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System Software

The document discusses system software, focusing on startup and boot processes, including BIOS and UEFI functionalities. It also covers interrupts, processing techniques like multitasking and multithreading, as well as the concept of virtual memory and the machine cycle of the CPU. Each section highlights key components and processes essential for operating system functionality.

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25 views2 pages

System Software

The document discusses system software, focusing on startup and boot processes, including BIOS and UEFI functionalities. It also covers interrupts, processing techniques like multitasking and multithreading, as well as the concept of virtual memory and the machine cycle of the CPU. Each section highlights key components and processes essential for operating system functionality.

Uploaded by

llejoy703
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LU 3: System Software

3.1 Start up and Boot software


-before handing over to the OS, hardware is checked
- boot loader checks the hardware of the device before handing over to the OS

BIOS (Basic Input Out System)


- a non-volatile chip on the motherboard
- responsible for Power On Self Testing (POST)
- after testing all hardware, it hands over to the core of the OS called the kernel
- the CMOS (backedup by a battery), stores hardware and user settings

UEFI (Unified Extended Firmware Interface)


- Newer version of the BIOS
- Has access to more memory than BIOS
- Has a GUI, hence it is more user friendly
- Is fast in terms of boot time

3.2 Interrupts
- signal sent to the CPU from hardware or software indicating the CPU’s attention
- every device has a unique Interrupt Request Number (IRQ)

Processing Techniques
- Multitasking
 execution of multiple tasks at a go
 this is a technique by the OS
- Multithreading
 Multiple threads (parts of a program) that run independently at the
same time

3.3 Virtual Memory


- extension of RAM on the secondary storage
- requires pages to be swapped between RAM and the hard disk (paging)
3.4 Machine Cycle
The CPU processes each instruction in four stages, in the following order:
 Fetch instruction from the RAM
 Decode
 Execute
 Store result

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