Computer System Organization
• Computer-system operation
• One or more CPUs, device controllers connect through common bus
providing access to shared memory
• Concurrent execution of CPUs and devices competing for memory cycles
Functionality comes with great complexity!
Proc
Caches
Busses
Memory
I/O Devices:
Controllers
adapters
Disks
Displays
Keyboards
Networks
Pentium IV Chipset
Sample of Computer Architecture Topics
Instruction Set Architecture
Pipelining, Hazard Resolution,
Superscalar, Reordering,
Prediction, Speculation,
Vector, Dynamic Compilation
Addressing,
Protection,
Exception Handling
L1 Cache
L2 Cache
DRAM
Disks, WORM, Tape
Coherence,
Bandwidth,
Latency
Emerging Technologies
Interleaving
Bus protocols
RAID
VLSI
Input/Output and Storage
Memory
Hierarchy
Pipelining and Instruction
Level Parallelism
Network
Communication
OtherProcessors
Increasing Software Complexity
From MIT’s 6.033 course
Example: Some Mars Rover (“Pathfinder”)
Requirements
• Pathfinder hardware limitations/complexity:
• 20Mhz processor, 128MB of DRAM, VxWorks OS
• cameras, scientific instruments, batteries,
solar panels, and locomotion equipment
• Many independent processes work together
• Can’t hit reset button very easily!
• Must reboot itself if necessary
• Always able to receive commands from Earth
• Individual Programs must not interfere
• Suppose the MUT (Martian Universal Translator Module) buggy
• Better not crash antenna positioning software!
• Further, all software may crash occasionally
• Automatic restart with diagnostics sent to Earth
• Periodic checkpoint of results saved?
• Certain functions time critical:
• Need to stop before hitting something
• Must track orbit of Earth for communication
How do we tame complexity?
• Every piece of computer hardware different
• Different CPU
• Pentium, PowerPC, ColdFire, ARM, MIPS
• Different amounts of memory, disk, …
• Different types of devices
• Mice, Keyboards, Sensors, Cameras, Fingerprint readers
• Different networking environment
• Cable, DSL, Wireless, Firewalls,…
• Questions:
• Does the programmer need to write a single program that performs many independent activities?
• Does every program have to be altered for every piece of hardware?
• Does a faulty program crash everything?
• Does every program have access to all hardware?
OS Tool: Virtual Machine Abstraction
• Software Engineering Problem:
• Turn hardware/software quirks 
what programmers want/need
• Optimize for convenience, utilization, security, reliability, etc…
• For Any OS area (e.g. file systems, virtual memory, networking, scheduling):
• What’s the hardware interface? (physical reality)
• What’s the application interface? (nicer abstraction)
Application
Operating System
Hardware
Physical Machine Interface
Virtual Machine Interface
Interfaces Provide Important Boundaries
• Why do interfaces look the way that they do?
• History, Functionality, Stupidity, Bugs, Management
•  Machine interface
•  Human interface
•  Software engineering/management
• Should responsibilities be pushed across boundaries?
• RISC architectures, Graphical Pipeline Architectures
instruction set
software
hardware
Virtual Machines
• Software emulation of an abstract machine
• Make it look like hardware has features you want
• Programs from one hardware & OS on another one
• Programming simplicity
• Each process thinks it has all memory/CPU time
• Each process thinks it owns all devices
• Different Devices appear to have same interface
• Device Interfaces more powerful than raw hardware
• Bitmapped display  windowing system
• Ethernet card  reliable, ordered, networking (TCP/IP)
• Fault Isolation
• Processes unable to directly impact other processes
• Bugs cannot crash whole machine
• Protection and Portability
• Java interface safe and stable across many platforms
Virtual Machines (con’t): Layers of OSs
• Useful for OS development
• When OS crashes, restricted to one VM
• Can aid testing programs on other OSs
What does an Operating System do?
• Silerschatz and Gavin:
“An OS is Similar to a government”
• Begs the question: does a government do anything useful by itself?
• Coordinator and Traffic Cop:
• Manages all resources
• Settles conflicting requests for resources
• Prevent errors and improper use of the computer
• Facilitator:
• Provides facilities that everyone needs
• Standard Libraries, Windowing systems
• Make application programming easier, faster, less error-prone
• Some features reflect both tasks:
• E.g. File system is needed by everyone (Facilitator)
• But File system must be Protected (Traffic Cop)
Operating System Definition (Cont.)
