System Software

Nizamettin AYDIN
naydin@yildiz.edu.tr
http://www.yildiz.edu.tr/~naydin
Bilgisayar Donanımı

System Software

2
Introduction

• The biggest and fastest computer in the world

is of no use if it cannot efficiently provide
beneficial services to its users.
• Users see the computer through their
application programs. These programs are
ultimately executed by computer hardware.
• System software-- in the form of operating
systems and middleware-- is the glue that
holds everything together.

3
Operating Systems - Objectives and Functions

• Convenience
—An operating system makes a computer easier
to use
• Efficiency
—An operating system allows better use of
computer resources

4
Layers and Views of a Computer System

5
Operating System Services
• Program creation
• Program execution
• Access to I/O devices
• Controlled access to files
• System access
• Error detection and response
• Accounting

6
O/S as a Resource Manager
• A computer is a set of resources for the
movement, storage, and processing of
data and for the control of these functions
• The O/S is responsible for managing these
resources
• O/S is a program executed by the
processor
• The O/S frequently relinquishes control
and must depend on the processor to
allow it to regain control

7
Main Resources managed by the O/S

8
Types of Operating System
• Interactive
—User/programmer interacts directly with the
computer through a keyboard/display terminal
• Batch
—Opposite of interactive. Rare
• Single program (Uni-programming)
—Works only one program at atime
• Multi-programming (Multi-tasking)
—Processor works on more than one program at
a time

9
Early Systems

• Late 1940s to mid 1950s

—No Operating System
—Programs interact directly with hardware
• Two main problems:
—Scheduling:
—Setup time

10
Simple Batch Systems

• Resident Monitor program

• Users submit jobs to operator
• Operator batches jobs
• Monitor controls sequence of events to
process batch
• When one job is finished, control returns
to Monitor which reads next job
• Monitor handles scheduling

11
Memory Layout for Resident Monitor

12
Multi-programmed Batch Systems

• I/O devices very slow

• When one program is waiting for I/O,
another can use the CPU

13
Multi-programmed Batch Systems

• Following illustrates the problem:

— The calculation concerns a program that processes a
file of records
— and performs, on average, 100 processor instructions
per record.
• In this example the computer spends over 96%
of its time waiting for I/O devices to finish
transferring data.

System utilization example

14
Single Program

15
Multi-Programming with Two Programs

16
Multi-Programming with Three Programs

17
Example- benefits of mutiprogramming
• Consider a computer with 250 MBytes of memory,
a disk, a terminal, and a printer.
— Three programs, JOB1, JOB2, and JOB3, are submitted for
execution at the same time with the following attributes:

• We assume minimal processor requirements for

JOB2 and JOB3, and continuous disk and printer use
by JOB3.
• For a simple batch environment, these jobs will be
executed in sequence

18
Utilization histograms

19
Effects of Multiprogramming on Resource Utilization

20
Operating Systems

• The evolution of operating systems has paralleled

the evolution of computer hardware.
—As hardware became more powerful, operating
systems allowed people to more easily manage
the power of the machine.
• In the days when main memory was measured in
kilobytes, and tape drives were the only form of
magnetic storage, operating systems were simple
resident monitor programs.
—The resident monitor could only load, execute,
and terminate programs.

21
Operating Systems

• In the 1960s, hardware has become powerful

enough to accommodate multiprogramming,
—the concurrent execution of more than one task.

• Multiprogramming is achieved by allocating each

process a given portion of CPU time (a timeslice).
• Interactive multiprogramming systems were
called timesharing systems.
—When a process is taken from the CPU and
replaced by another, we say that a context
switch has occurred.

22
Operating Systems

• Today, multiprocessor systems have become

commonplace.
—They present an array of challenges to the
operating system designer,
– including the manner in which the processors will be
synchronized,
– and how to keep their activities from interfering with
each other.
• Tightly coupled multiprocessor systems share a
common memory and the same set of I/O devices.
—Symmetric multiprocessor systems are tightly
coupled and load balanced.

23
Operating Systems

• Loosely coupled multiprocessor systems have

physically separate memory.
—These are often called distributed systems.
—Another type of distributed system is a
networked system, which consists of a
collection of interconnected, collaborating
workstations.
• Real time operating systems control computers that
respond to their environment.
—Hard real time systems have tight timing
constraints, soft real time systems do not.

