Here are 10 comprehensive long questions with detailed answers based on the "Operating
Systems" course content from your image. These are tailored for university-level exam
preparation:
1. Explain the structure of an operating system and its core functions.
Answer: An operating system (OS) acts as an intermediary between users and computer
hardware. The core structures include:
● Kernel: Manages CPU, memory, and devices.
● System Calls: Interface between user programs and the kernel.
● Shell: Command-line interpreter that sends user requests to the kernel.
● File System Management: Organizes, stores, and retrieves data.
● Memory Management: Allocates memory dynamically to processes.
● Process Management: Handles the creation, execution, and termination of processes.
The OS core functions include resource allocation, user interface management, device
control, security, and error handling.
2. Describe process management and explain process scheduling
algorithms with examples.
Answer: Process management deals with the creation, execution, and termination of
processes. The OS schedules processes using various algorithms:
● FCFS (First Come First Serve): Executes processes in order of arrival.
● SJF (Shortest Job First): Executes the process with the shortest burst time.
● Round Robin: Uses time slices for equal distribution of CPU time.
● Priority Scheduling: Assigns priority levels to processes.
● Multilevel Queue Scheduling: Divides the ready queue into multiple queues by priority
or process type. Each algorithm balances throughput, response time, and fairness.
3. What is synchronization in operating systems? Explain critical sections
and synchronization tools.
Answer: Synchronization ensures that concurrent processes do not interfere with each other
when accessing shared resources.
● Critical Section: A code section where shared resources are accessed.
● Problems: Race conditions and inconsistent data.
● Tools:
○ Mutex Locks
○ Semaphores
○ Monitors
○ Spinlocks Synchronization ensures data integrity and system stability.
4. Explain deadlocks. What are the necessary conditions and methods to
handle deadlocks?
Answer: A deadlock occurs when processes wait indefinitely for resources held by each other.
The four conditions for deadlock:
1. Mutual Exclusion
2. Hold and Wait
3. No Preemption
4. Circular Wait Handling methods:
● Prevention: Break at least one condition.
● Avoidance: Use Banker’s Algorithm to avoid unsafe states.
● Detection and Recovery: Detect using resource allocation graphs and recover by killing
or rolling back processes.
5. Describe memory management techniques in operating systems.
Answer: Memory management allocates and manages primary memory:
● Contiguous Allocation: Allocates a single continuous section.
● Swapping: Moves processes in/out of memory.
● Segmentation: Divides memory into logical segments.
● Paging: Divides memory into fixed-sized pages.
● Virtual Memory: Uses disk space as an extension of RAM (demand paging, thrashing).
Efficient memory management ensures process execution without delay or memory
leaks.
6. What is virtual memory? Explain demand paging and thrashing.
Answer: Virtual memory allows execution of processes that may not be fully in RAM.
● Demand Paging: Pages are loaded when needed, reducing memory use.
● Thrashing: Excessive paging causes performance issues. Page replacement algorithms
(e.g., LRU, FIFO) manage page loading. Virtual memory improves multitasking and
memory utilization.
7. Explain file systems in detail. How does the OS manage files and
directories?
Answer: The file system manages data storage:
● File Concepts: Name, type, location, size, protection.
● Directory Structure: Single-level, two-level, tree, DAG.
● Directory Operations: Create, delete, rename, traverse.
● File Operations: Read, write, append, delete.
● Space Allocation Methods: Contiguous, linked, indexed. File systems ensure efficient
storage, access, and organization of data.
8. Discuss disk structure and disk scheduling algorithms.
Answer: Disk structure includes platters, tracks, sectors. Access time depends on:
● Seek Time
● Rotational Latency
● Transfer Time Scheduling Algorithms:
● FCFS: In order of arrival.
● SSTF: Closest track first.
● SCAN: Moves back and forth like an elevator.
● C-SCAN: Circular version of SCAN. Efficient scheduling reduces seek time and
improves throughput.
9. Explain system protection and security mechanisms in modern operating
systems.
Answer: System protection prevents unauthorized access:
● Access Control: Based on user roles and permissions.
● Authentication: User identity verification.
● Encryption: Protects data confidentiality.
● Firewall & Antivirus: Protect against threats. Security models like Bell-LaPadula
(confidentiality) and Biba (integrity) are used. Protection ensures data safety, system
integrity, and user privacy.
10. Write a detailed note on virtual machines and their advantages in
modern computing.
Answer: Virtual machines (VMs) emulate hardware, allowing multiple OSs to run on one
physical machine.
● Types:
○ System VM: Full OS (e.g., VirtualBox, VMware).
○ Process VM: Runs a single application (e.g., JVM).
● Advantages:
○ Efficient resource use
○ Isolation of environments
○ Testing and development
○ Easy backup and recovery VMs support cloud computing, containerization, and
system testing.
Short question
1. What is an operating system?
An operating system is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources,
and provides services to applications.
2. What are system calls?
System calls are interfaces that allow user programs to request services from the operating
system's kernel.
3. What is a process?
A process is an instance of a program in execution, including the program code, data, and
system resources.
4. Define thread.
A thread is the smallest unit of a process that can be scheduled and executed independently.
5. What is process scheduling?
Process scheduling is the technique by which the OS decides which process gets the CPU for
execution.
6. What is the purpose of a scheduler?
A scheduler selects the next process to run based on a specific scheduling algorithm like FCFS,
SJF, or Round Robin.
7. What is context switching?
Context switching is the process of storing the state of a running process and loading the state
of another.
8. Define deadlock.
Deadlock occurs when a group of processes is blocked, each waiting for resources held by
others.
9. What is a critical section?
A critical section is a part of a program where shared resources are accessed and must be
protected from race conditions.
10. What are semaphores?
Semaphores are synchronization tools used to control access to shared resources in concurrent
programming.
11. What is paging in memory management?
Paging is a memory management scheme that eliminates the need for contiguous memory
allocation by using fixed-size blocks called pages.
12. Define segmentation.
Segmentation divides memory into variable-sized segments based on logical divisions like code,
stack, and data.
13. What is virtual memory?
Virtual memory allows the execution of processes that may not be completely in physical RAM,
using disk space as an extension.
14. What is demand paging?
In demand paging, pages are loaded into memory only when they are required, reducing
memory usage.
15. What is thrashing?
Thrashing occurs when excessive paging reduces system performance, causing the CPU to
spend more time swapping than executing processes.
16. What is a file system?
A file system organizes and manages how data is stored and retrieved on storage devices.
17. What is directory structure?
Directory structure refers to how files are arranged on storage – e.g., single-level, tree, or
hierarchical systems.
18. What is disk scheduling?
Disk scheduling decides the order in which disk I/O requests are processed to optimize
performance.
19. What is system protection?
System protection ensures that all processes and users access system resources in a controlled
and secure manner.
20. What is a virtual machine?
A virtual machine is a software emulation of a physical computer that runs an operating system
independently.