• No universally accepted definition
• “Everything a vendor ships when you order an operating system” is
good approximation
• But varies wildly
• “The one program running at all times on the computer” is the
kernel.
• Everything else is either a system program (ships with the operating system)
or an application program
What is an Operating System,… Really?
• Most Likely:
• Memory Management
• I/O Management
• CPU Scheduling
• Communications? (Does Email belong in OS?)
• Multitasking/multiprogramming?
• What about?
• File System?
• Multimedia Support?
• User Interface?
• Internet Browser? 
• Is this only interesting to Academics??
Topic Coverage
Textbook: Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne,
Operating Systems Concepts, 8th Ed., 2008
• 1 week: Fundamentals (Operating Systems Structures)
• 1.5 weeks: Process Control and Threads
• 2.5 weeks: Synchronization and scheduling
• 2 week: Protection,Address translation, Caching
• 1 week: Demand Paging
• 1 week: File Systems
• 2.5 weeks: Networking and Distributed Systems
• 1 week: Protection and Security
• ??: Advanced topics
Typical Lecture Format
• 1-Minute Review
• 20-Minute Lecture
• 1- Minute Administrative Matters
• 15-Minute Lecture
• 5-Minute Break for questions and/or jokes
• 15-Minute Lecture
Attention
Time
20 min. Break “In Conclusion, ...”15 min. Break 15 min.
Academic Dishonesty Policy
• Copying all or part of another person's work, or using reference material not
specifically allowed, are forms of cheating and will not be tolerated. A student
involved in an incident of cheating will be notified by the instructor and the
following policy will apply anyway.
• The instructor may take actions such as:
• require repetition of the subject work,
• assign an F grade or a 'zero' grade to the subject work,
• for serious offenses, assign an F grade for the course.
• The instructor must inform the student and the Department Chair in writing of
the incident, the action taken, if any, and the student's right to appeal to the
Chair of the Department Grievance Committee or to the Director of the Office of
Student Conduct.
• The Office of Student Conduct may choose to conduct a formal hearing on the
incident and to assess a penalty for misconduct.
• The Department will recommend that students involved in a second incident of
cheating be dismissed from the University.
What if we didn’t have an Operating System?
• Source CodeCompilerObject CodeHardware
• How do you get object code onto the hardware?
• How do you print out the answer?
• Once upon a time, had to Toggle in program in binary and read out answer
from LED’s!
Altair 8080
Simple OS: What if only one application?
• Examples:
• Very early computers
• Early PCs
• Embedded controllers (elevators, cars, etc)
• OS becomes just a library of standard services
• Standard device drivers
• Interrupt handlers
• Math libraries
MS-DOS Layer Structure
More thoughts on Simple OS
• What about Cell-phones, Xboxes, etc?
• Is this organization enough?
• Can OS be encoded in ROM/Flash ROM?
• Does OS have to be software?
• Can it be Hardware?
• Custom Chip with predefined behavior
• Are these even OSs?
More complex OS: Multiple Apps
• Full Coordination and Protection
• Manage interactions between different users
• Multiple programs running simultaneously
• Multiplex and protect Hardware Resources
• CPU, Memory, I/O devices like disks, printers, etc
• Facilitator
• Still provides Standard libraries, facilities
• Would this complexity make sense if there were only one application
that you cared about?
Example: Protecting Processes from Each Other
• Problem: Run multiple applications in such a way that they are
protected from one another
• Goal:
• Keep User Programs from Crashing OS
• Keep User Programs from Crashing each other
• [Keep Parts of OS from crashing other parts?]
• (Some of the required) Mechanisms:
• Address Translation
• Dual Mode Operation
• Simple Policy:
• Programs are not allowed to read/write memory of other Programs or of
Operating System
CPU MMU
Virtual
Addresses
Physical
Addresses
Address Translation
• Address Space
• A group of memory addresses usable by something
• Each program (process) and kernel has potentially different address spaces.
