Unit 523: Operating Systems Fundamentals and Advanced Concepts

1. Introduction to Operating Systems

• Definition and purpose of operating systems
• Core functions of an operating system
• Types of operating systems
  • Batch systems
  • Time-sharing systems
  • Distributed systems
  • Real-time systems
• Role in managing hardware and software resources

2. Operating System Structures

• Overview of OS architecture
• Monolithic systems
  • Characteristics
  • Advantages and disadvantages
• Layered systems
  • Concept of layering
  • Typical layers and their responsibilities
• Microkernel systems
  • Design principles
  • Benefits and challenges
• Hybrid systems
  • Combination of monolithic and microkernel
  • Examples

3. Process Management

• Definition of processes and threads
• Process lifecycle and states
• CPU scheduling algorithms
  • First-Come, First-Served (FCFS)
  • Shortest Job Next (SJN)
  • Priority Scheduling
  • Round Robin
• Process synchronization
  • Critical section problem
  • Semaphores and mutexes
• Interprocess communication (IPC)
  • Shared memory
  • Message passing
• Deadlock
  • Conditions for deadlock
  • Deadlock prevention, avoidance, and detection

4. Memory Management

• Memory hierarchy overview
• Memory allocation techniques
  • Contiguous allocation
  • Non-contiguous allocation
• Virtual memory concepts
  • Paging
  • Segmentation
• Page replacement algorithms
  • FIFO
  • LRU
  • Optimal
• Memory fragmentation
  • Internal vs external fragmentation
  • Compaction techniques

5. File Systems

• File concept and attributes
• File operations
  • Creation, deletion, reading, writing
• File organization and access methods
• Directory structure
  • Single-level
  • Two-level
  • Tree-structured
  • Acyclic graph
  • General graph
• File system mounting and sharing
• File system implementation
  • Allocation methods: contiguous, linked, indexed

6. Input/Output Management

• I/O devices overview
• I/O hardware and software layers
• Interrupt-driven I/O
• Device drivers
  • Role and types
• Direct Memory Access (DMA)
• Buffering techniques
  • Single, double, and circular buffers

7. Security and Protection

• Importance of security in OS
• Access control mechanisms
  • Access control lists (ACLs)
  • Capabilities
• Authentication methods
  • Passwords
  • Biometrics
  • Multi-factor authentication
• Encryption basics
• Security policies and models
  • Bell-LaPadula
  • Biba
  • Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

8. Operating System Virtualization

• Definition and benefits of virtualization
• Virtual machines
  • Full virtualization
  • Para-virtualization
• Containers
  • Concepts and differences from VMs
• Hypervisors
  • Type 1 (bare-metal)
  • Type 2 (hosted)
• Use cases and examples

9. Operating System Performance Tuning

• Monitoring system resources
  • CPU, memory, disk, network
• Identifying bottlenecks
• Performance metrics and tools
• Tuning strategies
  • Scheduling adjustments
  • Memory management tuning
  • Disk and I/O optimization

10. Case Studies in Operating Systems

• UNIX/Linux
  • Design principles
  • Strengths and challenges
• Windows OS
  • Architecture overview
  • Security features
• Mobile OS (Android/iOS)
  • Adaptations for mobile environments
• Emerging OS concepts
  • Cloud OS
  • Real-time OS examples