Functions of Operating System

By:
Kajal Aggarwal
Functions of Operating System
The operating system performs the following functions in a device.

1. Processor/ Process Management

2. Memory Management
3. File Management
4. Secondary Storage Management
5. Input/output Management
6. Security
7. Networking

1. Processor/ Process Management

Processor management is the assignment of the processor i.e., CPU to the different processes
executing in the system. Functions of operating system in concern with process management
are:
• Scheduling Processes to the CPU
• Creation and deletion of processes.
• Suspending and Resuming of process.
• Providing Mechanism for process communication i.e. IPC (inter process communication).
2. Memory Management

Memory Management is the allocation and deallocation of memory to the different processes
executing in the system. Functions of operating system in concern with memory management
are:
• Allocation of RAM
• Deallocation of RAM
• Sharing main memory among several programs.
• Keep in track which of the memory is currently used and by whom.

3. File Management

A computer file is a resource that is used to store data and information. Directory contains files
and sub directories.
Functions of operating system in concern with file management are:
• Creation of file.
• Deletion of file.
• Renaming of file
• Copying and moving a file.
• Mapping files to a secondary storage device.
• Backing up of files and directories on a non-volantile storage media such as hard-disk.
4. Input/output Management

Input/output Management is the assignment and co-ordination of input/output devices.

Functions of operating system in concern with input/output management are:
• Allocation of input/output devices.
• Deallocation of input/output devices.
• Keep track of input/output request.
• Ensure that data is transmitted efficiently and correctly to and from input/output devices.

5. Secondary Storage Management

Since the size of RAM is too small and is volatile in nature so we need a secondary storage
device such as hard disk to backup new memory.
Operating system including other programs, user data is stored in harddisk until loaded into the
memory.
Functions of operating system in concern with secondary storage management are:
• Disk scheduling
• Free space management
• Storage management.
6. Security

• Operating system protects computer data, memory segment, CPU and other resources by
giving/providing authentication to the users.
• Only the authorised user access the files, memory segment etc.
• If a system supports multiple users at the same time than data of one user must be
protected from the data from the another user.

7. Networking

Network is the interconnection between different nodes so that they can communicate with
each other i.e., share data and information to form a network hardware and software
requirement exist.
The protocols such as HTTP, TCP/IP, FTP are provided by the operating system so that the
nodes can communicate.
THANK YOU…