• Address Translation:
• Translate from Virtual Addresses (emitted by CPU) into Physical Addresses (of
memory)
• Mapping often performed in Hardware by Memory Management Unit (MMU)
Example of Address Translation
Prog 1
Virtual
Address
Space 1
Prog 2
Virtual
Address
Space 2
Code
Data
Heap
Stack
Code
Data
Heap
Stack
Data 2
Stack 1
Heap 1
OS heap &
Stacks
Code 1
Stack 2
Data 1
Heap 2
Code 2
OS code
OS dataTranslation Map 1 Translation Map 2
Physical Address Space
Address Translation Details
• For now, assume translation happens with table (called a Page Table):
• Translation helps protection:
• Control translations, control access
• Should Users be able to change Page Table???
Virtual
Address
Page Table
index
into
page
table
V
Access
Rights PA
V page no. offset
10
table located
in physical
memory
P page no. offset
10
Physical
Address
Dual Mode Operation
• Hardware provides at least two modes:
• “Kernel” mode (or “supervisor” or “protected”)
• “User” mode: Normal programs executed
• Some instructions/ops prohibited in user mode:
• Example: cannot modify page tables in user mode
• Attempt to modify  Exception generated
• Transitions from user mode to kernel mode:
• System Calls, Interrupts, Other exceptions
UNIX System Structure
User Mode
Kernel Mode
Hardware
Applications
Standard Libs
New Structures for Multicore chips?
Tessellation: The Exploded OS
• Normal Components split into
pieces
• Device drivers
(Security/Reliability)
• Network Services
(Performance)
• TCP/IP stack
• Firewall
• Virus Checking
• Intrusion Detection
• Persistent Storage
(Performance, Security,
Reliability)
• Monitoring services
• Performance counters
• Introspection
• Identity/Environment services
(Security)
• Biometric, GPS,
Possession Tracking
• Applications Given
Larger Partitions
• Freedom to use resources
arbitrarily
Device
Drivers
Video &
Window
Drivers
Firewall
Virus
Intrusion
Monitor
And
Adapt
Persistent
Storage &
File System
HCI/
Voice
Rec
Large Compute-Bound
Application
Real-Time
Application
Identity
OS Systems Principles
• OS as illusionist
• Make hardware limitations go away
• Provide illusion of dedicated machine with infinite memory and infinite processors
• OS as government:
• Protect users from each other
• Allocate resources efficiently and fairly
• OS as complex system:
• Constant tension between simplicity and functionality or performance
• OS as history teacher
• Learn from past
• Adapt as hardware tradeoffs change
Why Study Operating Systems?
• Learn how to build complex systems:
• How can you manage complexity for future projects?
• Engineering issues:
• Why is the web so slow sometimes? Can you fix it?
• What features should be in the next mars Rover?
• How do large distributed systems work? (Kazaa, etc)
• Buying and using a personal computer:
• Why different PCs with same CPU behave differently
• How to choose a processor (Opteron, Itanium, Celeron, Pentium, Hexium)?
• Should you get Windows XP, 2000, Linux, Mac OS …?
• Why does Microsoft have such a bad name?
• Business issues:
• Should your division buy thin-clients vs PC?
• Security, viruses, and worms
• What exposure do you have to worry about?

More Related Content

PPT
Types of software
PPT
Database administration and security
PPTX
Cloud computing ppt
PPT
Fundamentals of Database ppt ch01
PPT
Computer System Organization
PPTX
Communication skills: LSRW
PDF
Computer maintenance-and-repair
PPTX
Real time Operating System
Types of software
Database administration and security
Cloud computing ppt
Fundamentals of Database ppt ch01
Computer System Organization
Communication skills: LSRW
Computer maintenance-and-repair
Real time Operating System

What's hot (20)

PDF
System calls
PPT
System call
PPTX
System calls
PPTX
Operating system; Multitasking
PPT
Scheduling algorithms
PPTX
Cpu scheduling in operating System.
PDF
Types of Operating System-converted.pdf
PPT
introduction To Operating System
PPT
Operating system services 9
PPTX
Process scheduling
PPT
Loaders
PPTX
Operating System - Types Of Operating System Unit-1
PPTX
Multiprogramming&timesharing
PPT
Program control
PPTX
Operating system basics
PPTX
Algorithm
PPTX
Mass Storage Structure
System calls
System call
System calls
Operating system; Multitasking
Scheduling algorithms
Cpu scheduling in operating System.
