Operating Systems, 6th ed.
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Chapter 1
Operating Systems, 6th ed.
Test Bank
Chapter 1
Chapter 1 – Computer Systems Overview
True / False Questions:
12. T / F – Multiprogramming allows the processor to make use of idle time caused
by long-wait interrupt handling.
1. T / F – The operating system acts as an interface between the computer
hardware and the human user.
13. T / F – In a two-level memory hierarchy, the Hit Ratio is defined as the fraction of
all memory accesses found in the slower memory.
2. T / F – One of the processor’s main functions is to exchange data with memory.
3. T / F – User-visible registers are typically accessible to system programs but are
not typically available to application programs.
4. T / F – Data registers are general purpose in nature, but may be restricted to
specific tasks such as performing floating-point operations.
5. T / F – The Program Status Word contains status information in the form of
condition codes, which are bits typically set by the programmer as a result of
program operation.
14. T / F – Cache memory exploits the principle of locality by providing a small, fast
memory between the processor and main memory.
15. T / F – In cache memory design, block size refers to the unit of data exchanged
between cache and main memory
16. T / F – The primary problem with programmed I/O is that the processor must
wait for the I/O module to become ready and must repeatedly interrogate the
status of the I/O module while waiting.
6. T / F – The processing required for a single instruction on a typical computer
system is called the Execute Cycle.
7. T / F – A fetched instruction is normally loaded into the Instruction Register (IR).
Multiple Choice Questions:
8. T / F – An interrupt is a mechanism used by system modules to signal the
processor that normal processing should be temporarily suspended.
9. T / F – To accommodate interrupts, an extra fetch cycle is added to the
instruction cycle.
10. T / F – The minimum information that must be saved before the processor
transfers control to the interrupt handler routine is the program status word
(PSW) and the location of the current instruction.
11. T / F – One approach to dealing with multiple interrupts is to disable all interrupts
while an interrupt is being processed.
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1. The general role of an operating system is to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Act as an interface between various computers
Provide a set of services to system users
Manage files for application programs
None of the above
2. The four main structural elements of a computer system are:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Processor, Registers, I/O Modules & Main Memory
Processor, Registers, Main Memory & System Bus
Processor, Main Memory, I/O Modules & System Bus
None of the above
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d. All of the above
3. The two basic types of processor registers are:
a. User-visible and Control/Status registers
b. Control and Status registers
c. User-visible and user-invisible registers
d. None of the above
4. Address registers may contain:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Memory addresses of data
Memory addresses of instructions
Partial memory addresses
All of the above
5. A Control/Status register that contains the address of the next instruction to be
fetched is called the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Instruction Register (IR)
Program Counter (PC)
Program Status Word (PSW)
All of the above
6. The two basic steps used by the processor in instruction processing are:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Fetch and Instruction cycles
Instruction and Execute cycles
Fetch and Execute cycles
None of the above
7. A fetched instruction is normally loaded into the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Instruction Register (IR)
Program Counter (PC)
Accumulator (AC)
None of the above
8. A common class of interrupts is:
a. Program
b. Timer
c. I/O
9. When an external device becomes ready to be serviced by the processor, the
device sends this type of signal to the processor:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Interrupt signal
Halt signal
Handler signal
None of the above
10. Information that must be saved prior to the processor transferring control to the
interrupt handler routine includes:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Processor Status Word (PSW)
Processor Status Word (PSW) & Location of next instruction
Processor Status Word (PSW) & Contents of processor registers
None of the above
11. One accepted method of dealing with multiple interrupts is to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Define priorities for the interrupts
Disable all interrupts except those of highest priority
Service them in round-robin fashion
None of the above
12. In a uniprocessor system, multiprogramming increases processor efficiency by:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Increasing processor speed
Taking advantage of time wasted by long wait interrupt handling
Eliminating all idle processor cycles
All of the above
13. As one proceeds down the memory hierarchy (i.e., from inboard memory to
offline storage), the following condition(s) apply:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Increasing cost per bit
Decreasing capacity
Increasing access time
All of the above
14. Small, fast memory located between the processor and main memory is called:
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a.
b.
c.
d.
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WORM memory
Cache memory
CD-RW memory
None of the above
15. When a new block of data is written into cache memory, the following determines
which cache location the block will occupy:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Block size
Cache size
Write policy
None of the above
Fill-In-The-Blank Questions:
16. Direct Memory Access (DMA) operations require the following information from
the processor:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Address of I/O device
Starting memory location to read from or write to
Number of words to be read or written
All of the above
1. An operating system exploits the hardware resources of one or more processors
to provide a set of services to ________________.
