System Programming - Coursework Example

System Programming A computer system consists of interrelated devices that interact frequently. Modern operating systems have come with in-built assistive tools that play significant roles in process management, resource allocation, input output device management, as well as memory management. Windows and Linux operating systems have created advanced tools that control and manage the computer system effectively. For instance, Windows contains tools such as task manager, performance manager, process manager, process explode and process viewer, which run a computer. These tools enable users to configure and manage their tasks personally. Linux, similar to Windows, has tools such as process status, top, Xosview and treeps. This essay focuses on Windows as the chosen Operating System to discuss how some tools affect the scripts on investigating and administering the computer system. Each feature is discussed independently to assert how they affect the availability of the script, and arguments to support and protest the proposition brought up. The tools effects are discussed based on their effect to the users. Introduction An operating system allows users to manipulate their computers. It acts as the interface, and the computer cannot function without it (Michael 108). Operating systems, for large computers, are more complex and sophisticated than those for microcomputers. This is because they are more complicated than microcomputers. Operating systems competences can be described with regards to the number of users it can accommodate at a particular time, number of tasks it can run at one time and manner in which it processes those tasks. Modern operating systems display most of the above features even for operating systems used by smaller computers. Typical day to day uses of the operating includes executing application programs, formatting disks, setting up directories for organising files and displaying a list of files stored. Operating systems differ in a number of ways. The difference can be measured in terms of the number of the users it can accommodate and the number of tasks it can support. Some operating systems can only permit a single user at a time on the computer. Most operating systems like Disk operating system (DOS) and Windows 95 are single-user. Multiuser operating system allows two or more users to enter the machine at the same time. Linux is a perfect example of such software (Michael 109). The number of tasks that an operating system can accommodate is also compared. Single tasking operating systems run one program at a time. Multitasking operating allow a single CPU to run over one program at an instant. Modern operating systems like Windows 7 and Linux contain these features. These system programs have improved tools that enable them to perform better than the former operating systems. In this essay, the preposition that these tools have affected the incentive to write scripts that assist in administering and investigating the computer system will be discussed in broad terms and points for and against this topic will be stated and explained. Discussion The Task Manager is the most well-known tool for monitoring processes on the windows operating system. It shows all applications running within a single framework and their state, every process and some of their most commonly used performance measures, and the general performance measurement of the system (Laurent 45). Furthermore, Task Manager gives users the capability of controlling the computer by checking what affects the running process. This function is the reason why most computer users typically use the Task Manager for when their processes "hung" due to errors in the code. In addition to ending a process, the Task Manager also allows users to end an application tree killing all threads associated with the selected process. It sets a process priority to ease or improve its CPU consumption, and create a processes affinity to other CPUs to control which CPU a process will run on in a multi-CPUs system (Williams 13). The Task Manager’s data and information are updated every one second normally, but it can be changed to one or three predetermined values or set only to renew or update manually (Franklin 40). It is integrated into the operating system deeply. However, it is not valuable in monitoring and adjusting the processes running on a computer. Its use and reliance, however, has created interdependence by most users. The Windows Task Manager has an “easy to use” command. From the task manager, people can manipulate or check the process that they are running currently. This “easy to use” feature on the Task Manager has advanced people using computers. However, it has caused a loss in the incentive to write scripts that administer the computer system (Franklin 41). Users believe that there is no need to read scripts on how to administer the computer system. From their perspective, they believe that everything can be found on Task Manager and that it is fully comprehensive. Users’ attitude has discouraged writers from producing scripts that deal with administration and investigation of the computer system (Franklin 41). Administering and investigating the computer system plays a leading role in determining its legitimacy and reliability (Webster 99). This aspect is, however, uncommon with most computer users. Since people are obsessed with the sleek features of the tools, they do not see the need of determining and assessing its reliability in a bid to establish their weakness and knowledge on how properly to manage them. This explains the reason why there is a reduction on the number scripts written to administer and investigate the computer system. However, in reality, the Task Manager has assisted people significantly on how to manage and administer of computer systems as it contains friendly features. The effectiveness of any operating system lies on its ability to address users’ needs, and that is exactly what modern operating systems have come up with (Taylor 322). The tools, in this case the task manager, enable the user to understand what is happening in his/her system. Performance Monitor is another tool associated to modern operating systems. It is the second most significant performance monitoring tool after the Task Manager (Peters 190). The Monitor acts as a log-based and real time performance monitoring mechanism for system software. Similarly, performance monitor measures performance by making system calls that will retrieve system counters. Unlike the Task Manager, Performance Monitor provides an interface to check any collection of system counters on a graph in real time. A counter refers to issues like percentage of processor time, size of memory, thread count and time elapsed for processes (Howard 67). Performance Monitor has played a significant role in the decline of the number scripts on administering and investigating computer system. Its connection to the decline can be explained on the basis that it portends to control most features on Windows. A user gets the perception that they can have control and view to almost all processes being executed. Also, its ability to allow changes to be made on