Types of Operating System-converted.pdf
introduction To Operating System
Operating system services 9
Process scheduling
Loaders
Operating System - Types Of Operating System Unit-1
Multiprogramming&timesharing
Program control
Operating system basics
Algorithm
Mass Storage Structure
Ad

Similar to Computer system organization (20)

PPTX
OPERATION SYSTEM - INTRODUCTORY COURSE PPT
PPT
Chap1
PPTX
principlles of operating systems definitions and explanations
PPTX
Introduction to OS.pptx
PDF
MK Sistem Operasi.pdf
PDF
Embedded systems introduction
PPTX
Introduction to operating systems
PPTX
Introduction & Background(Operating Systems).pptx
PPTX
Operating system introduction and introduction
PPT
operating system basics including mac os
PPTX
Nt introduction(os)
PDF
Kernel security Concepts
PPT
chapter1.ppt
PPT
Chapter one_oS.ppt
PPT
Services of OS.ppt Two types of services
PPT
Computer Architecture & Organization.ppt
PPT
02-archsupport.ppt Architecture Support for OPS
PPTX
05-introduction-to-operating-systems.pptx
PDF
Engg-0505-IT-Operating-Systems-2nd-year.pdf
OPERATION SYSTEM - INTRODUCTORY COURSE PPT
Chap1
principlles of operating systems definitions and explanations
Introduction to OS.pptx
MK Sistem Operasi.pdf
Embedded systems introduction
Introduction to operating systems
Introduction & Background(Operating Systems).pptx
Operating system introduction and introduction
operating system basics including mac os
Nt introduction(os)
Kernel security Concepts
chapter1.ppt
Chapter one_oS.ppt
Services of OS.ppt Two types of services
Computer Architecture & Organization.ppt
02-archsupport.ppt Architecture Support for OPS
05-introduction-to-operating-systems.pptx
Engg-0505-IT-Operating-Systems-2nd-year.pdf
Ad

More from Syed Zaid Irshad (20)

PDF
Data Structures & Algorithms - Spring 2025.pdf
PDF
Operating System.pdf
PDF
DBMS_Lab_Manual_&_Solution
PPTX
Data Structure and Algorithms.pptx
PPTX
Design and Analysis of Algorithms.pptx
PPTX
Professional Issues in Computing
PDF
Reduce course notes class xi
PDF
Reduce course notes class xii
PDF
Introduction to Database
PDF
C Language
PDF
Flowchart
PDF
Algorithm Pseudo
PDF
Computer Programming
PDF
ICS 2nd Year Book Introduction
PDF
Security, Copyright and the Law
PDF
Computer Architecture
PDF
Data Communication
PDF
Information Networks
PDF
Basic Concept of Information Technology
PDF
Introduction to ICS 1st Year Book
Data Structures & Algorithms - Spring 2025.pdf
Operating System.pdf
DBMS_Lab_Manual_&_Solution
Data Structure and Algorithms.pptx
Design and Analysis of Algorithms.pptx
Professional Issues in Computing
Reduce course notes class xi
Reduce course notes class xii
Introduction to Database
C Language
Flowchart
Algorithm Pseudo
Computer Programming
ICS 2nd Year Book Introduction
Security, Copyright and the Law
Computer Architecture
Data Communication
Information Networks
Basic Concept of Information Technology
Introduction to ICS 1st Year Book

Recently uploaded (20)

PPTX
Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals.pptx
PDF
distributed database system" (DDBS) is often used to refer to both the distri...
PDF
Computer System Architecture 3rd Edition-M Morris Mano.pdf
PDF
First part_B-Image Processing - 1 of 2).pdf
PDF
August 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Network Security & Its Applications
PPTX
Information Storage and Retrieval Techniques Unit III
PDF
Exploratory_Data_Analysis_Fundamentals.pdf
PDF
Computer organization and architecuture Digital Notes....pdf
PDF
Cryptography and Network Security-Module-I.pdf
PPTX
CyberSecurity Mobile and Wireless Devices
PPTX
Software Engineering and software moduleing
PPTX
Management Information system : MIS-e-Business Systems.pptx
PPTX
Principal presentation for NAAC (1).pptx
PPTX
ai_satellite_crop_management_20250815030350.pptx
PPTX
PRASUNET_20240614003_231416_0000[1].pptx
PDF
Unit I -OPERATING SYSTEMS_SRM_KATTANKULATHUR.pptx.pdf
PDF
Prof. Dr. KAYIHURA A. SILAS MUNYANEZA, PhD..pdf
PPTX
CONTRACTS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: TYPES
PPTX
Chemical Technological Processes, Feasibility Study and Chemical Process Indu...