24
Operating Systems

• Personal computer operating systems are designed

for ease of use rather than high performance.
• The idea that revolutionized small computer
operating systems was the BIOS
—(basic input-output operating system) chip that permitted a
single operating system to function on different types of
small systems.
—The BIOS takes care of the details involved in
addressing divergent peripheral device
designs and protocols.

25
Operating Systems

• Operating systems having graphical user interfaces

were first brought to market in the 1980s.
• At one time, these systems were considered
appropriate only for desktop publishing and games.
• Today they are seen as technology enablers for
users with little formal computer education.
• Once solely a server operating system, Linux holds
the promise of bringing Unix to ordinary desktop
systems.

26
Operating Systems

• Two operating system components are crucial:

— The kernel
— and the system programs.
• As the core of the operating system, the kernel performs
– scheduling,
– synchronization,
– memory management,
– interrupt handling
– and it provides security and protection.
• Microkernel systems provide minimal functionality, with most
services carried out by external programs.
• Monolithic systems provide most of their services within a
single operating system program.

27
Operating Systems

• Microkernel systems provide better security, easier

maintenance, and portability at the expense of
execution speed.
—Examples are Windows 2000, Mach, and QNX.
—Symmetric multiprocessor computers are ideal
platforms for microkernel operating systems.
• Monolithic systems give faster execution speed, but
are difficult to port from one architecture to another.
—Examples are Linux, MacOS, and DOS.

28
Operating Systems

• Process management lies at the heart of operating

system services.
—The operating system creates processes,
schedules their access to resources, deletes
processes, and deallocates resources that were
allocated during process execution.
• The operating system monitors the activities of each
process to avoid synchronization problems that can
occur when processes use shared resources.
• If processes need to communicate with one another,
the operating system provides the services.

29
Operating Systems

• The operating system schedules process execution.

• First, the operating system determines which process
shall be granted access to the CPU.
—This is long-term scheduling.
• After a number of processes have been admitted, the
operating system determines which one will have
access to the CPU at any particular moment.
—This is short-term scheduling.
• Context switches occur when a process is taken from
the CPU and replaced by another process.
—Information relating to the state of the process
is preserved during a context switch.

30
Scheduling

• Scheduling is key to multi-programming

• A process is:
—A program in execution
—The “animated spirit” of a program
—That entity to which a processor is assigned
• Types of scheduling:

31
Long Term Scheduling

• Determines which programs are submitted

for processing
• i.e. controls the degree of multi-
programming
• Once submitted, a job becomes a process
for the short term scheduler
• (or it becomes a swapped out job for the
medium term scheduler)

32
Medium Term Scheduling

• Part of the swapping function

• Usually based on the need to manage
multi-programming
• If no virtual memory, memory
management is also an issue

33
Short Term Scheduler

• Also known as Dispatcher, executes frequently and

makes the fine grained decisions of which job to
execute next
• i.e. which job actually gets to use the processor in
the next time slot
• 5 define states in a process state:
—New: A program is admitted by the high-level
schedular but is not yet ready to execute
—Ready: The process is ready to execute
—Running: The prcess is being executed
—Waiting: The process is suspended, waiting for
some system resources
—Halted: The process has terminated and will be
destroyed by the O/S.
34
Five State Process Model

35
Process Control Block

• Identifier
• State
• Priority
• Program counter
• Memory pointers
• Context data
• I/O status
• Accounting
information

36
Scheduling Example

37
Key Elements of O/S for Multiprogramming

38
Queuing Diagram Representation of
Process Scheduling

39
Operating Systems

• Four approaches to CPU scheduling are:

—First-come, first-served where jobs are serviced
in arrival sequence and run to completion if they
have all of the resources they need.
—Shortest job first where the smallest jobs get
scheduled first. (The trouble is in knowing which
jobs are shortest!)
—Round robin scheduling where each job is allotted
a certain amount of CPU time. A context switch
occurs when the time expires.
—Priority scheduling preempts a job with a lower
priority when a higher-priority job needs the CPU.