it like changing the color of the graph makes a user rest assured that they understand their computer system well. A user, therefore, feels there is no point of reading scripts on administering and investigating the computer system. This goes a long way in increasing the user’s confidence of the Performance Monitor. Though the Performance Monitor is not widely used like the Task Manager, the technique plays a significant role in influencing the user’s thoughts (Johnson 12). Many computer owners and users admit that this inbuilt feature gives them a sense of control when they use the technique. The appealing and well structured interface forms the basis of its attraction to many people who use this technique. When a user is satisfied by something, they tend to think less of the limitation of the product and the possibility of other better products. This is the case for the Performance Monitor. In the same respect, the Performance Monitor cannot fully be held accountable for the decline in the scripts on administering and investigating the computer system. Its attractive interface and functionality is a design that is meant to make it outstanding and useful to the user. The connection of these features to the decline is, to some extent, overestimated. Process Monitor is another tool that has immense importance and use in the Windows operating system. This tool mainly deals with process monitoring. It provides similar functions as the Task Manager but without any control to process. The Process Monitor is less configurable than the Task Manager and only has one update after every five seconds (Rogers 99). Similar to the Performance Monitor and Task Manager, the Process Monitor gets its performance measures using the system counters. Notably, the Process monitor has more preferences to the user than anything else. It offers its users a simplified view of the state of the processes running on the machine, and can be preferred more to the Task Manager when checking on the state of a process. Its relationship to the decline in the scripts available for administering and investigating the computer system is notable. Administering and investigating the computer system entails understanding the work of the system to be capable of getting maximum functionality from the computer. The Process Monitor act has a barrier in this case. It pertains to be a complete and wholesome feature that can give access to the process running in computer. It gives the illusion that it is fault free and fully independent (Rogers 100). The system software like many other software develops technical problems. In such a case, the tools reliability is compromised as it illegibility fully lies with the state and condition of the operating system. However, many users have complete loyalty in the tool and overlook certain significant possibilities. Such users’ are fully consumed with the tools, and they are likely to disregard or ignore the scripts on administering and investigating the computer system. In such instances, the belief that system software is perfect and totally secure is the driving force on disregarding such significant script. Furthermore, the increased use of pirated software poses threats to the reliability on the tools. Most users prefer cheap software that they cannot trace their source at the expenses of the genuine ones, which are deemed expensive and out of reach. Users’ ought to discover that such tools are limited to the system program, and it is not entirely outstanding as they imagine. In essence, the proposition that reduction in the scripts available for administering and investigating computer system is informed by the improvement of the tools that come with the operating system is not altogether agreeable. The Process Monitor like the rest of the tools is only preferred due its simplified nature and user-friendly characteristic (Rogers 103). Users’ likeness and loyalty to a feature or product lies substantially on the ease of use and compatibility to it. The Process Explode and Process Viewer are other monitoring tools whose usage is vital in Windows operating system. The Process Explode provides a large quantity of performance data of process, threads, memory and the system mainly. Most of the measurements are the same except for a few. Its measurements, similar to all performance measurement tools, are made by counts for various objects. The Process Viewer was introduced with the Windows NT Resource kit 4.0 (Roberts 78). The advantage of this tool is that it has easier to read interface than Process Explode’s window. Like Process Explode, the Process Viewer can end processes and change process priorities. These tools relationship to the falling rate in the number of scripts available for administering and investigating computer systems is minimal but does exist. The role played by these tools revolves around the idea that it is a hindrance to reading the scripts. When tools function properly, it makes the user feel that by reading such scripts they are only doing what is obvious. Some users, who were recently interviewed by Escort Research Firm, had the notion that by using the above tools, they are practically administering their computer system. They mentioned their being in control of the processes running as a crucial aspect which gave them the notion. When users have such notions and deductions, they are most likely to avoid scripts written on investigating and administering their computer. Scripts are written and sold to the buyers. When people do not have an interest on such scripts, they acquire less of it, and; hence, discouraging the writers from crafting such scripts. Conclusion The above window-based tools have assisted enough in guiding users on how to interact with their computer system. The importance of the tools should not be under-looked. The Task Manager for instance bears a substantial utility to the user. At the same, the users must not over estimate the reliability and importance of the tools. They must learn that though the tools are enjoyable to use they have limitations and that is reason more they should read and support publication of script on administering and investigating the computer systems. Works Cited Azer, T, 1998, Basics of windows operating system, Asylum Publishers association, Rio De Janeiro. Franklin, J 2000, Elements of system programs, Associate Publishers Corporation, Paris. Howard, F, 2001, System programming and management, Commerian Publishing Firm, New York. Laurent, J, 2003, Operating systems and internal design, World Class Publishers Association, Washington DC. Peters, W, 2000, Understanding the basics of computers, AA Group Publishers, Denver. Roberts, P, 2004, Theory of system program, Legions Group Publishers, Amsterdam. Rodgers, P, 1995, System management and integration, Batch Publishers, Michigan. Simmons, M, 1998, Introduction to system programming: internal designs, Manning Publishers Corporation, Detroit. Taylor, J, 2001, Introduction to computer operating system, The Diers Publishers, Copenhagen. Webster, C, 2009, Basic programming and system administration, One Publishers, Milan. Williams, M, 2005, Fundamentals to operating systems, Digic Publishers association, Miami. Read More