FACILITIES/SERVICES BY AN OPERATING SYSTEM


The operating system is designed with a mechanism to provides varied services/facilities to the user in a computer system.

the main services/facilities provided by the operating system are the following:

1.  User's friendly interface


  • The operating system is designed and developed to improve man-machine capabilities.
  • All its facilities are to reduce the user's programming burden.
  • There is no need to write a complex set of commands to perform every task. The user interacts with the computer through the operating system.

2.  Resource management

I)  Processor management:-

  • Keep track of the processor and status of the process. The program that does this is called a traffic controller.
  • Allocate the processor to a process.
  • Deallocate processor when the processor is no longer required.
  • In multiprogramming, it decides which process gets the processor when and how much time.

II)  Memory management 

  • It keeps track of primary memory it means what part of it is in use by whom, what part is not in use etc.
  • Allocates the memory when the process or program requests it to do so.
  • Deallocate the memory when the process no longer needs it or has been terminated.
  • In multiprogramming, it decides which process will get memory when and how much.

III)  File management 

  • It keeps tracks of information, location, uses, status, etc.
  • Allocate resources.
  • Deallocates the resources.
  • Decide who gets the resources.

IV)  Device management

  • Keeps tracks of all devices.
  • Efficiently allocates the device.
  • Deallocate device.
  • Decides which process gets the device when and for how much time.

3.  Accounting

Sometimes we want to keep track of which users use. how much and what kinds of computer resources. So, the operating system provides all details.

4.  Security and protection

For security, Login/Logout commands are used in a multiuser environment for logging into out of the system.
Protection involves ensuring that all access to system resources is controlled.

5.  Error detection

The error may occur in the CPU, in memory, in I/O devices, or in the user program. For each type of error, the operating system should take the appropriate action to ensure correct and consistent computing.

6.  Secondary storage management

  • Free space management.
  • Allocation of storage space when new files have to be written.
  • Creation and deletion of files.

7.  Communication

Data transfer between two processes is required for some time. Both processes are on one computer or on different computers but connected through the computer network.