OPERATING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS Every computer and mobile device has an operating system. The functions include: PDF

Preview

Summary

2. OPERATING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS

Every computer and mobile device has an operating system. The functions include:...

Description

2. OPERATING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS Every computer and mobile device has an operating system. The functions include:        

Starting and Shutting Down Computers and Mobile Device Managing Programs Managing Memory Coordinating Tasks Monitoring Performance Establishing an Internet Connection Updating Operation Systems Software Providing A User Interface

Starting Computers and Mobile Device The start-up process: Step 1: turn on the computer or mobile device, the power supply r battery sends an electrical current to circuitry Step 2: the charge of electricity causes the processor chip to reset itself and finds the firmware that contains start-up instructions Step 3: the start-up process executes a series of test to check the various components. It include checking the buses, system lock, adapter cards, RAM chips, mouse, keyboard and drives Step 4: if the test successful, the kernel of the operating system and other used instructions load from the computer or mobile device’s internal storage media to its RAM. Step 5: the operating system in memory takes control of the computer or mobile device and loads system configuration information. The users interface appears on the screen and any start-up applications such as antivirus software run.

Shutting Down Computer and Mobile Devices To turn off the computer and mobile devices, you may be required to use operating system commands, press keyboard keys (s), push a power button or combination of these methods. Power options include shutting down (powering off) the computer or mobile device, placing it in sleep mode or placing it in hibernate mode. Both sleep mode and hibernate mode are designed to save time when you resume work on the computer or device.  

Sleep mode saves any documents and running programs or apps to RAM, turn off all unneeded functions, and then places the computer in a lower power state Hibernate mood by contrast, saves any open documents and running programs or apps to an internal hard drive before removing power from computer or device.

Managing Programs An operating system can be single-tasking or multitasking:  

A single-tasking operating system allows only one program or app to run at a time Multitasking operating system allows two or more programs or apps to reside in the memory at the same time.

When a computer is running multiple programs concurrently, one program is in the foreground and other are in the background. The one in the foreground is the active program that is the one you currently are using. The other programs running but not in use are in the background A multitasking operating system's user interface easily allows you to switch between foreground and background programs

Managing Memory The purpose of the memory management is to optimize the use of a computer or device's internal memory. The operating system allocates or assigns data and instructions to an area of memory while being processed

Coordinating Tasks Each device connected to a computer such as mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer card reader or smartphone

Monitoring Performance A performance monitor is a program that assesses and reports information about various computer resources and devices. For example, users can monitor the processor, drives, network and memory usage

Establishing an Internet Connection Operating system typically provide a means to establish Internet connection. You can wired connections such as cable and DSL or wireless connection such as Wi-Fi, mobile broadband and satellite

Updating Operating System Software Many programs including operating systems include an automatic update feature that regularly provides news features or corrections to the program With an operating system, these updates can include fixing programs errors, improving programs functionality, expanding program features and modifying devices drivers

Providing A User Interface User interface (UI) controls how you enter data and instructions and how information is displayed on the screen.

Graphical user interface: You interact with menus and visual images by touching, pointing, tapping or clicking button s to issue commands

Command-line interface: To configure devices, manage system resources, automate system management tasks and troubleshoot network connection, network administrators and other technical commands represented by short keywords or abbreviations or presses special keys to enter data and instructions....