40
Programming Tools

• Programming tools carry out the mechanics of software

creation within the confines of the operating system
and hardware environment.
• Assemblers are the simplest of all programming tools.
They translate mnemonic instructions to machine code.
• Most assemblers carry out this translation in two
passes over the source code.
—The first pass partially assembles the code and
builds the symbol table
—The second pass completes the instructions by
supplying values stored in the symbol table.

41
Programming Tools

• The output of most assemblers is a stream of

relocatable binary code.
—In relocatable code, operand addresses are relative
to where the operating system chooses to load the
program.
—Absolute (nonrelocatable) code is most suitable for
device and operating system control programming.
• When relocatable code is loaded for execution, special
registers provide the base addressing.
• Addresses specified within the program are interpreted
as offsets from the base address.

42
Programming Tools

• The process of assigning physical addresses to

program variables is called binding.
• Binding can occur at compile time, load time, or run
time.
• Compile time binding gives us absolute code.
• Load time binding assigns physical addresses as the
program is loaded into memory.
—With load time, binding the program cannot be
moved!
• Run time binding requires a base register to carry out
the address mapping.

43
 Programming Tools

• On most systems, binary instructions must pass

through a link editor (or linker) to create an
executable module.
• Link editors incorporate various binary routines into
a single executable file as called for by a program’s
external symbols.
• Like assemblers, link editors perform two passes:
The first pass creates a symbol table and the
second resolves references to the values in the
symbol table.

“BLGM5519” “BİLGİSAYAR DONANIMI” “BAHÇEŞEHİR ÜNİVERSİTESİ” “GÜZ 2008” “Dr. N AYDIN” 44

Programming Tools

45
Programming Tools

• Dynamic linking is when the link editing is delayed

until load time or at run time.
• External modules are loaded from dynamic link
libraries (DLLs).
• Load time dynamic linking slows down program
loading, but calls to the DLLs are faster.
• Run time dynamic linking occurs when an external
module is first called, causing slower execution time.
—Dynamic linking makes program modules
smaller, but carries the risk that the
programmer may not have control over the DLL.

46
Programming Tools

• Assembly language is considered a “second

generation” programming language (2GL).
• Compiled programming languages, such as C,
C++, Pascal, and COBOL, are “third generation”
languages (3GLs).
• Each language generation presents problem
solving tools that are closer to how people think
and farther away from how the machine
implements the solution.

47
Programming Tools

Keep in mind that the computer can understand only the 1GL!

48
Programming Tools

• Compilers bridge the semantic gap between the

higher level language and the machine’s binary
instructions.
• Most compilers effect this translation in a six-phase
process. The first three are analysis phases:
1. Lexical analysis extracts tokens, e.g., reserved
words and variables.
2. Syntax analysis (parsing) checks statement
construction.
3. Semantic analysis checks data types and the
validity of operators.

49
Programming Tools

• The last three compiler phases are synthesis phases:

4. Intermediate code generation creates three
address code to facilitate optimization and translation.
5. Optimization creates assembly code while taking
into account architectural features that can make the
code efficient.
6. Code generation creates binary code from the
optimized assembly code.
• Through this modularity, compilers can be written for
various platforms by rewriting only the last two phases.

50
Programming Tools

51
Programming Tools

• Interpreters produce executable code from source

code in real time, one line at a time.
• Consequently, this not only makes interpreted
languages slower than compiled languages but it
also affords less opportunity for error checking.
• Interpreted languages are, however, very useful
for teaching programming concepts, because
feedback is nearly instantaneous, and
performance is rarely a concern.

52
Java: All of the Above

• The Java programming language exemplifies many of

the concepts that we have discussed in this chapter.
• Java programs (classes) execute within a virtual
machine, the Java Virtual Machine (JVM).
• This allows the language to run on any platform for
which a virtual machine environment has been written.
• Java is both a compiled and an interpreted language.
The output of the compilation process is an assembly-
like intermediate code (bytecode) that is interpreted by
the JVM.

53
Java: All of the Above

• The JVM is an operating system in miniature.

—It loads programs, links them, starts execution
threads, manages program resources, and
deallocates resources when the programs terminate.

• Because the JVM performs so many tasks at run time,

its performance cannot match the performance of a
traditional compiled language.

