Operating System Services: Core Concepts and Functions

Question 1

What is the principle of locality of reference in memory management?

Accepted Answer

Programs tend to access data frequently from the same location

Answer

Data is stored contiguously in memory

Answer

Memory is allocated in small, fixed-size blocks

Answer

The operating system does not need to manage memory

Question 2

What is the primary purpose of a buffer in input/output management?

Accepted Answer

To store data temporarily before it is transferred

Answer

To format data before it is written to disk

Answer

To compress data before it is transmitted

Answer

To encrypt data before it is stored

Question 3

What is the primary function of a semaphore in process synchronization?

Accepted Answer

To prevent multiple processes from accessing a shared resource simultaneously

Answer

To notify processes when an event has occurred

Answer

To schedule processes for execution

Answer

To terminate processes

Question 4

What is the main purpose of a page table in virtual memory management?

Accepted Answer

To translate virtual addresses into physical addresses

Answer

To store the actual contents of a page

Answer

To track the status of pages in memory

Answer

To manage the allocation of physical memory

Question 5

Which memory management technique allocates physical memory in variable-sized blocks called segments?

Accepted Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Paging

Answer

Virtual memory

Answer

Demand paging

Question 6

Which key advantage do device drivers offer for input/output operations?

Accepted Answer

Hardware independence

Answer

Improved performance

Answer

Simplified programming

Answer

Enhanced security

Question 7

What is the main function of a scheduler in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Determining the sequence of process execution

Answer

Allocating system resources to processes

Answer

Handling interrupts and exceptions

Answer

Managing memory for running processes

Question 8

Which file access method allows a process to access any part of a file directly, without needing to read or write the preceding data?

Accepted Answer

Random access

Answer

Sequential access

Answer

Direct access

Answer

Indexed access

Question 9

In the context of real-time operating systems, what is the primary distinction between hard and soft real-time systems?

Accepted Answer

Hard real-time systems guarantee timely task completion, while soft real-time systems do not.

Answer

Soft real-time systems guarantee timely task completion, while hard real-time systems do not.

Answer

Hard real-time systems are primarily used in embedded systems, while soft real-time systems are used in desktop computers.

Answer

Soft real-time systems are primarily used in embedded systems, while hard real-time systems are used in desktop computers.

Question 10

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental component of a virtual memory system?

Accepted Answer

Segmentation register

Answer

Page table

Answer

Translation lookaside buffer (TLB)

Answer

Demand pager

Question 11

What is the primary purpose of a mutex in an operating system environment?

Accepted Answer

Protecting shared resources from concurrent access

Answer

Synchronizing the execution of multiple processes

Answer

Managing memory allocation for running processes

Answer

Handling input/output operations efficiently

Question 12

Within an operating system, the primary purpose of the file system is to:

Accepted Answer

Manage storage and retrieval of files on secondary storage devices, such as hard drives or solid-state drives.

Answer

Execute processes and manage their execution.

Answer

Manage input and output devices, such as keyboards and printers.

Answer

Provide a user interface for interacting with the operating system.

Question 13

In I/O management, the process of transferring data between main memory and I/O devices typically involves organizing the data into units called:

Accepted Answer

Blocks

Answer

Segments

Answer

Pages

Answer

Frames

Question 14

In virtual memory management, the function of a page table is to:

Accepted Answer

Translate virtual memory addresses generated by processes into physical memory addresses.

Answer

Keep track of which physical memory pages are currently in use.

Answer

Detect and prevent memory leaks that could occur during program execution.

Answer

Handle memory protection violations to ensure that programs do not access memory they are not authorized to access.

Question 15

Which scheduling algorithm is specifically designed to minimize the average waiting time for processes in the system?

Accepted Answer

Shortest job first

Answer

First-come first-served

Answer

Round-robin

Answer

Priority scheduling

Question 16

A primary advantage of using a demand paging algorithm in memory management is:

Accepted Answer

Reduced memory usage by only loading the necessary portions of the program into memory.

Answer

Improved system performance by reducing the time spent on memory management tasks.

Answer

Simplified memory allocation by making the process more intuitive and straightforward.

Answer

Enhanced security by providing protection against unauthorized access to memory.

Question 17

Well-designed operating system file systems typically exhibit all of the following characteristics, EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

Complexity: featuring intricate and convoluted structures for advanced functionality.

Answer

Reliability: ability to maintain data integrity and recover from failures.

Answer

Efficiency: optimizing performance and minimizing resource usage.

Answer

User-friendliness: providing an intuitive and accessible interface for users.

Question 18

In an operating system, the primary responsibility of a device driver is to:

Accepted Answer

Translate high-level I/O requests into device-specific commands that the I/O device can understand.

Answer

Manage memory allocation for I/O operations, ensuring that each I/O operation has the necessary memory resources.

Answer

Schedule access to I/O devices, determining the order in which I/O requests are processed.

Answer

Handle user input and output, providing a means for users to interact with the operating system.

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a foundational service provided by operating systems?

Accepted Answer

Network management

Answer

Process management

Answer

Memory management

Answer

File management

Question 20

What is the primary objective of memory management in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To allocate and manage memory resources efficiently

Answer

To schedule processes and threads

Answer

To manage input and output devices

Answer

To store and retrieve files from disk

Question 21

Which scheduling algorithm assigns processes to the CPU based on their designated priority?

