Following are a few basic questions that cover the essentials of OS:

1. Explain the concept of Reentrancy.

It is a useful, memory-saving technique for multiprogrammed timesharing
systems. A Reentrant Procedure is one in which multiple users can share
a single copy of a program during the same period. Reentrancy has 2 key
aspects: The program code cannot modify itself, and the local data for
each user process must be stored separately. Thus, the permanent part
is the code, and the temporary part is the pointer back to the calling
program and local variables used by that program. Each execution
instance is called activation. It executes the code in the permanent part,
but has its own copy of local variables/parameters. The temporary part
associated with each activation is the activation record. Generally, the
activation record is kept on the stack.
Note: A reentrant procedure can be interrupted and called by an
interrupting program, and still execute correctly on returning to the
procedure.

2. Explain Belady's Anomaly.

Also called FIFO anomaly. Usually, on increasing the number of frames
allocated to a process' virtual memory, the process execution is faster,
because fewer page faults occur. Sometimes, the reverse happens, i.e.,
the execution time increases even when more frames are allocated to the
process. This is Belady's Anomaly. This is true for certain page
reference patterns.

3. What is a binary semaphore? What is its use?

A binary semaphore is one, which takes only 0 and 1 as values. They are
used to implement mutual exclusion and synchronize concurrent
processes.

4. What is thrashing?
It is a phenomenon in virtual memory schemes when the processor spends
most of its time swapping pages, rather than executing instructions. This
is due to an inordinate number of page faults.

5. List the Coffman's conditions that lead to a deadlock.

 Mutual Exclusion: Only one process may use a critical resource at a
time.
 Hold & Wait: A process may be allocated some resources while waiting
for others.
 No Pre-emption: No resource can be forcible removed from a process
holding it.
 Circular Wait: A closed chain of processes exist such that each
process holds at least one resource needed by another process in the
chain.

6. What are short-, long- and medium-term scheduling?

Long term scheduler determines which programs are admitted to the
system for processing. It controls the degree of multiprogramming. Once
admitted, a job becomes a process.
Medium term scheduling is part of the swapping function. This relates to
processes that are in a blocked or suspended state. They are swapped
out of real-memory until they are ready to execute. The swapping-in
decision is based on memory-management criteria.
Short term scheduler, also know as a dispatcher executes most
frequently, and makes the finest-grained decision of which process
should execute next. This scheduler is invoked whenever an event occurs.
It may lead to interruption of one process by preemption.

7. What are turnaround time and response time?

Turnaround time is the interval between the submission of a job and its
completion. Response time is the interval between submission of a
request, and the first response to that request.
8. What are the typical elements of a process image?
 User data: Modifiable part of user space. May include program data,
user stack area, and programs that may be modified.
 User program: The instructions to be executed.
 System Stack: Each process has one or more LIFO stacks associated
with it. Used to store parameters and calling addresses for procedure
and system calls.
 Process control Block (PCB): Info needed by the OS to control
processes.

9. What is the Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)?

In a cached system, the base addresses of the last few referenced
pages is maintained in registers called the TLB that aids in faster lookup.
TLB contains those page-table entries that have been most recently
used. Normally, each virtual memory reference causes 2 physical memory
accesses-- one to fetch appropriate page-table entry, and one to fetch
the desired data. Using TLB in-between, this is reduced to just one
physical memory access in cases of TLB-hit.

10. What is the resident set and working set of a process?

Resident set is that portion of the process image that is actually in real-
memory at a particular instant. Working set is that subset of resident
set that is actually needed for execution. (Relate this to the variable-
window size method for swapping techniques.)
11. When is a system in safe state?
The set of dispatchable processes is in a safe state if there exists at
least one temporal order in which all processes can be run to completion
without resulting in a deadlock.

12. What is cycle stealing?

We encounter cycle stealing in the context of Direct Memory Access
(DMA). Either the DMA controller can use the data bus when the CPU
does not need it, or it may force the CPU to temporarily suspend
operation. The latter technique is called cycle stealing. Note that cycle
stealing can be done only at specific break points in an instruction cycle.

13. What is meant by arm-stickiness?

If one or a few processes have a high access rate to data on one track of
a storage disk, then they may monopolize the device by repeated
requests to that track. This generally happens with most common device
scheduling algorithms (LIFO, SSTF, C-SCAN, etc). High-density
multisurface disks are more likely to be affected by this than low
density ones.

14. What are the stipulations of C2 level security?

C2 level security provides for:
 Discretionary Access Control
 Identification and Authentication
 Auditing
 Resource reuse

15. What is busy waiting?

The repeated execution of a loop of code while waiting for an event to
occur is called busy-waiting. The CPU is not engaged in any real
productive activity during this period, and the process does not progress
toward completion.