54
Database Software

• Database systems
contain the most
valuable assets of
an enterprise.
They are the
foundation upon
which application
systems are built.

55
Database Software

• Database systems provide a single definition,

the database schema, for the data elements
that are accessed by application programs.
—A physical schema is the computer’s view of
the database that includes locations of
physical files and indexes.
—A logical schema is the application program’s
view of the database that defines field sizes
and data types.
• Within the logical schema, certain data fields
are designated as record keys that provide
efficient access to records in the database.
56
Database Software

• Keys are stored in physical index file structures

containing pointers to the location of the physical
records.
• Many implementations use a variant of a B+ tree for
index management because B+ trees can be
optimized with consideration to the I/O system and
the applications.
• In many cases, the “higher” nodes of the tree will
persist in cache memory, requiring physical disk
accesses only when traversing the lower levels of
the index.

57
Database Software

• Most database systems also include transaction

management components to assure that the database is
always in a consistent state.
• Transaction management provides the following
properties:
— Atomicity - All related updates occur or no updates occur.
— Consistency - All updates conform to defined data
constraints.
— Isolation - No transaction can interfere with another
transaction.
— Durability - Successful updates are written to durable
media as soon as possible.
• These are the ACID properties of transaction
management.

58
Database Software

• Without the ACID properties, race conditions can

occur:

59
Database Software

• Record locking mechanisms assure isolated, atomic

database updates:

60
Transaction Managers

• One way to improve database performance is to ask it

to do less work by moving some of its functions to
specialized software.
• Transaction management is one component that is
often partitioned from the core database system.
• Transaction managers are especially important when
the transactions involve more than one physical
database, or the application system spans more than
one class of computer, as in a multitiered architecture.
• One of the most widely-used transaction management
systems is CICS shown on the next slide.

61
Transaction Managers

62
Conclusion

• The proper functioning and performance of a

computer system depends as much on its
software as its hardware.
• The operating system is the system software
component upon which all other software rests.
• Operating systems control process execution,
resource management, protection, and security.
• Subsystems and partitions provide compatibility
and ease of management.

63
Conclusion

• Programming languages are often classed into

generations, with assembly language being the
first generation.
• All languages above the machine level must be
translated into machine code.
• Compilers bridge this semantic gap through a
series of six steps.
• Link editors resolve system calls and external
routines, creating a unified executable module.

64
Conclusion

• The Java programming language incorporates

the idea of a virtual machine, a compiler and an
interpreter.
• Database software provides controlled access
to data files through enforcement of ACID
properties.
• Transaction managers provide high
performance and cross-platform access to data.

65
Memory Management

66
Memory Management

• Task of dynamically subdivison of memory

• Effective memory management is vital in a
multiprogramming system
• Uni-program
—Memory split into two
—One for Operating System (monitor)
—One for currently executing program
• Multi-program
—“User” part is sub-divided and shared among
active processes

67
Swapping

• Problem: I/O is so slow compared with

CPU that even in multi-programming
system, CPU can be idle most of the time
• Solutions:
—Increase main memory
– Expensive
– Leads to larger programs
—Swapping

68
What is Swapping?

• Long term queue of processes stored on disk

• Processes “swapped” in as space becomes
available
• As a process completes it is moved out of
main memory
• If none of the processes in memory are ready
(i.e. all I/O blocked)
—Swap out a blocked process to intermediate
queue
—Swap in a ready process or a new process
—But swapping is an I/O process…

69
Use of Swapping

70
Partitioning

• Splitting memory into sections to allocate

to processes (including Operating System)
• Fixed-sized partitions
—May not be equal size
—Process is fitted into smallest hole that will
take it (best fit)
—Some wasted memory
—Leads to variable sized partitions

71
Fixed Partitioning

72
Variable Sized Partitions (1)

• Allocate exactly the required memory to a

process
• This leads to a hole at the end of memory,
too small to use
—Only one small hole - less waste
• When all processes are blocked, swap out
a process and bring in another
• New process may be smaller than swapped
out process
• Another hole

73
Variable Sized Partitions (2)

• Eventually have lots of holes

(fragmentation)
• Solutions:
—Coalesce - Join adjacent holes into one large
hole
—Compaction - From time to time go through
memory and move all hole into one free block
(c.f. disk de-fragmentation)

