Operating Systems Questions

Mutex is a program object that allows multiple program threads to share the same resource, such as file access, but not simultaneously. When a program is started a mutex is created woth a unique name. After this stage, any thread that needs the resource must lock the mutex from other threads while it is using the resource. the mutex is set to unlock when the data is no longer needed or the routine is finished.

For load-time dynamic linking: Load module to be loaded is read into memory. Any reference to a target external module causes that module to be loaded and the references are updated to a relative address from the start base address of the application module.

With run-time dynamic loading: Some of the linking is postponed until actual reference during execution. Then the correct module is loaded and linked.

A binary semaphore is one, which takes only 0 and 1 as values. They are used to implement mutual exclusion and synchronize concurrent processes.

• Responsiveness


• Resources sharing


• Economy


• Utilization of multiprocessor architectures.

Absolute path-- Exact path from root directory.

Relative path-- Relative to the current path.

A situation, where several processes access and manipulate the same data concurrently and the outcome of the execution depends on the particular order in which the access takes place, is called race condition. To guard against the race condition we need to ensure that only one process at a time can be manipulating the same data. The technique we use for this is called process synchronization.

The processes that are residing in the main memory and are ready and waiting to execute are kept on a list called the ready queue.

System calls provide the interface between a process and the operating system. System calls for modern Microsoft windows platforms are part of the win32 API, which is available for all the compilers written for Microsoft windows.