3.1 Explain the purpose of operating systems
What is Device Management?
Device management is the process of managing the implementation, operation and maintenance of a physical and/or virtual device. It is a broad term that includes various administrative tools and processes for the maintenance and upkeep of a computer, network, mobile and/or virtual device.
Contrast what an operating system's software offers versus what application software offers as functions/features.
Operating system software provides the user interface for interacting with the hardware components, whereas application software enables you to accomplish specific tasks.
How does physical access control differ from Logical access control?
Physical access control limits access to campuses, buildings, rooms and physical IT assets. Logical access limits connections to computer networks, system files and data.
What is it that makes multitasking possible?
Scheduling is makes CPU multitasking possible. All tasks are scheduled and are an intrinsic part of the execution model of a computer system.
What are the main functions that an operating system provides?
The operating system provides the following functions: 1) Provides the user-friendly environment to work with system features and applications 2) Converts a user's input and sends it to the monitor or other display device 3) Controls peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers 4) Provides the structure for files and folders 5) Monitors the operating system's health and functionality
Another important step is to partition the drive. Why is the term "logically" used?
We use the term "logically" because the drive is not physically cut into sections.
An ___________ is a software package that enables a computer to function. It performs basic tasks, such as recognizing the input from a keyboard, sending the output to a display screen or monitor, and controlling peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers. It creates a user-friendly environment that enables users to use a computer efficiently without having to know the underlying technologies. Depending upon the version and manufacturer, the features of the user interface and functionality vary
operating system (OS)
Windows® Disk Management Manages disk drives as well as the partitions the drives contain. With Disk Management, you can:
1) Display the drives attached to the system. 2) Display, create, and remove partitions on the drives. 3) Assign drive letters to partitions. 4) Determine the amount of free space on a partition. 5) Reformat partitions. 6) Convert partitions from a file allocation table (FAT) or 32-bit file allocation table (FAT32) file system to an NT File System (NTFS).
___________ is a security technique that can be used to regulate who or what can view or use resources in a computing environment.
Access control
Every operating system comes with a host of utilities designed to help you diagnose and troubleshoot problems and simplify tasks. If you are considering an IT career in computer support, knowledge of these tools will help you maintain equipment and troubleshoot issues with the operating system; _________ detects and eliminates malicious software that resides on a computer. Examples include Windows Defender and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. ____________ filter incoming or outgoing network traffic depending on how they are configured. Examples include ZoneAlarm and Comodo Internet Security (CIS). __________ reports on any problems or issues that a computer may be experiencing. Examples include Windows Action Center and PC-Doctor. ___________ reduces the size of files so that they can be stored and transmitted more easily. Examples include WinZip and 7-Zip.
Antimalware; Software firewalls; Diagnostic/maintenance software; Compression software
___________ is designed to facilitate sharing data and resources between users in a variety of locations and using a variety of computing devices. Common types of collaboration software include: Online workspace enables users to work with common files in a shared space on the web. Examples include Microsoft SharePoint. Document storage/sharing provides a repository to store and share files between users in various locations. Examples include Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox. Screen sharing software enables users to see each other's desktops from remote locations. Examples include Windows Remote Assistance and TeamViewer. Video conferencing software enables users to communicate with audio and video functionality from diverse locations. Examples include Skype and Google Hangouts. Instant messaging software enables users to chat, online in real time, share files, archiving, or search. Examples include Microsoft Lync, Teams in Office 365, Skype, and Slack Email software also allows users to share contact and calendar information.
Collaboration software
The specialized software category contains all of the other types that do not fit in the first three. Companies in architectural, engineering, medical, and financial fields require software applications that are specific for the documents and files that they need to create and use. Some common specialized software applications might include: ____________ is used to create design specifications for electronics, mechanical objects, animation, and other products. Examples include AutoCAD and SketchUp. _____________ is used to create visual representations of concepts and ideas. Examples include Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. ____________ that is used to collect, analyze, and present data related to medical information. Examples include Kareo and athenaCollector. _____________ is used to collect, analyze, and present data used in experiments. Examples include LISREL and Sage. ____________ is used to keep track of expenses, maintain a budget, file taxes, and manage other financial information. Examples include Quicken and Microsoft Dynamics. _____________ enables you to purchase, collect, and play video games on a computer. Examples include Steam and Origin.
Computer-aided design (CAD) software; Graphic design software; Medical software; Scientific software; Financial software; Gaming software
Entertainment software enables you to purchase, collect, and experience entertainment media such as music and movies on a computer. What are some examples of entertainment software?
Examples include Google Play and iTunes
What is required in order for Operating Systems to use storage drives?
In order for Operating Systems to use storage drives, they must be recognized, such as assigning them a drive letter in Windows® or mounting them in Linux.
The Operating System can manage storage drives. Storage drives may be internal or external. What are the different types of internal drives that may be utilized?