2. Each location in Main Memory contains a _______________ that can be
interpreted as either an instruction or data.
3. Registers that are used by system programs to minimize main memory
references by optimizing register use are called _________________.
4. A special type of address register, required by a system that implements uservisible stack addressing, is called a __________________.
5. The ____________________ contains the most recently fetched instruction.
6. The processing required for a single instruction is called a(n) _______________
cycle.
7. A fetched instruction is normally loaded into the __________________.
8. An arithmetic overflow condition resulting from some instructional execution will
generate a(n) _________________ interrupt.
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Operating Systems, 6th ed.
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2 – Operating System Overview
9. To accommodate interrupts, a(n) ___________________ is added to the basic
instruction cycle.
10. The ___________________________ is part of the information that must be
saved prior to the processor transferring control to the interrupt handler routine,
and it tells the processor where to return control to the previously interrupted
program
11. A drawback to the disable interrupt strategy of dealing with multiple interrupts is
that it doesn’t account for __________________.
12. The concept of multiple programs taking turns in execution is known as
_______________.
13. The memory design dilemma (regarding cost vs. capacity vs. access time) is
solved by employing a(n) __________________.
14. _____________ exploits the principle of locality by providing a small, fast
memory between the processor and main memory.
15. The ____________________ chooses, within the constraints of the mapping
function, which block to replace when a new block is to be loaded and all cache
slots are already filled.
16. Interrupt-driven I/O, although more efficient than simple Programmed I/O, still
requires the use of the ________________ to transfer data between memory
and an I/O module.
True / False Questions:
17. T / F – An operating system controls the execution of applications and acts as an
interface between applications and the computer hardware.
18. T / F – The operating system maintains information that can be used for billing
purposes on multi-user systems.
19. T / F – The operating system typically runs in parallel with application programs,
on it’s own special O/S processor.
20. T / F – One of the driving forces in operating system evolution is advancement in
the underlying hardware technology.
21. T / F – In the first computers, users interacted directly with the hardware and
operating systems did not exist.
22. T / F – In a batch-processing system, the phrase “control is passed to a job”
means that the processor is now fetching and executing instructions in a user
program.
23. T / F – Uniprogramming typically provides better utilization of system resources
than multiprogramming.
24. T / F – In a time sharing system, a user’s program is preempted at regular
intervals, but due to relatively slow human reaction time this occurrence is
usually transparent to the user.
25. T / F – A process can be defined as a unit of activity characterized by a single
sequential thread of execution, a current state, and an associated set of system
resources.
26. T / F – A virtual memory address typically consists of a page number and an
offset within the page.
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27. T / F – Implementing priority levels is a common strategy for short-term
scheduling, which involves assigning each process in the queue to the processor
according to its level of importance.
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d. All of the above
19. The operating system is unusual in it’s role as a control mechanism, in that:
28. T / F – Complex operating systems today typically consist of a few thousand
lines of instructions.
29. T / F – A monolithic kernel architecture assigns only a few essential functions to
the kernel, including address spaces, interprocess communication and basic
scheduling.
a. It runs on a special processor, completely separated from the rest of the
system
b. It frequently relinquishes control of the system processor and must
depend on the processor to regain control of the system
c. It never relinquishes control of the system processor
d. None of the above
20. Operating systems must evolve over time because:
30. T / F – The hardware abstraction layer (HAL) maps between generic hardware
commands/responses and those unique to a specific platform.
31. T / F – Linux is one example of a modern UNIX system that implements a
modular architecture.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Hardware must be replaced when it fails
Users will only purchase software that has a current copyright date
New hardware is designed and implemented in the computer system
All of the above
21. A major problem with early serial processing systems was:
a.
b.
c.
d.
22. An example of a hardware feature that is desirable in a batch-processing system
is:
Multiple Choice Questions:
17. A primary objective of an operating system is:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Setup time
Lack of input devices
Inability to get hardcopy output
All of the above
Convenience
Efficiency
Ability to evolve
All of the above
a.
b.
c.
d.
Privileged instructions
A completely accessible memory area
Large clock cycles
None of the above
23. A computer hardware feature that is vital to the effective operation of a
multiprogramming operating system is:
18. The operating system provides many types of services to end-users,
programmers and system designers, including:
a. Built-in user applications
b. Error detection and response
c. Relational database capabilities with the internal file system
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a.
b.
c.
d.
