Operating Systems II – Revision Questions with answers
Level: Undergraduate
1. Define a Multitasking Operating System (OS).
Solution: A multitasking OS allows multiple programs or processes to run concurrently by sharing
CPU time through scheduling.
2. Identify the two main types of IPC mechanisms mentioned in the course outline.
Solution: The two main Inter■Process Communication mechanisms are Message Passing and
Shared Memory.
3. Name the three components whose interaction the course is designed to explain deeply.
Solution: Processes, Memory Management, and File Systems.
4. Define the term deadlock in the context of operating systems.
Solution: A deadlock occurs when a set of processes are permanently blocked because each
process is waiting for a resource held by another process.
5. State the primary purpose of a Semaphore in process synchronization.
Solution: A semaphore controls access to shared resources and prevents race conditions between
processes or threads.
6. List two classical synchronization problems (e.g., related to shared data or
producer/consumer).
Solution: Producer–Consumer Problem and Readers–Writers Problem.
7. What is the main purpose of an Inode or File Control Block (FCB)?
Solution: It stores metadata about a file such as its size, permissions, ownership, and disk location.
8. Identify the most common directory structure used in modern operating systems (like
Windows, macOS, and Linux).
Solution: The Tree■Structured Directory.
9. Explain the difference between a logical file system and a physical file system.
Solution: The logical file system manages file metadata and directory structures, while the physical
file system manages actual storage on disks.
10. List three file attributes typically stored within the file's metadata (e.g., in the FCB/Inode).
Solution: File size, access permissions, and owner/user ID.
11. Explain the primary difference between Segmentation and Paging in memory
management.
Solution: Segmentation divides memory based on logical program components such as code,
data, and stack. Paging divides memory into fixed■size pages and frames regardless of program
structure.
Level: Undergraduate
1. Define a Multitasking Operating System (OS).
Solution: A multitasking OS allows multiple programs or processes to run concurrently by sharing
CPU time through scheduling.
2. Identify the two main types of IPC mechanisms mentioned in the course outline.
Solution: The two main Inter■Process Communication mechanisms are Message Passing and
Shared Memory.
3. Name the three components whose interaction the course is designed to explain deeply.
Solution: Processes, Memory Management, and File Systems.
4. Define the term deadlock in the context of operating systems.
Solution: A deadlock occurs when a set of processes are permanently blocked because each
process is waiting for a resource held by another process.
5. State the primary purpose of a Semaphore in process synchronization.
Solution: A semaphore controls access to shared resources and prevents race conditions between
processes or threads.
6. List two classical synchronization problems (e.g., related to shared data or
producer/consumer).
Solution: Producer–Consumer Problem and Readers–Writers Problem.
7. What is the main purpose of an Inode or File Control Block (FCB)?
Solution: It stores metadata about a file such as its size, permissions, ownership, and disk location.
8. Identify the most common directory structure used in modern operating systems (like
Windows, macOS, and Linux).
Solution: The Tree■Structured Directory.
9. Explain the difference between a logical file system and a physical file system.
Solution: The logical file system manages file metadata and directory structures, while the physical
file system manages actual storage on disks.
10. List three file attributes typically stored within the file's metadata (e.g., in the FCB/Inode).
Solution: File size, access permissions, and owner/user ID.
11. Explain the primary difference between Segmentation and Paging in memory
management.
Solution: Segmentation divides memory based on logical program components such as code,
data, and stack. Paging divides memory into fixed■size pages and frames regardless of program
structure.
