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Start Your Operating Systems Knowledge Assessment

Test Your OS Concepts with Expert Questions

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art featuring questions for Operating Systems Knowledge Assessment quiz

Dive into this engaging Operating Systems Knowledge Assessment quiz designed to test your understanding of OS concepts and processes. Ideal for students preparing for exams or professionals refreshing core skills, this practice quiz offers a balanced mix of difficulty levels. Explore similar challenges like the Operating Systems Knowledge Test or the Operating Systems Fundamentals Quiz to broaden your preparation. Customize questions and review answers easily in our editor - it's fully editable to fit your study needs. Ready to boost your OS mastery? Browse more quizzes today!

Which component of an operating system acts as the core interface between hardware and software?
Shell
BIOS
File System
Kernel
The kernel manages hardware resources and provides essential services to software, acting as the core interface between hardware and software. The shell is a user interface, the file system handles data storage, and the BIOS is firmware.
Which OS function is responsible for allocating CPU time to processes?
Memory allocation
File management
Device management
Process scheduling
Process scheduling decides the order and duration of CPU access for processes. Memory allocation, file management, and device management serve different resource management roles.
Which memory management technique divides physical memory into equal fixed-size blocks?
Swapping
Virtual memory
Segmentation
Paging
Paging divides physical memory into fixed-size blocks called pages. Segmentation uses variable-sized segments, virtual memory extends memory onto disk, and swapping moves whole processes in/out of memory.
In Unix-like file systems, which structure stores metadata like permissions, size, and pointers to data blocks?
Inode
Superblock
Journal
Directory entry
The inode stores metadata including permissions, size, timestamps, and pointers to data blocks. The superblock holds overall file system metadata, directory entries map names to inodes, and the journal records changes.
Which technique allows an operating system to execute programs that require more memory than physically available?
Direct memory access
Multithreading
Virtual memory
Batch processing
Virtual memory uses disk space to extend physical RAM, enabling execution of larger programs. Batch processing is a job execution mode, multithreading allows concurrent threads, and DMA transfers I/O data.
Which OS architecture places most services, including device drivers and file systems, inside a single kernel address space?
Exokernel
Monolithic kernel
Layered kernel
Microkernel
A monolithic kernel includes most OS services in one address space for performance. Microkernels minimize kernel functions, layered kernels separate services by layer, and exokernels expose hardware directly.
Which scheduling algorithm always selects the process with the smallest next CPU burst time?
Priority Scheduling
First-Come, First-Served
Round Robin
Shortest Job First
Shortest Job First picks the process with the smallest CPU burst, minimizing average waiting time. FCFS uses arrival order, Round Robin uses time slices, and priority scheduling uses static priorities.
What does external fragmentation refer to in memory management?
Free memory in small noncontiguous blocks
Memory lost during swapping
Total free memory equals zero
Unused space within allocated blocks
External fragmentation occurs when free memory is split into small noncontiguous chunks, preventing allocation of larger blocks. Unused space inside allocations is internal fragmentation.
In linked allocation file systems, how is file data stored on disk?
In contiguous disk blocks
As a linked list of disk blocks
In fixed-size extents
Indexed by a single block table
Linked allocation stores file data as a linked list of blocks, with each block pointing to the next. Contiguous allocation stores blocks sequentially, while indexed uses a separate index block.
What is the primary purpose of a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)?
To cache recent page table entries
To store virtual memory pages on disk
To manage free memory frames
To schedule page faults
A TLB caches recently used page table entries to speed up virtual-to-physical address translation. It does not manage frames, schedule faults, or store pages on disk.
Which page replacement algorithm can suffer from Belady's anomaly?
LRU
Optimal
Clock
FIFO
FIFO can exhibit Belady's anomaly where increasing frame count increases page faults. LRU, Optimal, and Clock do not suffer from this anomaly.
How does segmentation differ from paging?
Segments use fixed-size units; pages are variable
Both use fixed-size blocks
Segments are variable-sized; pages are fixed-sized
Both use variable-sized blocks
Segmentation divides memory into variable-sized logical segments, while paging divides into fixed-size pages. This allows segmentation to match program structure.
What is the role of the superblock in a file system?
It manages user permissions
It contains file data blocks
It logs recent file operations
It stores overall file system metadata
The superblock holds metadata about the file system itself, such as size, status, and layout. It does not contain file data or specific logs and is separate from user permission structures.
In demand paging, when does a page fault occur?
When memory is full
When a referenced page is not in memory
After every page replacement
When swapping finishes
A page fault occurs when a process references a page that is not currently loaded in physical memory. It is not directly tied to memory fullness or swap completion.
Which of the following file allocation methods suffers the least from fragmentation but requires complex free-space management?
Sequential allocation
Contiguous allocation
Indexed allocation
Linked allocation
Indexed allocation avoids both external and internal fragmentation by using an index block, but it requires managing the allocation of index blocks. Contiguous and linked methods have fragmentation or access time issues.
Given 3 frames and the reference string 1,2,3,2,4,1, how many page faults occur using the LRU page replacement algorithm?
6
5
4
3