Very large memory
Multiple processors
I/O interrupts and DMA
All of the above
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24. The principle objective of a time sharing, multiprogramming system is to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Maximize response time
Maximize processor use
Provide exclusive access to hardware
None of the above
25. Which of the following major line of computer system development created
problems in timing and synchronization that contributed to the development of
the concept of the process?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Multiprogramming batch operation systems
Time sharing systems
Real time transaction systems
All of the above
26. The paging system in a memory management system provides for dynamic
mapping between a virtual address used in a program and:
a.
b.
c.
d.
A virtual address in main memory
A real address in main memory
A real address in a program
None of the above
Operating Systems, 6th ed.
Test Bank
29. A technique in which a process, executing an application, is divided into threads
that can run concurrently is called:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Multithreading
Multiprocessing
Symmetric multiprocessing (SMP)
None of the above
30. WIN2K supports several types of user applications, including:
a.
b.
c.
d.
WIN32
Linux
System 10
None of the above
31. Key to the success of Linux has been it’s character as a free software package
available under the auspices of the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
World Wide Web Consortium
Free Software Foundation
Berkeley Software Distribution
None of the above
27. Relative to information protection and security in computer systems, access
control typically refers to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Proving that security mechanisms perform according to specification
The flow of data within the system
Regulating user and process access to various aspects of the system
None of the above
28. A common problem with full-featured operating systems, due to their size and
difficulty of the tasks they address, is:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Chronically late in delivery
Latent bugs that show up in the field
Sub-par performance
All of the above
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25. A process consists of three elements: an executable program, associated data,
and a(n) ________________, which includes all information needed by the
operating system and processor to manage and execute the process.
26. ___________________________ is a facility that allows programs to address
memory from a logical point of view, without regard to the physical amount of
main memory.
27. The __________________ queue in the operating system scheduling system
consists of processes that are in main memory.
Fill-In-The-Blank Questions:
17. The operating system’s ___________________ refers to its inherent flexibility in
permitting functional modifications to the system without interruption of services.
18. The operating system masks the details of the _______________ from the
application programmer.
28. The interface to an operating system is often referred to as a _______________,
because it separates the user from O/S details and presents the O/S simply as a
collection of services.
29. A __________________ operating system provides the illusion of a single main
memory space and a single secondary memory space, plus other unified access
facilities.
19. The _____________ is the portion of the operating system that remains in main
memory during system operation.
20. An operating system should be _______________ in construction, allowing it
greater flexibility in the evolutionary process.
21. The earliest computers employed ________________ processing, a name
derived by the way the users were forced to access the systems.
30. The executive, protected subsystems and applications in a WIN2K system are
structured using the _____________ computing model, which is a common
model for distributed computing.
31. Most UNIX systems are ____________________, in that they include virtually
all of the O/S functionality in a single large block of code that runs in a single
process with a single address space.
22. The special type of programming language used to provide instructions to a
monitor in a batch-processing scheme is called ________________.
23. The central theme of modern operating systems, based on the concept of
switching among multiple programs in memory, is called __________________.
24. In a time-sharing, multiprogramming system, users interact with the system
through _________________.
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Chapter 3 – Process Description and Control
42. T / F – The less-privileged processor execution mode is often referred to as
kernel mode.
True / False Questions:
32. T / F – The principal function of the processor is to execute machine instructions
residing in main memory.
43. T / F – The primary process table contains one entry per process, unless the
process spawns a new process, in which case the table contains multiple entries
for the parent process.
33. T / F – A process trace is a listing of the sequence of instructions that execute for
that process.
44. T / F – One kind of system interrupt, the trap, relates to an error or exception
condition in the currently running process.
34. T / F – The principal responsibility of the operating system is to control the
execution of processes.
35. T / F – When one process spawns another, the spawning process is referred to
as the child process and the spawned process is referred to as the parent
process.
45. T / F – In the Nonprocess Kernel approach to defining the relationship between
the O/S and the User Process, the O/S code is executed as a separate entity that
operates in privileged mode.
46. T / F – A typical UNIX system employs two Running states, to indicate whether
the process is executing in user mode or kernel mode.
36. T / F – Round-Robin processing refers to a method of thread prioritization for
scheduling.
37. T / F – The primary difference between the Two-State Process Model and the
Five-State Process Model is that the latter splits the Running state into two new
states: Ready and Blocked.
38. T / F – One solution to the problem of limited main memory space is swapping,
which involves moving all or part of a process from main memory to secondary
memory.
