Functions of Operating System

An operating system is a piece of software that manages files, manages memory, manages processes, handles input and output, and controls peripheral devices like disk drives and printers, among other things.

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In this article, we will dive deeper into the functions of operating systems according to the GATE Syllabus for (Computer Science Engineering) CSE. Keep reading ahead to learn more.

Table of Contents

What is an Operating System?
Why are Operating Systems Used?
What are the Functions of Operating Systems?
Services by OS

What is an Operating System?

An operating system is a software package that runs applications and serves as a communication link (interface) between the computer hardware and the user.

The allocation of services and resources, like devices, memory, processors, and information, is the primary duty of an operating system. A traffic controller, a scheduler, a memory management module, a file system, and I/O programs are all included in the operating system to manage these resources.

Why are Operating Systems Used?

Between the user and the computer hardware, an operating system serves as a communication bridge (interface). An operating system’s objective is to provide a platform for a user to run programs in an efficient and convenient manner.

An OS is a piece of software that controls how computer hardware is allocated. Hardware coordination must be appropriate to ensure the computer system’s proper operation and to prevent user programs from interfering with the system’s proper operation.

Example: We request or convey our orders to the OS in the same way as a boss delivers orders to his employees.

The primary purpose of the operating system is to make the computer environment more user-friendly, with a secondary goal of maximising resource utilisation.

What are the Functions of Operating Systems?

Security

To safeguard user data, the operating system employs password protection and other related measures. It also protects programs and user data from illegal access.

Control over System Performance

The operating system monitors the overall health of the system in order to optimise performance. To get a thorough picture of the system’s health, keep track of the time between system responses and service requests. This can aid performance by providing critical information for troubleshooting issues.

Job Accounting

The operating system maintains track of how much time and resources are consumed by different tasks and users, and this data can be used to measure resource utilisation for a specific user or group of users.

Error Detecting Aids

The OS constantly monitors the system in order to discover faults and prevent a computer system from failing.

Coordination between Users and Other Software

Operating systems also organise and assign interpreters, compilers, assemblers, as well as other software to computer users.

Memory Management

The operating system is in charge of managing the primary memory, often known as the main memory. The main memory consists of a vast array of bytes or words, each of which is allocated an address. Main memory is rapid storage that the CPU can access directly. A program must first be loaded into the main memory before it can be executed. For memory management, the OS performs the following tasks:

The OS keeps track of primary memory – meaning, which user program can use which bytes of memory, memory addresses that have already been assigned, as well as memory addresses yet to be used.
The OS determines the order in which processes would be permitted memory access and for how long in multiprogramming.
It allocates memory to the process when the process asks for it and deallocates memory when the process exits or performs an I/O activity.

Process Management

The operating system determines which processes have access to the processor and how much processing time every process has in a multiprogramming environment. Process scheduling is the name for this feature of the operating system. For processor management, the OS performs the following tasks:

It keeps track of how processes are progressing.
A traffic controller is a program that accomplishes this duty.
Allocates a processor-based CPU to a process. When a process is no longer needed, the processor is deallocated.

Device Management

A file system is divided into directories to make navigation and usage more efficient. Other directories and files may be found in these directories. The file management tasks performed by an operating system are: it keeps track of where data is kept, user access settings, and the state of each file, among other things. The file system is the name given to all of these features.

Services by OS

Furthermore, the operating system, in one form or another, provides certain services to the computer system. The OS provides users with a number of services, which can be summarised as follows:

1. Program Execution: The OS is in charge of running all types of programs, whether they are user or system programs. The operating system makes use of a variety of resources to ensure that all types of functions perform smoothly.

2. Handling Input/Output Operations: The operating system is in charge of handling various types of inputs, such as those from the keyboard, mouse, and desktop. Regarding all types of inputs and outputs, the operating system handles all interfaces in the most appropriate manner.

For instance, the nature of all types of peripheral devices, such as mice or keyboards, differs, and the operating system is responsible for transferring data between them.

3. Manipulation of File System: The OS is in charge of deciding where data or files should be stored, such as on a floppy disk, hard disk, or pen drive. The operating system determines how data should be stored and handled.

4. Error Detection and Handling: The OS is in charge of detecting any errors or flaws that may occur during any task. The well-secured OS can also operate as a countermeasure, preventing and possibly handling any type of intrusion into the computer system from an external source.

5. Resource Allocation: The operating system guarantees that all available resources are properly utilised by determining which resource should be used by whom and for how long. The operating system makes all of the choices.

6. Accounting: The operating system keeps track of all the functions that are active in the computer system at any one time. The operating system keeps track of all the facts, including the types of mistakes that happened.

7. Information and Resource Protection: The operating system is in charge of making the most secure use of all the data and resources available on the machine. Any attempt by an external resource to obstruct data or information must be foiled by the operating system.

The operating system provides all of these functions for the users’ comfort and to make programming easier. Operating systems of all types essentially perform the same functions. You can also read more on Operating System Services here.

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