16. Explain the popular multiprocessor thread-scheduling strategies.

 Load Sharing: Processes are not assigned to a particular processor. A
global queue of threads is maintained. Each processor, when idle, selects
a thread from this queue. Note that load balancing refers to a scheme
where work is allocated to processors on a more permanent basis.
 Gang Scheduling: A set of related threads is scheduled to run on a set
of processors at the same time, on a 1-to-1 basis. Closely related threads
/ processes may be scheduled this way to reduce synchronization
blocking, and minimize process switching. Group scheduling predated this
strategy.
 Dedicated processor assignment: Provides implicit scheduling defined
by assignment of threads to processors. For the duration of program
execution, each program is allocated a set of processors equal in number
to the number of threads in the program. Processors are chosen from
the available pool.
 Dynamic scheduling: The number of thread in a program can be
altered during the course of execution.

17. When does the condition 'rendezvous' arise?

In message passing, it is the condition in which, both, the sender and
receiver are blocked until the message is delivered.

18. What is a trap and trapdoor?

Trapdoor is a secret undocumented entry point into a program used to
grant access without normal methods of access authentication. A trap is
a software interrupt, usually the result of an error condition.

19. What are local and global page replacements?

Local replacement means that an incoming page is brought in only to the
relevant process' address space. Global replacement policy allows any
page frame from any process to be replaced. The latter is applicable to
variable partitions model only.

20. Define latency, transfer and seek time with respect to disk I/O.
Seek time is the time required to move the disk arm to the required
track. Rotational delay or latency is the time it takes for the beginning
of the required sector to reach the head. Sum of seek time (if any) and
latency is the access time. Time taken to actually transfer a span of data
is transfer time.
22. What is time-stamping?
It is a technique proposed by Lamport, used to order events in a
distributed system without the use of clocks. This scheme is intended to
order events consisting of the transmission of messages. Each system 'i'
in the network maintains a counter Ci. Every time a system transmits a
message, it increments its counter by 1 and attaches the time-stamp Ti
to the message. When a message is received, the receiving system 'j'
sets its counter Cj to 1 more than the maximum of its current value and
the incoming time-stamp Ti. At each site, the ordering of messages is
determined by the following rules: For messages x from site i and y from
site j, x precedes y if one of the following conditions holds....(a) if
Ti<Tj or (b) if Ti=Tj and i<j.

23. How are the wait/signal operations for monitor different from those
for semaphores?
If a process in a monitor signal and no task is waiting on the condition
variable, the signal is lost. So this allows easier program design. Whereas
in semaphores, every operation affects the value of the semaphore, so
the wait and signal operations should be perfectly balanced in the
program.

24. In the context of memory management, what are placement and

replacement algorithms?
Placement algorithms determine where in available real-memory to load a
program. Common methods are first-fit, next-fit, best-fit. Replacement
algorithms are used when memory is full, and one process (or part of a
process) needs to be swapped out to accommodate a new program. The
replacement algorithm determines which are the partitions to be
swapped out.

25. In loading programs into memory, what is the difference between

load-time dynamic linking and run-time dynamic linking?
For load-time dynamic linking: Load module to be loaded is read into
memory. Any reference to a target external module causes that module
to be loaded and the references are updated to a relative address from
the start base address of the application module.
With run-time dynamic loading: Some of the linking is postponed until
actual reference during execution. Then the correct module is loaded and
linked.

26. What are demand- and pre-paging?

With demand paging, a page is brought into memory only when a location
on that page is actually referenced during execution. With pre-paging,
pages other than the one demanded by a page fault are brought in. The
selection of such pages is done based on common access patterns,
especially for secondary memory devices.

27. Paging a memory management function, while multiprogramming a

processor management function, are the two interdependent?
Yes.

28. What is page cannibalizing?

Page swapping or page replacements are called page cannibalizing.

29. What has triggered the need for multitasking in PCs?

Increased speed and memory capacity of microprocessors together with
the support of virtual memory and growth of client server computing.

30. What are the four layers that Windows NT have in order to achieve
independence?
Hardware abstraction layer
Kernel
Subsystems
System Services.

31. What is SMP?

To achieve maximum efficiency and reliability a mode of operation known
as symmetric multiprocessing is used. In essence, with SMP any process
or threads can be assigned to any processor.

32. What is the key object oriented concepts used by Windows NT?
Encapsulation
Object class and instance

33. Is Windows NT a full blown object oriented operating system? Give

reasons.
No Windows NT is not so, because its not implemented in object oriented
language and the data structures reside within one executive component
and are not represented as objects and it does not support object
oriented capabilities .

34. What is a drawback of MVT? (Multiprogramming with a variable

number of tasks)
It does not have the features like
ability to support multiple processors
virtual storage
source level debugging

35. What is process spawning?

When the OS at the explicit request of another process creates a
process, this action is called process spawning.

36. How many jobs can be run concurrently on MVT?

15 jobs

37. List out some reasons for process termination.

Normal completion
Time limit exceeded
Memory unavailable
Bounds violation
Protection error
Arithmetic error
Time overrun
I/O failure
Invalid instruction
Privileged instruction
Data misuse
Operator or OS intervention
Parent termination.

