Device Management and Scheduling: A Comprehensive Guide for Operating Systems

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a function of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

Manages the allocation of memory resources

Answer

Translates application requests into hardware commands

Answer

Provides an interface between the operating system and hardware devices

Answer

Handles interrupts and exceptions generated by the hardware

Question 2

Which of the following scheduling algorithms schedules processes based on their arrival time and executes them in the order of their arrival?

Accepted Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Round-Robin (RR)

Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Answer

Priority Scheduling

Question 3

What is the primary purpose of an Interrupt Service Routine (ISR)?

Accepted Answer

To execute a specific task in response to an interrupt

Answer

To terminate the currently running process

Answer

To save the state of the CPU and transfer control to the kernel

Answer

To handle memory management tasks

Question 4

What is the key difference between blocking I/O and non-blocking I/O?

Accepted Answer

Blocking I/O waits for an I/O operation to complete before continuing execution, while non-blocking I/O does not

Answer

Non-blocking I/O requires the use of interrupts, while blocking I/O does not

Answer

Blocking I/O is more efficient for large data transfers, while non-blocking I/O is more efficient for small data transfers

Answer

Blocking I/O is only used for disk I/O, while non-blocking I/O is used for all types of I/O

Question 5

Which of the following is a disadvantage of using vectored interrupts compared to level-triggered interrupts?

Accepted Answer

Higher hardware costs

Answer

Increased efficiency

Answer

Lower latency

Answer

Reduced risk of interrupt conflicts

Question 6

In the context of operating systems, which metric is primarily used to measure the effectiveness of device management?

Accepted Answer

Device utilization

Answer

Context switch time

Answer

Memory usage

Answer

Network latency

Question 7

What is a primary role of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

Facilitate communication with hardware devices

Answer

Scheduling CPU tasks

Answer

Managing system memory

Answer

Handling user input

Question 8

Which scheduling algorithm prioritizes processes based on shorter execution times?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Job First

Answer

First-come, First-served

Answer

Round-robin

Answer

Priority-based

Question 9

What is the main purpose of interrupt handling?

Accepted Answer

Notifying the processor of events requiring attention

Answer

Halting execution of the current process

Answer

Allocating memory for new processes

Answer

Prioritizing tasks based on importance

Question 10

Which of the following is not a common method for preventing deadlocks?

Accepted Answer

Ignoring deadlocks

Answer

Deadlock avoidance

Answer

Deadlock prevention

Answer

Deadlock detection

Question 11

What is the function of a semaphore variable in device management?

Accepted Answer

Indicating the availability of shared resources

Answer

Storing the system time

Answer

Holding the address of a device driver

Answer

Tracking the number of processes waiting for resources

Question 12

What is the purpose of a page table?

Accepted Answer

Translating logical addresses to physical addresses

Answer

Storing the contents of memory pages

Answer

Managing the allocation of virtual memory

Answer

Tracking the status of each process

Question 13

What is the primary function of a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller?

Accepted Answer

Transferring data directly between memory and I/O devices, bypassing the CPU

Answer

Scheduling I/O requests

Answer

Buffering data during I/O operations

Answer

Detecting and resolving I/O errors

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT a function of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

Allocates physical memory for the device

Answer

Translates user-level commands into device-specific operations

Answer

Handles interrupts generated by the device

Answer

Provides an abstract interface for accessing the device

Question 15

What is the primary purpose of an interrupt vector table?

Accepted Answer

Stores the addresses of interrupt service routines

Answer

Manages the allocation of I/O devices

Answer

Handles page faults and memory management

Answer

Provides a way for the CPU to communicate with the BIOS

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT a type of interrupt?

Accepted Answer

Non-existent interrupt (NEI)

Answer

Hardware interrupt

Answer

Software interrupt

Answer

Maskable interrupt

Question 17

What is the primary role of the device tree in embedded systems?

Accepted Answer

Describes the hardware components and their interactions

Answer

Stores the boot sequence and operating system configuration

Answer

Provides a user interface for configuring the system

Answer

Manages the allocation of memory and paging

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental function of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

Executing application programs

Answer

Translating operating system requests into device-specific instructions

Answer

Managing device interrupts

Answer

Allocating memory for device operations

Question 19

Which CPU scheduling algorithm assigns processes to the CPU in the order they arrive?

