these abstractions in an OS when
are manipulated it supportsprograms
by application concurrent
applications, and because it must interact directly with the hardware.
– how these abstractions are implemented by the OS
¯ Hardware interactions also impose timing constraints.

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005

Intro 642

Application
Schematic View
View
Course
of
ofan
an
Outline
Operating
OperatingSystem
System

User Programs

¯ Introduction
¯ The OS provides an execution environment for running programs.
¯ Processes and Threads system call
system
– The execution calls
environment provides a program
results with the processor time
¯ Concurrency andspace
and memory Synchronization
that it needs to run. system call interface
¯ Address
– The execution
Spaces andenvironment provides interfaces through which a program
Virtual Memory
can use networks, storage, I/O devices, and other system hardware
¯ Scheduling Operating System
components.
¯ Devices and Device
£ Interfaces Management
provide a simplified, abstract view of hardware to application
programs.
¯ File Systems commands data and interrupts
and data
– The execution environment isolates running programs from one another
¯ Interprocess Communication and Networking
and prevents undesirable interactions among them.
¯ Security

Resources

CS350 Operating Systems Fall 2005