38. What are the reasons for process suspension?

1. swapping
2. interactive user request
3. timing
4. parent process request
39. What is process migration?
It is the transfer of sufficient amount of the state of process from one
machine to the target machine

40. What is mutant?

In Windows NT a mutant provides kernel mode or user mode mutual
exclusion with the notion of ownership.

41. What is an idle thread?

The special thread a dispatcher will execute when no ready thread is
found.

42. What is FtDisk?

It is a fault tolerance disk driver for Windows NT.

43. What are the possible threads a thread can have?

 Ready
 Standby
 Running
 Waiting
 Transition
 Terminated.

44. What are rings in Windows NT?

Windows NT uses protection mechanism called rings provides by the
process to implement separation between the user mode and kernel
mode.

45. What is Executive in Windows NT?

In Windows NT, executive refers to the operating system code that
runs in kernel mode.

46. What are the sub-components of I/O manager in Windows NT?

 Network redirector/ Server
 Cache manager.
 File systems
 Network driver
 Device driver

47. What are DDks? Name an operating system that includes this
feature.
DDks are device driver kits, which are equivalent to SDKs for writing
device drivers. Windows NT includes DDks.

48. What level of security does Windows NT meets?

C2 level security.
# What is MUTEX ?
short for mutual exclusion object. In computer programming,
a mutex is a program object that allows multiple
program threads to share the same resource, such as file
access, but not simultaneously. When a program is started, a
mutex is created with a unique name. After this stage, any
thread that needs the resource must lock the mutex from
other threads while it is using the resource. The mutex is set
to unlock when the data is no longer needed or the routine is
finished.
Mutex:

Is a key to a toilet. One person can have the key - occupy the toilet - at
the time. When finished, the person gives (frees) the key to the next
person in the queue.

Officially: "Mutexes are typically used to serialise access to a section of

re-entrant code that cannot be executed concurrently by more than one
thread. A mutex object only allows one thread into a controlled section,
forcing other threads which attempt to gain access to that section to
wait until the first thread has exited from that section."

(A mutex is really a semaphore with value 1.)

Semaphore:

Is the number of free identical toilet keys. Example, say we have four
toilets with identical locks and keys. The semaphore count - the count of
keys - is set to 4 at beginning (all four toilets are free), then the count
value is decremented as people are coming in. If all toilets are full, ie.
there are no free keys left, the semaphore count is 0. Now, when eq. one
person leaves the toilet, semaphore is increased to 1 (one free key), and
given to the next person in the queue.

Officially: "A semaphore restricts the number of simultaneous users of a

shared resource up to a maximum number. Threads can request access to
the resource (decrementing the semaphore), and can signal that they
have finished using the resource (incrementing the semaphore)."

# What isthe difference between a 'thread' and a 'process'?

# What is INODE?
# Explain the working of Virtual Memory.
# How does Windows NT supports Multitasking?
# Explain the Unix Kernel.
# What is Concurrency? Expain with example Deadlock and Starvation.
# What are your solution strategies for "Dining Philosophers Problem" ?
# Explain Memory Partitioning, Paging, Segmentation.
# Explain Scheduling.
# Operating System Security
.
# What is Semaphore?
# Explain the following file systems : NTFS, Macintosh(HPFS), FAT .
# What are the different process states?
# What is Marshalling?
# Define and explain COM?
# What is Marshalling?
# Difference - Loading and Linking ?
# What are the basic functions of an operating system?
# Explain briefly about, processor, assembler, compiler, loader, linker
and the functions executed by them.
# What are the difference phases of software development? Explain
briefly?
# Differentiate between RAM and ROM?
# What is DRAM? In which form does it store data?
# What is cache memory?
# What is hard disk and what is its purpose?
# Differentiate between Complier and Interpreter?
# What are the different tasks of Lexical analysis?
# What are the different functions of Syntax phase, Sheduler?
# What are the main difference between Micro-Controller and Micro-
Processor?
# Describe different job scheduling in operating systems.
# What is a Real-Time System ?
# What is the difference between Hard and Soft real-time systems ?
# What is a mission critical system ?
# What is the important aspect of a real-time system ?
# If two processes which shares same system memory and system clock
in a distributed system, What is it called?
# What is the state of the processor, when a process is waiting for some
event to occur?
# What do you mean by deadlock?
# Explain the difference between microkernel and macro kernel.
# Give an example of microkernel.
# When would you choose bottom up methodology?
# When would you choose top down methodology?
# Write a small dc shell script to find number of FF in the design.
# Why paging is used ?
# Which is the best page replacement algorithm and Why? How much
time is spent usually in each phases and why?
# Difference between Primary storage and secondary storage?
# What is multi tasking, multi programming, multi threading?
# Difference between multi threading and multi tasking?
# What is software life cycle?
# Demand paging, page faults, replacement algorithms, thrashing, etc.
# Explain about paged segmentation and segment paging
# While running DOS on a PC
, which command would be used to duplicate the entire diskette