Multiple Choice Questions:
32. The behavior of a processor can be characterized by examining:
39. T / F – In order to define the control structures (e.g., tables) that the O/S needs to
manage processes and resources, it must have access to configuration data
during initialization.
a.
b.
c.
d.
A single process trace
Multiple process traces
The interleaving of the process traces
All of the above
40. T / F – The Process Image refers to the binary form of the program code.
33. The behavior of an individual process can be characterized by examining:
41. T / F – The portion of the Process Control Block that consists of the contents of
the processor registers is called the Process Control Information.
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a. A single process trace
b. Multiple process traces
c. The interleaving of the process traces
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d. All of the above
39. A Memory Table is an O/S control structure that is used by the O/S to:
34. The basic Two-State Process Model defines two possible states for a process in
relationship to the processor:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Running and Executing
Running and Not Running
Executing and Waiting
None of the above
35. There are a number of conditions that can lead to process termination, including:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Normal completion
Bounds violation
Parent termination
All of the above
a.
b.
c.
d.
Manage I/O devices
Manage processes
Provide information about system files
None of the above
40. The Process Image element that contains the collection of attributes needed by
the O/S to control a particular process is called the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
User Data
System Stack
Process Control Block
None of the above
41. The Process Image element that contains the modifiable part of the user space is
called the:
36. In the Five-State Process Model, the following represents a valid state transition:
a.
b.
c.
d.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Running -> Blocked
New -> Running
New -> Blocked
All of the above
37. In a Process Model that implements two suspend states, a valid state transition is
represented by:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Ready/Suspend -> Ready
Running -> Ready/Suspend
Ready -> Ready/Suspend
All of the above
User Program
System Stack
Process Control Block
None of the above
42. The processor execution mode that user programs typically execute in is referred
to as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
User mode
System mode
Kernel mode
None of the above
43. One step in the procedure for creating a new process involves:
38. The scheduling strategy where each process in the queue is given a certain
amount of time, in turn, to execute and then returned to the queue, unless
blocked is referred to as:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Prioritization
Round-Robin
LIFO
All of the above
a.
b.
c.
d.
Initializing the process control block
Allocating space for the process
Assigning a unique identifier
All of the above
44. A process switch may occur when the system encounters an interrupt condition,
such as that generated by a:
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b.
c.
d.
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Memory fault
Supervisor call
Trap
All of the above
45. In the Process Based O/S:
a.
b.
c.
d.
Major kernel functions are organized as separate functions
The User Process Image includes a kernel stack
O/S code and data are contained in the shared address space
None of the above
46. In a typical UNIX system, the element of the process image that contains the
processor status information is the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
System-level context
Register context
User-level context
All of the above
Fill-In-The-Blank Questions:
32. The listing of a sequence of instructions that execute for a particular process is
called a ___________________.
33. The behavior of a processor can be characterized by examining the interleaving
of the process ____________ for the processes currently running on the system.
34. The portion of the operating system that selects the next process to run is called
the _______________.
35. When the O/S creates a process at the explicit request of an existing process,
the action is referred to as _______________________.
36. A process that cannot execute until some event occurs is said to be in the
_______________ state.
37. In a system that implements two suspend states, a process that has been
swapped out of main memory and into secondary memory and that is also
awaiting an event is in the ________/________ state.
38. The scheduling strategy where each process in the queue is given a certain
amount of time, in turn, to execute and then returned to the queue, unless
blocked is referred to as _______________.
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39. The O/S control structure that the O/S uses to manage system processes is
called the ________________.
40. The User Data, User Program, System Stack and Process Control Block
elements collectively make up what is referred to as the __________________.
41. The Process Identification, Processor State Information and the Process Control
Information are the general categories that collectively make up what is referred
to as the _________________.
42. The processor typically maintains the current operating mode (i.e., user or
kernel) in the _________________.
43. The first step in creating a new process is to assign a unique ________________
to the new process.
44. The execution of a user process may be interrupted by a __________________,
which might be generated by the process requesting an I/O operation.
45. In the __________________ model for illustrating the relationship between the
O/S and User Processes, the O/S has its own region of memory to use and its
own system stack for controlling procedure calls and returns.
46. In the __________________ model for illustrating the relationship between the
O/S and User Processes, the O/S has its own region of memory to use and its
own system stack for controlling procedure calls and returns.
47. Process creation in a typical UNIX system is made by means of a kernel system
call named _______________.
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