Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles - Chapter 1

Flashcards covering key concepts from Chapter 1 of Operating Systems: Internals and Design Principles.

Operating System

Software that exploits hardware resources, provides services to users, and manages secondary memory and I/O devices.

Processor

The central unit that controls the operation of a computer and performs data processing functions, often referred to as the Central Processing Unit (CPU).

Main Memory

Volatile storage that holds data and programs, often called real memory or primary memory, where information is lost when powered down.

I/O Modules

Components that move data between the computer and external environments, such as secondary storage and communication devices.

System Bus

The communication pathway among processors, main memory, and I/O modules enabling data transfer and instructions execution.

Cache Memory

A small, fast memory that provides high-speed data access to the processor by exploiting the principle of locality.

Direct Memory Access (DMA)

A method that allows certain hardware subsystems to access the main system memory independently of the CPU.

Interrupts

Signals that temporarily halt a processor's current tasks, allowing it to respond to high-priority events or actions.

Symmetric Multiprocessors (SMP)

A system with two or more similar processors that share the same main memory and I/O devices, designed for parallel processing.

Multicore Computer

A single silicon chip that contains multiple independent processors (cores), each able to perform tasks simultaneously.

Principle of Locality

The concept that memory references tend to cluster, enabling more effective caching and memory management strategies.

Replacement Algorithm

A strategy used in cache management which decides which data to remove when new data needs to be added, commonly using Least Recently Used (LRU).

Programmed I/O

A technique where the CPU continuously checks the status of an I/O module to determine when the operation is complete.

Interrupt-Driven I/O

A technique where the CPU issues an I/O command and continues processing, allowing the I/O device to signal when it is ready for data exchange.

Digital Signal Processors (DSPs)

Specialized processors used to handle streaming data like audio and video, focusing on tasks such as compression and encryption.

Graphical Processing Units (GPU’s)

High-performance processors designed to handle complex graphical computations and increasingly used for parallel processing tasks.