B.S.W.E. Bachelor of Software Engineering Operating Systems & Computer Networks 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a process in an operating system?
- A stored program on disk
- A program in execution with its own memory space and resources (Correct answer)
- A system call to the kernel
- A type of file system entry
Correct answer: A program in execution with its own memory space and resources
A process is an instance of a program in execution, with its own memory address space, program counter, and allocated system resources.
Question 2: What is the key difference between a process and a thread?
- Processes are faster than threads
- Threads share memory within a process; processes have separate memory spaces (Correct answer)
- Threads are used in databases; processes in web servers
- Processes are smaller in size than threads
Correct answer: Threads share memory within a process; processes have separate memory spaces
Threads are lightweight execution units within a process that share the same memory space, while separate processes have isolated memory.
Question 3: What is virtual memory in operating systems?
- Memory located on the GPU
- A technique using disk space to extend apparent RAM capacity (Correct answer)
- Cache memory embedded in the CPU
- Encrypted RAM for secure operations
Correct answer: A technique using disk space to extend apparent RAM capacity
Virtual memory allows the OS to use disk space (swap/page file) as an extension of RAM, enabling programs to use more memory than physically installed.
Question 4: What scheduling algorithm serves the process that has been waiting the longest?
- Round Robin
- Shortest Job First
- First Come First Served (FCFS) (Correct answer)
- Priority Scheduling
Correct answer: First Come First Served (FCFS)
First Come First Served (FCFS) processes tasks in the order they arrive, giving CPU time to whichever process has been waiting longest.
Question 5: What is a semaphore in operating systems?
- A type of CPU interrupt signal
- A synchronization mechanism controlling access to shared resources (Correct answer)
- A memory protection flag in hardware
- A type of file system permission
Correct answer: A synchronization mechanism controlling access to shared resources
A semaphore is a synchronization primitive used to control concurrent access to shared resources and prevent race conditions.
Question 6: What does the OSI model describe?
- Object-oriented programming standards
- A framework for network communication protocols in seven layers (Correct answer)
- Operating system interface specifications
- Database query optimization strategies
Correct answer: A framework for network communication protocols in seven layers
The OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model describes network communication as seven distinct layers from physical transmission to application protocols.
B.S.W.E. Bachelor of Software Engineering Operating Systems & Computer Networks 1
What is a process in an operating system?