PPTX
A Brief Introduction to IoT- Smart Objects: The "Things" in IoT
Petroleum Refining & Petrochemicals.pptx
distributed database system" (DDBS) is often used to refer to both the distri...
Computer System Architecture 3rd Edition-M Morris Mano.pdf
First part_B-Image Processing - 1 of 2).pdf
August 2025 - Top 10 Read Articles in Network Security & Its Applications
Information Storage and Retrieval Techniques Unit III
Exploratory_Data_Analysis_Fundamentals.pdf
Computer organization and architecuture Digital Notes....pdf
Cryptography and Network Security-Module-I.pdf
CyberSecurity Mobile and Wireless Devices
Software Engineering and software moduleing
Management Information system : MIS-e-Business Systems.pptx
Principal presentation for NAAC (1).pptx
ai_satellite_crop_management_20250815030350.pptx
PRASUNET_20240614003_231416_0000[1].pptx
Unit I -OPERATING SYSTEMS_SRM_KATTANKULATHUR.pptx.pdf
Prof. Dr. KAYIHURA A. SILAS MUNYANEZA, PhD..pdf
CONTRACTS IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: TYPES
Chemical Technological Processes, Feasibility Study and Chemical Process Indu...
A Brief Introduction to IoT- Smart Objects: The "Things" in IoT

Computer system organization

  • 1. Computer System Organization • Computer-system operation • One or more CPUs, device controllers connect through common bus providing access to shared memory • Concurrent execution of CPUs and devices competing for memory cycles
  • 2. Functionality comes with great complexity! Proc Caches Busses Memory I/O Devices: Controllers adapters Disks Displays Keyboards Networks Pentium IV Chipset
  • 3. Sample of Computer Architecture Topics Instruction Set Architecture Pipelining, Hazard Resolution, Superscalar, Reordering, Prediction, Speculation, Vector, Dynamic Compilation Addressing, Protection, Exception Handling L1 Cache L2 Cache DRAM Disks, WORM, Tape Coherence, Bandwidth, Latency Emerging Technologies Interleaving Bus protocols RAID VLSI Input/Output and Storage Memory Hierarchy Pipelining and Instruction Level Parallelism Network Communication OtherProcessors
  • 4. Increasing Software Complexity From MIT’s 6.033 course
  • 5. Example: Some Mars Rover (“Pathfinder”) Requirements • Pathfinder hardware limitations/complexity: • 20Mhz processor, 128MB of DRAM, VxWorks OS • cameras, scientific instruments, batteries, solar panels, and locomotion equipment • Many independent processes work together • Can’t hit reset button very easily! • Must reboot itself if necessary • Always able to receive commands from Earth • Individual Programs must not interfere • Suppose the MUT (Martian Universal Translator Module) buggy • Better not crash antenna positioning software! • Further, all software may crash occasionally • Automatic restart with diagnostics sent to Earth • Periodic checkpoint of results saved? • Certain functions time critical: • Need to stop before hitting something • Must track orbit of Earth for communication
  • 6. How do we tame complexity? • Every piece of computer hardware different • Different CPU • Pentium, PowerPC, ColdFire, ARM, MIPS • Different amounts of memory, disk, … • Different types of devices • Mice, Keyboards, Sensors, Cameras, Fingerprint readers • Different networking environment • Cable, DSL, Wireless, Firewalls,… • Questions: • Does the programmer need to write a single program that performs many independent activities? • Does every program have to be altered for every piece of hardware? • Does a faulty program crash everything? • Does every program have access to all hardware?