Internal drives may include Hard Disk Drives (HDD) or Solid State Drives (SSD)
___________ are the methods used by the Operating System to assign the resources necessary to do tasks. Computational elements such as threads, processes or data flows are scheduled to be performed by hardware resources such as processors, network components, video components or other resources that may be provided by expansion cards.
Management and scheduling
What is memory management?
Memory management is the process of controlling and coordinating computer memory, assigning portions called blocks to various running programs to optimize overall system performance.
Where does memory management reside?
Memory management resides in hardware, in the OS (operating system), and in programs and applications.
Application software can be designed to run on multiple platforms. __________ refers to devices such as laptops, smartphones, iPads, and other tablet devices. _________ is the traditional CPU and monitor with all the peripherals. Applications that users access and use through a web browser are known as ___________
Mobile; Desktop; Web-Based
What is multitasking?
Multitasking is the ability to run many applications concurrently, or at the same time.
______________ is a broad term that describes applications that range from those used to create documents to those used to manage your projects and organize your time. Some common examples include: Word processing software is used to create and work with typed documents. Examples include Microsoft Word and Apple iWork Pages. Spreadsheet software is used to calculate and analyze tables of numbers. Examples include Microsoft Excel and Apple iWork Numbers. Email software is used to communicate with others. Examples include Microsoft Outlook and Gmail. Basic database software is used to manage large volumes of lists and records. Examples include Microsoft Access and FileMaker Pro. PDF software is used to view, create, and work with PDF documents. Examples include Adobe Acrobat and Foxit PhantomPDF. Presentation software is used to create and work with slide shows. Examples include Microsoft PowerPoint and Apple iWork Keynote. Desktop publishing software is used to work with page layouts and typography in documents and publications. Examples include Adobe InDesign and Microsoft Publisher. Personal information managers (PIM) are used to manage your contacts and schedules. Examples include Windows Contacts and Google Calendar. Remote desktop software is used to access another desktop to provide troubleshooting assistance. Examples include Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), and Virtual Network Computing (VNC). Some remote desktop software is browser based, such as TeamViewer® and Google® Chrome® Screen Share.
Productivity software
Why can it be said that applications "don't need, or want, direct access to the hardware"?
The Operating System has direct access (management capabilities) to the hardware. The Operating System provides application software an interface to the hardware. This means that hardware does not matter to the applications, what does matter is the Operating System. Applications are written to interface with the Operating System, this is why an application may work with Windows® but not with a Mac.
After the drive is partitioned, the drive must then be formatted. What does it mean to be formatted?
To format a drive means that it is prepared to use a specific or different types of file systems.
True or False: As a professional IT support representative or PC service technician, your job will include installing, configuring, maintaining, and troubleshooting operating systems.
True; Before you can perform any of these tasks, you need to understand the basics of what an operating system is, including the various versions, features, components, and technical capabilities. With this knowledge, you can provide effective support for all types of system environments
True or False: External drives may be the same types as internal.
True; External drives may be the same types as internal, HDD and SSD, but also include, USB Flash Drives, and Optical Drives.
True or False: Killing, or ending a process can be done using commands.
True; In Unix/Linus environments, a command is utilized to initiate process termination. With Windows, processes are generally terminated utilizing the Task Manager GUI interface. This is sometimes done when a process freezes or refuses to terminate through normal means of instruction.
True or False: An important step in ensuring that an Operating System can use a drive is to first 'partition' the drive.
True; In order for an Operating System to use a drive, the drive must be prepared to accept information. This could mean that a drive could be logically divided into one or several storage units (partitioned). Imagine a hard drive to look like an apple pie. It's difficult for one person to eat an entire pie so we could divide the pie to be consumed by several people.
True or False: Application software is a program that provides specific functionality such as word processing, graphics creation, or database management.
True; It is generally written to run on a specific operating system. This means that the word processor you purchased for a Microsoft® Windows® operating system may not work with a Macintosh® operating system. Application programs may come pre-installed on a computer system or may need to be purchased and installed on the system.
What can you use Device Manager to do?
You can use Device Manager to: 1) View the status of a device: An exclamation point means there is a problem with a device; a yellow question mark means the device has been detected but a driver is not installed, or there is a resource conflict. 2) Enable or disable a device: A disabled device appears with a red X. 3) Determine the device driver a device is using; upgrade a device driver; roll a device driver back to a previous version. 4) Uninstall or re-install devices.
The Operating System manages the CPU resources but must also balance where and when to store information. If information must be continuously available, it may hold on to this information within itself, a memory type called __________. If the information is not as crucial, but still necessary to access quickly it may store this information in the primary memory, AKA _________. If information must be saved for future use and not needed for a while, the user may ask the Operating System to save it in _________
cache; RAM; storage
There are several command-line and graphical utilities you can use to perform ___________ in Windows
disk management tasks
There are two main types of access control: ____________ and _____________
physical and logical