Louisiana State University CSC 4103
Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+
What four components can a Computer System be divided into? - Correct answer-
1. Hardware (CPU, mem, I/O, graphics card, storage)
2. OS (controls and coordinates use of hardware)
3. Application Programs (define how the system resources are used to solve
computing problems..database, server, video games, browsers)
4. Users (people, machines, other computers)
How are the components of a computer system stacked up? - Correct answer-Users
> System and App programs > OS > hardware
What are the goals of a operating system? - Correct answer--Execute user
programs and make solving user problems easier
-Make the computer system convenient to use
-Use the computer hardware efficiently
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, What is the OS Kernel? - Correct answer-The one program running at all times on
the ocmputer
What is a bootstrap program / firmware - Correct answer--Loaded at power-
up/reboot
-Stored in ROM or EPROM
-initializes all aspects of the system from hardware to software
-Loads operating system kernel and stats execution
What is an interrupt? What does it mean to be interrupt-driven? - Correct answer--
A signal from a device attached to a computer or from a program within the
computer that causes the OS to stop and figure out what to do next.
-OS executes the first process and waits for some event to occur
-the address of the interrupted instruction must be saved
-interrupts are disabled while another is being processesed
What is the difference betwen Synchronous I/O and Asynchronous I/O? - Correct
answer--Control returns to user program upon I/O completion, wait instruction
idles the CPU until next interrupt
-Control returned to user program without waiting for I/O completion
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Exam Questions and Answers Graded A+
What four components can a Computer System be divided into? - Correct answer-
1. Hardware (CPU, mem, I/O, graphics card, storage)
2. OS (controls and coordinates use of hardware)
3. Application Programs (define how the system resources are used to solve
computing problems..database, server, video games, browsers)
4. Users (people, machines, other computers)
How are the components of a computer system stacked up? - Correct answer-Users
> System and App programs > OS > hardware
What are the goals of a operating system? - Correct answer--Execute user
programs and make solving user problems easier
-Make the computer system convenient to use
-Use the computer hardware efficiently
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, What is the OS Kernel? - Correct answer-The one program running at all times on
the ocmputer
What is a bootstrap program / firmware - Correct answer--Loaded at power-
up/reboot
-Stored in ROM or EPROM
-initializes all aspects of the system from hardware to software
-Loads operating system kernel and stats execution
What is an interrupt? What does it mean to be interrupt-driven? - Correct answer--
A signal from a device attached to a computer or from a program within the
computer that causes the OS to stop and figure out what to do next.
-OS executes the first process and waits for some event to occur
-the address of the interrupted instruction must be saved
-interrupts are disabled while another is being processesed
What is the difference betwen Synchronous I/O and Asynchronous I/O? - Correct
answer--Control returns to user program upon I/O completion, wait instruction
idles the CPU until next interrupt
-Control returned to user program without waiting for I/O completion
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