Accepted Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Answer

Round-Robin

Answer

Priority-based

Question 20

What is the primary purpose of interrupt handling in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To allow the CPU to respond promptly to external events or asynchronous requests

Answer

To prevent conflicts between devices

Answer

To schedule processes efficiently

Answer

To manage memory allocation

Question 21

Which type of device utilizes a controller to manage multiple devices?

Accepted Answer

SCSI device

Answer

Serial device

Answer

Parallel device

Answer

USB device

Question 22

What is the key distinction between buffered and unbuffered I/O?

Accepted Answer

Buffered I/O employs a temporary storage area, whereas unbuffered I/O does not.

Answer

Unbuffered I/O is inherently faster than buffered I/O.

Answer

Buffered I/O is exclusively used for sequential file access, while unbuffered I/O is utilized for random file access.

Answer

Buffered I/O is only applicable to hard disks, while unbuffered I/O can be used with any device.

Question 23

What is the primary role of a semaphore in device management?

Accepted Answer

To synchronize access to shared resources, preventing conflicts

Answer

To schedule device requests based on priority or other criteria

Answer

To handle device interrupts and manage interrupt service routines

Answer

To manage device memory allocation and deallocation

Question 24

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of a real-time operating system (RTOS)?

Accepted Answer

High memory overhead and resource consumption

Answer

Deterministic behavior and guaranteed response times

Answer

High performance and low latency

Answer

Flexibility and adaptability to changing requirements

Question 25

What is the main responsibility of a device driver in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Managing and controlling hardware devices

Answer

Scheduling processes for execution

Answer

Handling interrupts from devices

Answer

Providing a user interface for device interaction

Question 26

Which scheduling algorithm is most suitable for real-time systems, where timely response is crucial?

Accepted Answer

Priority-based scheduling

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Round Robin

Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT a type of I/O device?

Accepted Answer

Processor

Answer

Keyboard

Answer

Printer

Answer

Network card

Question 28

Explain the fundamental difference between synchronous and asynchronous I/O operations.

Accepted Answer

Synchronous I/O waits for the I/O operation to complete, while asynchronous I/O does not.

Answer

Asynchronous I/O waits for the I/O operation to complete, while synchronous I/O does not.

Answer

Synchronous I/O is always faster than asynchronous I/O.

Answer

Asynchronous I/O can handle multiple I/O operations concurrently, while synchronous I/O cannot.

Question 29

Which of the following is NOT a responsibility of a device manager in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Providing a graphical user interface for device configuration

Answer

Loading and initializing device drivers

Answer

Managing and allocating device resources

Answer

Scheduling device access and resolving conflicts

Question 30

In a priority-based scheduling algorithm, which process would have the highest priority?

Accepted Answer

A process that performs essential system functions

Answer

A process with a low CPU usage requirement

Answer

A process that has been running the longest

Answer

A process that has been waiting in the ready queue for the shortest amount of time

Question 31

Which interrupt handling technique involves temporarily disabling all other interrupts?

Accepted Answer

Masked interrupt

Answer

Nested interrupt

Answer

Priority interrupt

Answer

Vector interrupt

Question 32

What is a key benefit of using a Round Robin scheduling algorithm?

Accepted Answer

It promotes fairness in process execution

Answer

It ensures that long-running processes are completed quickly

Answer

It prevents memory leaks

Answer

It reduces system overhead

Question 33

What is the purpose of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

To allow communication between the operating system and hardware devices

Answer

To enhance the performance of specific hardware components

Answer

To provide a user-friendly interface for device interaction

Answer

To manage data storage on devices

Question 34

Which of the following scheduling algorithms is commonly used by real-time operating systems?

Accepted Answer

Priority-based

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Answer

Round Robin

Question 35

What is the primary function of a memory management unit (MMU)?

Accepted Answer

Mapping virtual memory addresses to physical memory addresses

Answer

Protecting the memory of different processes from each other

Answer

Allocating and deallocating memory for processes

Answer

Storing the page tables and directories used for memory management

Question 36

What is a key advantage of using virtual memory?

Accepted Answer

It enables processes to use more memory than is physically available

Answer

It improves the performance of frequently used programs

Answer

It reduces the number of page faults a process experiences

Answer

It eliminates the need for a memory management unit

Question 37

What is the role of the dispatcher in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

Selecting the next process to run and transferring control to it

Answer

Managing the allocation and deallocation of system resources

Answer

Handling interrupts and exceptions

Answer

Providing a user interface for system interaction

Question 38

In an operating system, what is the main reason for process synchronization?