74
Effect of Dynamic Partitioning

75
Relocation

• No guarantee that process will load into

the same place in memory
• Instructions contain addresses
—Locations of data
—Addresses for instructions (branching)
• Logical address - relative to beginning of
program
• Physical address - actual location in
memory (this time)
• Automatic conversion using base address

76
Paging

• Split memory into equal sized, small chunks

-page frames
• Split programs (processes) into equal sized
small chunks - pages
• Allocate the required number page frames
to a process
• Operating System maintains list of free
frames
• A process does not require contiguous page
frames
• Use page table to keep track

77
Allocation of Free Frames

78
Logical and Physical Addresses - Paging

79
Virtual Memory

• Demand paging
—Do not require all pages of a process in
memory
—Bring in pages as required
• Page fault
—Required page is not in memory
—Operating System must swap in required page
—May need to swap out a page to make space
—Select page to throw out based on recent
history

80
Thrashing

• Too many processes in too little memory

• Operating System spends all its time
swapping
• Little or no real work is done
• Disk light is on all the time

• Solutions
—Good page replacement algorithms
—Reduce number of processes running
—Fit more memory

81
Bonus

• We do not need all of a process in

memory for it to run
• We can swap in pages as required
• So - we can now run processes that are
bigger than total memory available!

• Main memory is called real memory

• User/programmer sees much bigger
memory - virtual memory

82
Segmentation

• Paging is not (usually) visible to the

programmer
• Segmentation is visible to the
programmer
• Usually different segments allocated to
program and data
• May be a number of program and data
segments

83
Advantages of Segmentation

• Simplifies handling of growing data

structures
• Allows programs to be altered and
recompiled independently, without re-
linking and re-loading
• Lends itself to sharing among processes
• Lends itself to protection
• Some systems combine segmentation
with paging

84
Pentium II
• Hardware for segmentation and paging
• Unsegmented unpaged
— virtual address = physical address
— Low complexity
— High performance
• Unsegmented paged
— Memory viewed as paged linear address space
— Protection and management via paging
— Berkeley UNIX
• Segmented unpaged
— Collection of local address spaces
— Protection to single byte level
— Translation table needed is on chip when segment is in memory
• Segmented paged
— Segmentation used to define logical memory partitions subject to
access control
— Paging manages allocation of memory within partitions
— Unix System V

85
Pentium II Address Translation Mechanism

86
Pentium II Segmentation

• Each virtual address is 16-bit segment and

32-bit offset
• 2 bits of segment are protection
mechanism
• 14 bits specify segment
• Unsegmented virtual memory 232 =
4Gbytes
• Segmented 246=64 terabytes
—Can be larger – depends on which process is
active
—Half (8K segments of 4Gbytes) is global
—Half is local and distinct for each process
87
Pentium II Protection

• Protection bits give 4 levels of privilege

—0 most protected, 3 least
—Use of levels software dependent
—Usually level 3 for applications, level 1 for O/S
and level 0 for kernel (level 2 not used)
—Level 2 may be used for apps that have
internal security e.g. database
—Some instructions only work in level 0

88
Pentium II Paging

• Segmentation may be disabled

— In which case linear address space is used
• Two level page table lookup
— First, page directory
– 1024 entries max
– Splits 4G linear memory into 1024 page groups of
4Mbyte
– Each page table has 1024 entries corresponding to
4Kbyte pages
– Can use one page directory for all processes, one per
process or mixture
– Page directory for current process always in memory
— Use TLB holding 32 page table entries
— Two page sizes available 4k or 4M

89
PowerPC Memory Management Hardware

• 32 bit – paging with simple segmentation

—64 bit paging with more powerful segmentation
• Or, both do block address translation
—Map 4 large blocks of instructions & 4 of
memory to bypass paging
—e.g. OS tables or graphics frame buffers
• 32 bit effective address
—12 bit byte selector
– =4kbyte pages
—16 bit page id
– 64k pages per segment
—4 bits indicate one of 16 segment registers
– Segment registers under OS control

90
PowerPC 32-bit Memory Management Formats

91
PowerPC 32-bit Address Translation

92