Pages 1,2,3 cause faults (3), 2 is a hit, 4 replaces least recently used (1) causing a fault (4), and 1 replaces LRU (3) causing a fault (5). Total faults = 5.
Which scheduling scheme dynamically adjusts process priority and time quantum based on behavior to prevent starvation?
Multi-level feedback queue
Shortest Remaining Time First
Round Robin
Priority Scheduling
The multi-level feedback queue adjusts priorities and time quanta based on process CPU usage to balance responsiveness and throughput while preventing starvation. Other methods use static parameters.
What term describes a state where a system spends more time swapping pages than executing processes?
Thrashing
Starvation
Deadlock
Fragmentation
Thrashing occurs when excessive paging operations consume CPU cycles, leaving little time for actual process execution. Fragmentation, starvation, and deadlock are different performance or resource issues.
In a buddy allocation system, memory blocks are split and coalesced in sizes that are powers of two. Why is this method used?
To minimize internal fragmentation completely
To simplify splitting and merging of free blocks
To prevent external fragmentation entirely
To ensure blocks are variable-sized arbitrarily
The buddy system uses power-of-two block sizes to make splitting and merging (coalescing) operations simple and efficient. It does not eliminate all fragmentation.
Why is the optimal page replacement algorithm not practical to implement?
It leads to more page faults than FIFO
It uses too much memory to track pages
It requires future knowledge of reference string
It only works with segmentation
The optimal algorithm achieves minimum page faults by replacing the page that will not be used for the longest time, but it requires knowing future page references. This makes it unimplementable in real systems.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse core operating system functions and services.
  2. Identify types of OS architectures and designs.
  3. Evaluate process management and scheduling algorithms.
  4. Demonstrate understanding of memory management techniques.
  5. Apply file system principles to real-world scenarios.
  6. Interpret virtual memory and paging concepts.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Understand Core OS Functions - Operating systems juggle hardware and software resources, handling tasks like memory management, process scheduling, and file operations. Getting comfortable with these roles gives you a clear picture of what happens behind the scenes when you load an app or save a file. Dive into these essentials and see how your computer keeps everything running smoothly. Explore OS functions
    2. geeksforgeeks.org
  2. Explore OS Architectures - Different operating systems use different architectures to organize their inner workings. Monolithic kernels pack most services into one big block, while microkernels keep only the essentials at the core and run the rest as separate modules. Understanding these designs helps you appreciate trade-offs in performance, reliability, and security. Dive into architectures
    3. en.wikipedia.org
  3. Master Process Management - A process is simply a program in action, and the OS's job is to create, schedule, and terminate these processes without breaking a sweat. Learn how process states transition, how parent and child processes interact, and why clever scheduling boosts overall performance. Mastering this helps you optimize multitasking and system responsiveness. Learn process handling
    4. geeksforgeeks.org
  4. Learn Scheduling Algorithms - Scheduling decides which process gets the CPU next, and algorithms like First-Come-First-Serve, Shortest Job Next, and Round Robin each have their own flair. FCFS is like a ticket queue, SJN chases the shortest tasks first, and Round Robin hands out fixed time slices in a fair round-robin fashion. Studying these helps you predict throughput, turnaround time, and waiting time in real systems. Study schedulers
    5. en.wikipedia.org
  5. Grasp Memory Management Techniques - Memory management is all about divvying up RAM so every process gets its fair share without stepping on each other's toes. Dive into paging, segmentation, and allocation strategies that keep your programs running smoothly and your system stable. With these insights, you'll understand how the OS prevents memory leaks and fragmentation. Unpack memory tricks
    6. geeksforgeeks.org
  6. Understand Virtual Memory and Paging - Virtual memory tricks your CPU into thinking it has more RAM by swapping data between physical memory and disk. Paging chops memory into fixed-size blocks, making it easier to manage and reducing fragmentation. This concept lets you run huge applications on limited hardware and keeps multitasking seamless. Explore virtual memory
    7. en.wikipedia.org
  7. Delve into File Systems - File systems are the OS's librarians, organizing how data is stored, retrieved, and maintained on disks. Whether it's FAT32, NTFS, or ext4, each system has its own way of handling directories, permissions, and journaling. Understanding these details helps you choose the right FS for speed, reliability, and compatibility. Browse file systems
    8. geeksforgeeks.org
  8. Study I/O Management - From keyboards and mice to disks and networks, I/O management ensures smooth communication between hardware and software. Dive into buffering, caching, and interrupt handling to see how the OS keeps data flowing without bottlenecks. Mastering this area will give you insights into performance tuning and device driver design. Investigate I/O
    9. geeksforgeeks.org
  9. Learn About Security Management - Security management is your OS's fortress, enforcing user authentication, access controls, and encryption to guard against intruders. Study how permissions, firewalls, and secure boot processes keep your data under lock and key. This knowledge is crucial for building systems that resist viruses, malware, and unauthorized access. Secure your system
    10. managementnote.com
  10. Understand Interprocess Communication (IPC) - IPC lets processes chat and coordinate, using message passing or shared memory to exchange data safely. Grasping synchronization primitives like semaphores and mutexes ensures your programs don't step on each other's toes. Strong IPC skills are key for designing efficient, concurrent applications. Discover IPC methods
    11. geeksforgeeks.org
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