(b) System software’s:- a set of instructions designed to manage and support the

processing capability of a computer system. System software’s include the operating system
and all the utilities that enable the computer to function. The most important program that
runs on a computer is the operating system.
Therefore, the systems software functions as a bridge between computer system hardware and
the application software as illustrated below: -

System software’s are responsible for:-

1) Monitoring effective use of computer hardware and software resources

2) Controlling the operations of the peripheral devices
3) Supporting execution of other application software’s
4) Facilitating application software’s development.

Types of system software’s:-

A) Utility programs
B) Operating system (OS)

1) Utility programs/ service programs: a set of instructions that add functionality to the
computer system or improve the system performance. Examples of Utility software’s include:-

1) Back-up software: allows users to make copies of their information for security purposes
 2) Data compression: helps in outputting a smaller file than the original file size. The
compressed file occupies less storage space.
3) Disk partitioning: divides disk storage capacity into multiple logical storage drives. Disk
partitioning helps in data backup and accommodates different versions of the operating
systems in the same hard drive.
4) Anti-virus: scans for computer viruses. A computer virus is a malware that affects the
proper functioning of the computer system.
5) Disk formatting: used to subdivide a disk into tracks and sectors.
6) System monitors: used for monitoring resources and performance in a computer
system.

2) An Operating System is a set of programs that manage computer resources such as

processor, main memory, peripheral devices etc. and provides the user with interface that is
convenient to use as illustrated below:-

The operating system architecture

Note: kernel refers to the central module of an operating system. It is the part of the operating
system that loads first, and it remains in main memory. It acts as an interface between the user
applications and the hardware.
 The primary objective of an operating system is to make computer system convenient to use
and to utilize computer hardware in an efficient manner.

Goals/objectives of an operating system

1) Simplify the execution of user programs and make solving user problems easier.
2) Use computer hardware efficiently for example by allowing sharing of hardware and
software resources.
3) Make application software portable and versatile.
4) Provide isolation, security and protection among user programs.
5) Improve overall system reliability by providing an error detection mechanism, fault
tolerance and hardware and software reconfiguration.

Key functions of an operating system

The main functions performed by most operating systems include:-

Security management

1) File management: the file management module of an operating system takes care of file
related activities such as file editing, deleting, saving, copying, retrieving, sharing and backup.
It’s also responsible for loading programs and files into the main memory and sending a user a
message when the program is complete.
2) Memory management: the Memory management function of an operating system involves:-
a) Providing ways of allocating portions of memory to programs at their request, and
freeing it for reuse when no longer needed.
b) Allocation and de-allocation of memory spaces/ partitions to various programs or
processes.
c) Keeping track of which parts of memory are currently being used and by whom and
deciding which processes are to be loaded into the main memory when memory
becomes available.
d) Keeping track of un-used memory spaces.
3) Command interpretation: the operating system interprets user commands and directs the
system resources to handle the request. This eliminates the need of the end-user from being
too concerned with the hardware details of the system.
4) Error reporting: during the program execution, if an error occurs, the operating system
furnishes the diagnostic message to the user and the program execution is stopped for the user
corrective response.
5) Provides peripheral device control: peripheral devices are the devices connected to the system
unit. The operating system facilitates data transfer between peripheral devices and the CPU.
6) Security: the security module of an operating system protects computer resources and
information against destruction and unauthorized access.
7) Job management: The job management function of an OS prepares, schedules, controls, and
monitors jobs submitted for execution to ensure the most efficient processing. A job is a
collection of one or more related programs and their data.
8) Provision of user-interface: The OS establishes a standard means of communication between
users and their computer systems. It does this by providing a user interface and a standard set
of commands that control the hardware.
 Types of operating systems

1) Single-user operating systems: - Single-user operating systems are largely obsolete. In

order to use a single-user OS, the user has to be sitting in front of the machine where the
operating system is installed. This operating system can only support one user at a time and
the user can only execute one task at any given time.
Examples of single-user operating systems: - the early Disk Operating System (DOS) and the
earlier versions of the Windows and Apple operating systems.
2) Graphical User Interface or GUIs operating systems:- GUIs provide the user with graphics,
icons, scrollbars and menus (point and click interface). Examples of GUI operating systems
include all the Windows and Apple operating systems.
3) Command Line Interface (CLI) operating systems: - Operating systems that prompt the user
to type in a command on a specified line, receive a response back from the system, and then
prompt the user to enter another command.
These operating systems are more efficient, flexible but less user-friendly compared to the
GUI operating systems.
Examples of CLI include the early Disk Operating System (DOS), UNIX, Linux and Apple’s Mac
OX.
4) Multi-user operating systems:-Multi-user operating systems allow multiple users access to
their resources at the same time and from different places. In multi-user operating systems,
each account holder has their own user space that’s not visible to anyone else other than
their system administrators.
Examples of multi-user operating systems include Windows XP, Vista and 7, UNIX and
Apple’s OS X.
5) Multi-processor and multi-tasking operating systems: - Multi-processor and multi-tasking
operating systems can support a number of computer processors which can run a several
tasks simultaneously.
Examples of multi-processor and multi-tasking operating systems include UNIX, Windows XP,
Vista and 7 and Apple’s OS X.
6) Real time operating system: an operating system capable of processing data
so quickly that the results are available to influence the activity currently
taking place. The main feature of a real time operating system is the quick
and predictable responses to events.
They are used for such tasks as navigation, in which the computer must
react to a steady flow of new information without interruption.
7) Standalone operating system: an operating system runs on a standalone
computer (a computer that is not connected to any other system) thus the
user cannot access networked resources. It’s more secured and remote
users cannot log into the computer. Examples are, Windows 98, windows
XP.
8) Network operating system: A network operating system (NOS) is the software
that runs on a
server and enables the server to manage data, users, groups, security,
applications, and other networking functions.
The network operating system is designed to allow shared file and printer
access among multiple computers in a network, typically a local area
network (LAN), a private network or to other networks. The most popular
network operating systems are Microsoft Windows Server 2003, Microsoft
Windows Server 2008, UNIX, Linux, Mac OS X, and Novell NetWare.