  • 7. OS Tool: Virtual Machine Abstraction • Software Engineering Problem: • Turn hardware/software quirks  what programmers want/need • Optimize for convenience, utilization, security, reliability, etc… • For Any OS area (e.g. file systems, virtual memory, networking, scheduling): • What’s the hardware interface? (physical reality) • What’s the application interface? (nicer abstraction) Application Operating System Hardware Physical Machine Interface Virtual Machine Interface
  • 8. Interfaces Provide Important Boundaries • Why do interfaces look the way that they do? • History, Functionality, Stupidity, Bugs, Management •  Machine interface •  Human interface •  Software engineering/management • Should responsibilities be pushed across boundaries? • RISC architectures, Graphical Pipeline Architectures instruction set software hardware
  • 9. Virtual Machines • Software emulation of an abstract machine • Make it look like hardware has features you want • Programs from one hardware & OS on another one • Programming simplicity • Each process thinks it has all memory/CPU time • Each process thinks it owns all devices • Different Devices appear to have same interface • Device Interfaces more powerful than raw hardware • Bitmapped display  windowing system • Ethernet card  reliable, ordered, networking (TCP/IP) • Fault Isolation • Processes unable to directly impact other processes • Bugs cannot crash whole machine • Protection and Portability • Java interface safe and stable across many platforms
  • 10. Virtual Machines (con’t): Layers of OSs • Useful for OS development • When OS crashes, restricted to one VM • Can aid testing programs on other OSs
  • 11. What does an Operating System do? • Silerschatz and Gavin: “An OS is Similar to a government” • Begs the question: does a government do anything useful by itself? • Coordinator and Traffic Cop: • Manages all resources • Settles conflicting requests for resources • Prevent errors and improper use of the computer • Facilitator: • Provides facilities that everyone needs • Standard Libraries, Windowing systems • Make application programming easier, faster, less error-prone • Some features reflect both tasks: • E.g. File system is needed by everyone (Facilitator) • But File system must be Protected (Traffic Cop)
  • 12. Operating System Definition (Cont.) • No universally accepted definition • “Everything a vendor ships when you order an operating system” is good approximation • But varies wildly • “The one program running at all times on the computer” is the kernel. • Everything else is either a system program (ships with the operating system) or an application program
  • 13. What is an Operating System,… Really? • Most Likely: • Memory Management • I/O Management • CPU Scheduling • Communications? (Does Email belong in OS?) • Multitasking/multiprogramming? • What about? • File System? • Multimedia Support? • User Interface? • Internet Browser?  • Is this only interesting to Academics??
  • 14. Topic Coverage Textbook: Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne, Operating Systems Concepts, 8th Ed., 2008 • 1 week: Fundamentals (Operating Systems Structures) • 1.5 weeks: Process Control and Threads • 2.5 weeks: Synchronization and scheduling • 2 week: Protection,Address translation, Caching • 1 week: Demand Paging • 1 week: File Systems • 2.5 weeks: Networking and Distributed Systems • 1 week: Protection and Security • ??: Advanced topics
  • 15. Typical Lecture Format • 1-Minute Review • 20-Minute Lecture • 1- Minute Administrative Matters • 15-Minute Lecture • 5-Minute Break for questions and/or jokes • 15-Minute Lecture Attention Time 20 min. Break “In Conclusion, ...”15 min. Break 15 min.
  • 16. Academic Dishonesty Policy • Copying all or part of another person's work, or using reference material not specifically allowed, are forms of cheating and will not be tolerated. A student involved in an incident of cheating will be notified by the instructor and the following policy will apply anyway. • The instructor may take actions such as: • require repetition of the subject work, • assign an F grade or a 'zero' grade to the subject work, • for serious offenses, assign an F grade for the course. • The instructor must inform the student and the Department Chair in writing of the incident, the action taken, if any, and the student's right to appeal to the Chair of the Department Grievance Committee or to the Director of the Office of Student Conduct. • The Office of Student Conduct may choose to conduct a formal hearing on the incident and to assess a penalty for misconduct. • The Department will recommend that students involved in a second incident of cheating be dismissed from the University.
  • 17. What if we didn’t have an Operating System? • Source CodeCompilerObject CodeHardware • How do you get object code onto the hardware? • How do you print out the answer? • Once upon a time, had to Toggle in program in binary and read out answer from LED’s! Altair 8080
  • 18. Simple OS: What if only one application? • Examples: • Very early computers • Early PCs • Embedded controllers (elevators, cars, etc) • OS becomes just a library of standard services • Standard device drivers • Interrupt handlers • Math libraries
  • 20. More thoughts on Simple OS • What about Cell-phones, Xboxes, etc? • Is this organization enough? • Can OS be encoded in ROM/Flash ROM? • Does OS have to be software? • Can it be Hardware? • Custom Chip with predefined behavior • Are these even OSs?
