Section 4 - Hardware and Software - Operating System

Question 1

What is hardware?

Answer 1

The physical components of a computer, along with its input, output and storage devices

Question 2

What is software?

Answer 2

All the programs that run on a computer

Question 3

What are the 2 main types of software?

Answer 3

• System software
• Application software

Question 4

What is system software?

Answer 4

The software needed to run the computer and application programs

Question 5

What are some examples of system software?

Answer 5

• Operating system
• Utility programs
• Libraries
• Programming language translators

Question 6

What is the operating system?

Answer 6

A program or set of programs that manage the operations of the computer for the user. It acts as a bridge between the user and the computers hardware, since a user cannot communicate with hardware directly

Question 7

What are the functions of the operating system?

Answer 7

• Memory management
• Processor scheduling
• Backing store management
• I/O control

Question 8

What are utility programs?

Answer 8

Utilities are a type of system software that performs a specific management function for a computer. For example, disk defragmentation or encryption software

Question 9

What is a disk defragmenter?

Answer 9

Utility programs that will reorganise a hard disk so that files that have been split up into blocks and stored all over the disk can be recombined into a series of sequential blocks, increasing file read times.

Question 10

What is a virus checker?

Answer 10

Utility programs that checks your hard drive (and sometimes incoming emails and internet downloads) for malware, before removing it

Question 11

What are libraries?

Answer 11

Ready-compiled programs which can be run when needed. Most compiled languages have their own libraries of pre-written functions that can be invoked in a defined manner from within the user’s program

Question 12

What extension do library files have in Windows?

Answer 12

.dll

Question 13

What are the 3 types of translators?

Answer 13

• Compilers
• Interpreters
• Assemblers

Question 14

What are the different types of application software?

Answer 14

• General-purpose software
• Special-purpose software
• Custom-written (bespoke) software
• Off-the-shelf software

Question 15

What is general-purpose software?

Answer 15

Software that can be used for many different purposes, e.g a word processor or graphics package

Question 16

What is special-purpose software?

Answer 16

Software that performs a single specific task/set of tasks, e.g payroll and accounts packages or hotel booking systems

Question 17

What is bespoke software?

Answer 17

Custom-made software designed specifically for a customers purposes. It is more expensive.

Question 18

What is off-the-shelf software?

Answer 18

Ready to use programs purchased from a store

Question 19

How is the operating system stored?

Answer 19

It is held in permenant storage

Question 20

What is the loader?

Answer 20

A small program held in ROM that, when a computer is switched on, sends instructions to load the operating system by copying it from storage into RAM

Question 21

What is an API?

Answer 21

An Application Programming Interface is a set of defined rules that enable different applications to communicate with each other

Question 22

What is memory management?

Answer 22

The process of controlling and coordinating a computer’s main memory. It ensures that blocks of memory space are properly managed and allocated so the operating system, applications and other running processes have the memory they need to carry out their operations. It also includes managing the limited amount of memory by utilising virtual memory

Question 23

What is virtual memory?

Answer 23

When the operating system copies a program from memory into the hard drive, temporarily storing it there when the program is not in use. When you switch back to the program the operating system will reload the data into memory

Question 24

What is processor scheduling?

Answer 24

With computers able to run multiple applications simultaneously, the operating system will allocate processor time to each application as they compete for the CPU

Question 25

What is multi-tasking?

Answer 25

Where a computer will run multiple programs at once with a singe core by carrying out small parts of multiple larger tasks at once

Question 26

What is the schedular?

Answer 26

The operating system module responsible for making sure that the processor time is used as efficiently as possible

Question 27

What are the objectives of the schedular?

Answer 27

• Maximise throughput
• Be fair to all users on a multi-user system
• Provide acceptable response time to each user
• Ensure hardware resources are kept as busy as possible

Question 28

What is a backing store?

Answer 28

Any type of non-volatile data storage

Question 29

How does backing store management work?

Answer 29

When a file/application is loaded the data is transferred from the backing store into memory. The operating system keeps a directory of where files are stored so they can be quickly accessed.

Question 30

What are the functions of a file management system?

Answer 30

It allows a user to:
- Move files and folders
- Delete files
- Protect others from unauthorised access

Question 31

What is peripheral management?

Answer 31

Where the operating system will communicate with input/output devices to coordinate how the data is sent between devices

Question 32

What is an interrupt?

Answer 32

A signal from a peripheral or software program that causes the operating system to stop processing its current list of instructions and think what to do next

Question 33

What is interrupt handling?

Answer 33

How the operating system handles interrupts and errors. When an error occurs the OS is responsible for detecting the interrupt signal and displaying an appropriate error message for the user