Software & OS

Question 1

What code is directly executable by a processor?

Answer 1

Machine Code

Question 2

What code is directly convertible to machine code?

Answer 2

Assembly Code

Question 3

What code has minimal abstraction from the processor?

Answer 3

Low-Level Code

Question 4

What is high level code?

Answer 4

Complete abstraction of the processor.

Question 5

What is firmware?

Answer 5

Software embedded in non-volatile memory, such as ROM.

Question 6

What level of code is firmware typically?

Answer 6

Machine Code

Question 7

What is an example of software for an information worker?

Answer 7

Excel, Access, Word, email

Question 8

What kind of application software are games?

Answer 8

Entertainment

Question 9

What is an example of Educational software?

Answer 9

Rosetta Stone

Question 10

This type of software is used for experiencing flight

Answer 10

Simulation

Question 11

Game development tools are an example of what type of application software?

Answer 11

Media Development

Question 12

What does CAD stand for?

Answer 12

Computer-Aided Development

Question 13

What is an example of product engineering software?

Answer 13

AutoCAD

Question 14

What does IDE stand for?

Answer 14

Integrated Development Environment

Question 15

What are some examples of Programming Tools?

Answer 15

Compilers, debuggers, interpreters, linkers

Question 16

What is a program or piece of software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves to be the core of some larger technology?

Answer 16

Killer App

Question 17

What was the first Killer App?

Answer 17

VisiCalc

Question 18

What program is needed to convert Assembly Code to Machine Code?

Answer 18

Assembler

Question 19

What are the 3 main OS duties?

Answer 19

1) Hardware interface
2) File management
3) Multitasking

Question 20

What program became the kernel?

Answer 20

The Monitor

Question 21

Which program is always running on the computer?

Answer 21

The Kernel

Question 22

What does the kernel do?

Answer 22

Connects the application software to the hardware of a computer.

Question 23

What is the first program to run when a computer is turned on?

Answer 23

Bootstrap program

Question 24

What signals an event?

Answer 24

Interrupt

Question 25

What are the two most common USES of interrupts?

Answer 25

1) I/O | 2) Time-sharing/ countdown timer

Question 26

What are the two TYPES of interrupts?

Answer 26

1) Polling | 2) Vectored

Question 27

What type of interrupt requires the OS to figure out which I/O device is ready to be read?

Answer 27

Polling

Question 28

What does an interrupt transfer control to?

Answer 28

The Kernel

Question 29

What is an Interrupt Vector

Answer 29

A table of pointers holding addresses for interrupt service routines

Question 30

How does the OS preserve the state of the CPU during an interrupt?

Answer 30

In the registers.

Question 31

What kind of interrupt is triggered by a currently executing instruction?

Answer 31

A Trap

Question 32

Dividing by zero is an example of:

Answer 32

A Trap Interrupt

Question 33

Time-Sharing is the evolution of:

Answer 33

Multiprogramming

Question 34

The OS keeping several programs in memory and switching execution between them is called:

Answer 34

Multiprogramming

Question 35

What are the 2 modes of operation with the OS?

Answer 35

1) User Mode | 2) Kernel Mode

Question 36

What are 3 other ways to say kernel mode?

Answer 36

1) Supervisor Mode 2) System Mode 3) Privileged Mode

Question 37

How is the current OS mode (user, kernel) indicated?

Answer 37

A bit called the mode. User mode = 1, Kernel mode = 0

Question 38

What mode does the computer start in?

Answer 38

Kernel mode

Question 39

When a system call occurs, what happens to the OS mode?

Answer 39

Switches from user to kernel

Question 40

In what mode are privileged instructions executed?

Answer 40

Kernel mode

Question 41

What kind of instruction is I/O control?

Answer 41

Privileged

Question 42

What kind of instruction is Timer Management?

Answer 42

Privileged

Question 43

What kind of instruction is Interrupt Management?

Answer 43

Privileged

Question 44

What kind of instruction is Reading Processor Status?

Answer 44

Non-privileged

Question 45

What kind of instruction is Reading System Time?

Answer 45

Non-privileged

Question 46

What kind of instruction is Context Switching?

Answer 46

Privileged

Question 47

What kind of instruction is Generating a Trap?

Answer 47

Non-privileged

Question 48

What kind of instruction is Sending a Final Printout?

Answer 48

Non-privileged

Question 49

What are the 8 services provided by the OS?

Answer 49

1) Program Execution 2) I/O Operations 3) File System 4) Communications 5) Resource Allocation 6) Accounting 7) Error detection 8) Security

Question 50

What is a system call?

Answer 50

Provides API to services by the OS

Question 51

What are the 6 categories of system calls?

Answer 51

1) Process Control 2) File Management 3) Device Management 4) Information Maintenance 5) Communications 6) Protection

Question 52

What is a process?

Answer 52

Any instance of a program in execution.

Question 53

What specifies the next instruction to execute in a process?

Answer 53

Program Counter

Question 54

Text Section (MEMORY)

Answer 54

The executable code

Question 55

Data Section (MEMORY)

Answer 55

Global variables

Question 56

Heap Section (MEMORY)

Answer 56

Memory that is dynamically allocated during program runtime

Question 57

Stack Section (MEMORY)

Answer 57

Local Variables and temporary storage when invoking functions.

Question 58

What is the highest level of memory?

Answer 58

Stack

Question 59

What is the lowest level of memory?

Answer 59

Text

Question 60

The data section of memory is split up into:

Answer 60

Uninitialized and Initialized data

Question 61

What are the three process states?

Answer 61

1) Running 2) Ready 3) Blocked

Question 62

What can cause a process to enter a blocked state?

Answer 62

An interrupt from an I/O device.

Question 63

What are the 4 sections of memory?

Answer 63

1) Text 2) Data 3) Heap 4) Stack

Question 64

What is a thread?

Answer 64

A unit of work inside a process

Question 65

What does the OS use to stay organized?

Answer 65

Process Control Block (PCB)

Question 66

What is a Process Control Block?

Answer 66

A data structure that holds process information such as instruction address, execution stack, resources, etc