  • 21. More complex OS: Multiple Apps • Full Coordination and Protection • Manage interactions between different users • Multiple programs running simultaneously • Multiplex and protect Hardware Resources • CPU, Memory, I/O devices like disks, printers, etc • Facilitator • Still provides Standard libraries, facilities • Would this complexity make sense if there were only one application that you cared about?
  • 22. Example: Protecting Processes from Each Other • Problem: Run multiple applications in such a way that they are protected from one another • Goal: • Keep User Programs from Crashing OS • Keep User Programs from Crashing each other • [Keep Parts of OS from crashing other parts?] • (Some of the required) Mechanisms: • Address Translation • Dual Mode Operation • Simple Policy: • Programs are not allowed to read/write memory of other Programs or of Operating System
  • 23. CPU MMU Virtual Addresses Physical Addresses Address Translation • Address Space • A group of memory addresses usable by something • Each program (process) and kernel has potentially different address spaces. • Address Translation: • Translate from Virtual Addresses (emitted by CPU) into Physical Addresses (of memory) • Mapping often performed in Hardware by Memory Management Unit (MMU)
  • 24. Example of Address Translation Prog 1 Virtual Address Space 1 Prog 2 Virtual Address Space 2 Code Data Heap Stack Code Data Heap Stack Data 2 Stack 1 Heap 1 OS heap & Stacks Code 1 Stack 2 Data 1 Heap 2 Code 2 OS code OS dataTranslation Map 1 Translation Map 2 Physical Address Space
  • 25. Address Translation Details • For now, assume translation happens with table (called a Page Table): • Translation helps protection: • Control translations, control access • Should Users be able to change Page Table??? Virtual Address Page Table index into page table V Access Rights PA V page no. offset 10 table located in physical memory P page no. offset 10 Physical Address
  • 26. Dual Mode Operation • Hardware provides at least two modes: • “Kernel” mode (or “supervisor” or “protected”) • “User” mode: Normal programs executed • Some instructions/ops prohibited in user mode: • Example: cannot modify page tables in user mode • Attempt to modify  Exception generated • Transitions from user mode to kernel mode: • System Calls, Interrupts, Other exceptions
  • 27. UNIX System Structure User Mode Kernel Mode Hardware Applications Standard Libs
  • 28. New Structures for Multicore chips? Tessellation: The Exploded OS • Normal Components split into pieces • Device drivers (Security/Reliability) • Network Services (Performance) • TCP/IP stack • Firewall • Virus Checking • Intrusion Detection • Persistent Storage (Performance, Security, Reliability) • Monitoring services • Performance counters • Introspection • Identity/Environment services (Security) • Biometric, GPS, Possession Tracking • Applications Given Larger Partitions • Freedom to use resources arbitrarily Device Drivers Video & Window Drivers Firewall Virus Intrusion Monitor And Adapt Persistent Storage & File System HCI/ Voice Rec Large Compute-Bound Application Real-Time Application Identity
  • 29. OS Systems Principles • OS as illusionist • Make hardware limitations go away • Provide illusion of dedicated machine with infinite memory and infinite processors • OS as government: • Protect users from each other • Allocate resources efficiently and fairly • OS as complex system: • Constant tension between simplicity and functionality or performance • OS as history teacher • Learn from past • Adapt as hardware tradeoffs change
  • 30. Why Study Operating Systems? • Learn how to build complex systems: • How can you manage complexity for future projects? • Engineering issues: • Why is the web so slow sometimes? Can you fix it? • What features should be in the next mars Rover? • How do large distributed systems work? (Kazaa, etc) • Buying and using a personal computer: • Why different PCs with same CPU behave differently • How to choose a processor (Opteron, Itanium, Celeron, Pentium, Hexium)? • Should you get Windows XP, 2000, Linux, Mac OS …? • Why does Microsoft have such a bad name? • Business issues: • Should your division buy thin-clients vs PC? • Security, viruses, and worms • What exposure do you have to worry about?