1.5 Systems software

Question 1

What are operating systems?


Answer 1

They manage hardware and run software.

Question 2

What are the main functions of an operating system?

Answer 2

-Peripheral management and device drivers.
-Provide a user interface.
-Provide a platform.
-Memory management and multitasking.
-File management.
-User management.

Question 3

Why do operating systems use device driver software?

Answer 3

To communicate with internal hardware or peripherals connected to the computer system.

Question 4

What are device drivers?

Answer 4

Required by every piece of hardware connected to the computer system and acts as translator for the signals between OS and hardware.

Question 5

How does a device driver work?

Answer 5

1. When a computer is booted up, the OS will choose the correct device drivers for the hardware it detects.
2. If new hardware is connected to the computer, the system will install the new matching driver.

Question 6

What is a user interface?

Answer 6

Allows the user to interact with a computer system.

Question 7

What are the features of a user interface?

Answer 7

-Graphical User Interface.
-Command-line interface.

Question 8

What is a GUI (Graphical User Interface)?

Answer 8

Designed to make the user interface easy for everyday users by making them visual, interactive and intuitive.

Question 9

What specific input methods have GUI systems been optimised for?

Answer 9

-Windows.
-Icons.
-Menus.
-Pointers.

Question 10

What is a command-line interface?

Answer 10

-Text-based interface where the user enters specific commands to complete tasks.
-Not suitable for everyday users but more efficient and powerful than a GUI for advanced users.

Question 11

Why do operating systems provide a platform?

Answer 11

To run different applications.

Question 12

What is a multi-tasking OS?

Answer 12

An operating system that can run multiple applications at the same time.

Question 13

What is memory management?

Answer 13

-Allocates certain applications certain memory addresses to ensure their processes are placed into separate locations.
-This allows the OS to ensure that the applications don’t overwrite / interfere with each other so that the OS can run multiple applications.

Question 14

What are peripherals?

Answer 14

Hardware devices connected to a computer like a printer.

Question 15

What are the functions of user management?

Answer 15

-Create / delete individual users.
-Gives access levels to users like administrator rights / standard user rights.
-Auditing files a user creates / accesses / edits / deletes.

Question 16

What is the difference between single-user and multi-user operating systems?

Answer 16

Single-user operating systems only allow 1 user to use the computer at once whereas multi-user allows several users to use the computer at the same time.

Question 17

What are the functions of file management?

Answer 17

-Create, modify, and delete files and folders.
-Copy and duplicate files and folders.
-Move files and folders.
-Rename files and folders.
-Sort items into different orders like by name.
-Search for files and folders.
-Set access rights to files like read only / edit.

Question 18

What is utility systems software?

Answer 18

-Helps to maintain / configure a computer.
-Most utilities are already installed within an operating system however extra software can be installed to perform additional tasks.

Question 19

What are examples of utility system software?

Answer 19

-Encryption software.
-Defragmentation
-Data compression.

Question 20

Why is encryption software required?

Answer 20

Scrambles data to stop third-parties from accessing it and this ensures that intercepted / stolen data is still secure as only the intended readers can unscramble and understand the data with a special key.

Question 21

How is data decrypted using a key?

Answer 21

A computer uses the key and a set of instructions to turn the data back into its original form.

Question 22

Why is compression software required?

Answer 22

Reduces file size by permanently / temporarily removing data from them so that files take up less disc space and are quicker to download.

Question 23

Why is defragmentation software required?


Answer 23

Helps prevent further fragmentation by moving files to collect all the free space together and reorganises data on the hard drive to put fragmented files back together.

Question 24

Where are files stored?

Answer 24

On a hard disc in available spaces and ideal for entire files to be stored together.

Question 25

What is fragmentation?

Answer 25

-Lots of small gaps begin to appear on the hard disc when files are moved, deleted and change size.
-This makes reading and writing files slower as the read/write head has to move back and forth across the disc.