1.5 – Systems software

Question 1

What are the two types of Systems Software?

Answer 1

1) Operating Systems
- Provides a platform users can run programs on
2) Utility Software
- Maintains a computer system

Question 2

What is Application Software?

Answer 2

Designed to perform tasks to benefit the user

Question 3

What is Utility Software?

Answer 3

Helps maintain a computer system
Provides additional funtionality to the OS

Question 4

What is an Operating System?

Answer 4

Manages the computer processor, memory, peripherals, files, logins and user settings
Provides a user interface/platform users can run programs on

Question 5

What are the 5 different Operating Systems?

Answer 5

• User Interface
• Memory Management & Multitasking
• Peripheral Management & Drivers
• User Management
• File Management

Question 6

What are the different types of User Interfaces?

Answer 6

• Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Command Line
• Menu
• Natural Language

Question 7

Give an example of
a) GUI
b) Command Line
interfaces

Answer 7

a) Windows, iOS
b) Windows: Command Prompt

Question 8

What does Memory Management do?

Answer 8

• When programs are loaded, the OS decides where they are held in memory
• Memory becomes fragmented as programs are loaded/closed because they use different amounts of memory
• The OS has to keep track of the different program fragments

It is The process of organising the computer’s main memory

Question 9

What does the OS use when memory is full?

Answer 9

Virtual Memory

Question 10

What is Virtual Memory?

Answer 10

Allows more programs to run than the physical memory available

Question 11

What is Multitasking? How does it work?

Answer 11

• Running multiple applications at the same time
• Processor gives a small amount of time to each process and cycles between them
• These cycles happen so quickly it appears that multiple programs are being executed
• Only possible if there is enough RAM to hold more than one program in memory at once

Gives each program a slice of processor time

Question 12

How can memory management allow for multitasking?

Answer 12

Programs are loaded from secondary storage into memory - then held in a queue
Program at the front of the queue runs its code
After a set amount of time, the program stops running and is moved to the back of the queue then next program runs its code
Cycle continues with new programs joining the back of the queue / completed programs leave the queue

Question 13

What does a Device Driver do?

Answer 13

• Translates OS instructions into commands that the hardware will understand
• Every peripheral needs a device driver

Question 14

What are the User Management functions?

Answer 14

Account Allocation:
- Allowing different users to log into a computer
- The OS retains settings for each user, like icons/backgrounds
Access Rights:
- Each user has different access rights to files/programs

Question 15

How does the OS use User Management for multiple people on one computer?

Answer 15

Different usernames/passwords for each person
Individual settings for each user can be stored to personalise experience
Record can be kept of each users activity - helps maintain security

Question 16

What are the key features of File Management?

Answer 16

• Naming
• Allocating to folders
• Open
• Moving
• Copy
• Delete
• Sorting
• Saving

Question 17

How does the Operating System contribute to File Management?

Answer 17

• Extensions in file names tell the OS which application to load the file into
• The OS can present a logical structure of files into folders, and can let users rename/delete/copy/move files

Question 18

What are the 3 Utility System softwares?

Answer 18

• Encryption
• Defragmentation
• Data Compression

Question 19

How does encryption work?

Answer 19

• Uses an algorithm to scramble plain text into cipher text
• Text can only be decrypted and made readable with a key

Question 20

What does defragmentation do?

Answer 20

• Reorganises files on a hard disk, putting fragments of files back together, collecting free space
• This reduces movement of a read/write head across the surface of the disk, speeding up file access

Question 21

What shouldn’t you defragment? Why?

Answer 21

Solid State Drives
- Unnecessary, they have no moving parts
- Reduces their lifespan

Question 22

What is Data Compression?

Answer 22

• Reduces the file size so it takes up less space and is quicker to download over internet
• Compressed files must be extracted before they can be read

Question 23

How is Data Compression used?

Answer 23

Depending on the algorithm, data is either:
- Lost, reducing the quality of an image/sound (eg JPEG)
- Represented differently using binary, keeping the original data in a new compressed format (eg Zip files)