Accepted Answer

Priority scheduling

Answer

First-come, first-served

Answer

Round-robin

Answer

Shortest job first

Question 22

What is the primary goal of file system caching within an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To enhance the performance of file operations

Answer

To ensure the integrity and accuracy of data

Answer

To prevent unauthorized file access

Answer

To optimize disk space utilization

Question 23

Which file system type enables access to files both locally and remotely?

Accepted Answer

NFS

Answer

NTFS

Answer

FAT32

Answer

ext4

Question 24

What is the key distinction between user-level threads and kernel-level threads?

Accepted Answer

Kernel-level threads are managed by the operating system, whereas user-level threads are managed by the application.

Answer

User-level threads are managed by the operating system, whereas kernel-level threads are managed by the application.

Answer

Both user-level threads and kernel-level threads are managed by the operating system.

Answer

Both user-level threads and kernel-level threads are managed by the application.

Question 25

Which of the following is a key component of a deadlock prevention algorithm?

Accepted Answer

Circular wait detection

Answer

Resource preemption

Answer

Hold and wait

Answer

Wound-wait

Question 26

What is the primary function of an operating system's device driver?

Accepted Answer

To provide a standardized interface between the operating system and hardware devices

Answer

To schedule access to hardware resources

Answer

To perform data transformations for specific devices

Answer

To optimize the performance of hardware devices

Question 27

Which term describes the process of managing the allocation and release of memory for processes?

Accepted Answer

Memory management

Answer

Paging

Answer

Swapping

Answer

Segmentation

Question 28

Which scheduling algorithm prioritizes processes based on their remaining execution time, aiming to minimize average waiting time?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Job First

Answer

First-come First-served

Answer

Round-robin

Answer

Priority Scheduling

Question 29

Identify the mechanism employed by the OS to coordinate access to shared resources and prevent conflicts?

Accepted Answer

Synchronization

Answer

Multiplexing

Answer

Deadlock prevention

Answer

Resource allocation

Question 30

Which of the following is not a responsibility of the I/O subsystem in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Compiling user programs

Answer

Managing I/O devices

Answer

Providing buffering

Answer

Scheduling I/O requests

Question 31

Which deadlock prevention mechanism involves establishing an ordering among resources to ensure that processes acquire them in a specific sequence?

Accepted Answer

Resource ordering

Answer

Hold and wait

Answer

Wound-wait

Answer

Starvation avoidance

Question 32

Identify the concept that involves utilizing multiple processors to execute multiple tasks simultaneously, increasing system throughput:

Accepted Answer

Multiprocessing

Answer

Multitasking

Answer

Multithreading

Answer

Parallel processing

Question 33

Which memory allocation technique allocates memory in blocks of a predetermined size?

Accepted Answer

Fixed-size partitioning

Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Buddy allocation

Question 34

Which of the following is **not** a core service provided by operating systems?

Accepted Answer

Application development

Answer

Process management

Answer

Memory management

Answer

File management

Question 35

Which process scheduler algorithm aims to minimize the average waiting time of processes?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Round Robin

Answer

Priority scheduling

Question 36

Which memory management technique utilizes fixed-sized memory blocks called pages?

Accepted Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Virtual memory

Answer

Base and limit registers

Question 37

What is the primary purpose of a file allocation table (FAT)?

Accepted Answer

To track the location of data blocks within a file

Answer

To store the contents of a file

Answer

To provide access control to files

Answer

To manage the hierarchy of directories

Question 38

Which characteristic distinguishes real-time operating systems?

Accepted Answer

Deterministic response to events

Answer

Ability to manage numerous concurrent tasks

Answer

Focus on user-friendliness

Answer

Emphasis on resource optimization

Question 39

Which potential drawback is associated with using semaphores for synchronization?

Accepted Answer

Deadlocks can occur if not used properly

Answer

They consume system resources

Answer

They introduce complexity into the system

Answer

They require specialized hardware support

Question 40

What is the primary function of a system call in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To provide a controlled interface between user programs and the kernel

Answer

To execute user-defined functions

Answer

To manage the allocation of system resources

Answer

To grant direct access to hardware devices

Question 41

Which of the following services is NOT provided by an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Application software development

Answer

Process management

Answer

File management

Answer

Memory management

Question 42

Which component of an operating system is responsible for allocating and managing memory resources?

Accepted Answer

Memory manager

Answer

Device driver

Answer

File system

Answer

Process scheduler

Question 43

Which scheduling algorithm provides equal time slices to processes, ensuring fairness?

Accepted Answer

Round-robin scheduling

Answer

Priority scheduling

Answer

First-in, first-out (FIFO) scheduling

Answer

Shortest job first (SJF) scheduling

Question 44

Which data structure is commonly used to represent a hierarchical directory structure in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Tree

Answer

Linked list

Answer

Array

Answer

Hash table

Question 45

A primary objective of input/output management in an operating system is to:

Accepted Answer

Efficiently transfer data between devices and applications

Answer

Manage user accounts and permissions

Answer

Coordinate access to shared resources

Question 46

Which is an advantage of using a virtual memory system in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Extends the amount of physical memory available to processes

Answer

Eliminates the need for caching

Answer

Improves processor performance

Question 47

A potential drawback of using multithreading in an operating system is:

Accepted Answer

Increased synchronization overhead

Answer

Improved performance

Answer

Simpler program design

Answer

Reduced memory consumption

Question 48

Which type of file system stores data in fixed-size blocks?

Accepted Answer

Block-oriented

Answer

Character-oriented

Answer

Object-oriented

Answer

Database-oriented

Question 49

Which of the following devices is an output device?

Accepted Answer

Printer

Answer

Mouse

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Microphone