Accepted Answer

To prevent data corruption and system errors caused by multiple processes accessing shared resources simultaneously

Answer

To improve system performance by optimizing resource allocation

Answer

To facilitate direct communication and data exchange among processes

Answer

To ensure fair and equal access to CPU time among all processes in the system

Question 39

Specifically, which scheduling algorithm assigns the next process to run based solely on the shortest remaining time?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF) scheduling

Answer

Round-Robin scheduling

Answer

First-Come First-Served (FCFS) scheduling

Answer

Priority scheduling

Question 40

In computer systems, what is the fundamental purpose of interrupt handling?

Accepted Answer

To allow the processor to respond to events independently of its current execution flow

Answer

To prevent system errors

Answer

To enhance system performance

Question 41

In a multitasking operating system, what is the essential purpose of a context switch?

Accepted Answer

To preserve the state of the current process and restore the state of the next scheduled process, allowing for smooth execution

Answer

To handle interrupts generated by the current process

Answer

To allocate memory for the next process

Question 42

When utilizing a multi-level feedback queue scheduling algorithm, what is a significant benefit?

Accepted Answer

Addressing starvation by providing opportunities for low-priority processes to execute

Answer

Enhancing performance in real-time applications

Answer

Eliminating the need for interrupt handling

Answer

Minimizing context switching overhead

Question 43

In evaluating scheduling algorithms, which metric is typically NOT taken into consideration?

Accepted Answer

Total number of instructions executed

Answer

CPU utilization

Answer

Average waiting time

Answer

Throughput

Question 44

Which scheduling algorithm is characterized by its simplicity and fair distribution of CPU time among processes, giving each process an equal time slice?

Accepted Answer

Round-Robin

Answer

Priority Scheduling

Answer

First-Come, First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Question 45

In an operating system, what is the primary function of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

To act as the intermediary between the operating system and a specific hardware device, translating device-specific requests and responses.

Answer

To schedule and prioritize the execution of various processes based on their requirements.

Answer

To handle user input and display output on the computer screen.

Answer

To manage and allocate memory for different processes running on the system.

Question 46

Which scheduling algorithm prioritizes processes with the shortest estimated execution time, with the aim of minimizing the average waiting time for processes?

Accepted Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Answer

Round-Robin

Answer

First-Come, First-Served (FCFS)

Question 47

What is the primary purpose of interrupt handling in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To enable hardware devices to notify the operating system of events or request services, allowing for timely responses and smooth system operation.

Answer

To manage and control the sharing of memory among multiple processes running concurrently.

Answer

To terminate currently running processes to free up system resources for more critical tasks.

Question 48

Which of the following is NOT a common type of device driver found in operating systems?

Accepted Answer

Memory Driver

Answer

Graphics Driver

Answer

Disk Driver

Answer

Network Driver

Question 49

In preemptive scheduling, what is the main benefit of allowing a running process to be interrupted?

Accepted Answer

To prevent indefinite postponement or starvation of lower-priority processes, ensuring fairer resource allocation.

Answer

To guarantee that all processes complete execution in the exact order of their arrival.

Answer

To minimize the overhead associated with context switching between processes.

Question 50

What is the primary advantage of utilizing a priority-based scheduling algorithm?

Accepted Answer

It allows for the prioritization of critical or time-sensitive processes, ensuring their timely execution.

Answer

It guarantees that all processes receive equal amounts of CPU time.

Answer

It eliminates the need for context switching between processes.

Question 51

When a hardware device triggers an interrupt, what is the operating system's primary responsibility?

Accepted Answer

To pause the currently running process, preserve its state, and execute the appropriate interrupt handler to address the device's request.

Answer

To immediately terminate the running process and initiate a new one.

Answer

To ignore the interrupt and continue executing the current process without interruption.

Question 52

Which scheduling algorithm has the potential to lead to process starvation, where a low-priority process may indefinitely wait for its turn to execute?

Accepted Answer

Priority Scheduling

Answer

First-Come, First-Served (FCFS)

Answer

Shortest Job First (SJF)

Answer

Round-Robin

Question 53

What is the primary purpose of a device driver?

Accepted Answer

To provide a standardized interface between the operating system and a specific hardware device, translating device-specific requests and responses.

Answer

To schedule and prioritize the execution of various processes based on their requirements.

Answer

To manage and allocate memory for different processes running on the system.

Answer

To handle user input and display output on the computer screen.