About this previous year paper
OPERATING SYSTEM – B.Tech (Semester IV), RCS-401
This is a 3-hour, 70-mark written examination designed to evaluate a student’s understanding of operating system concepts, including process management, CPU scheduling, synchronization, memory management, deadlocks, file systems, and disk scheduling.
The paper is divided into three main sections, testing conceptual knowledge, descriptive understanding, numerical/application skills, and algorithm-based problem solving.
SECTION A — Short Answer / Conceptual Questions (2 × 7 = 14 Marks)
This section contains seven brief, direct questions to test basic OS concepts.
Topics include:
Elements of Process Control Block (PCB) CPU scheduling criteria
Role of Memory Management Unit (MMU) Seek time & latency time
SCAN and C-SCAN disk scheduling Safe vs Unsafe state in deadlock avoidance
Logical vs physical address space (with diagram)
These questions assess quick recall and fundamental understanding.
SECTION B — Descriptive / Analytical Questions (7 × 3 = 21 Marks)
Attempt any 3 out of 5.
This section requires explanations, diagrams, algorithm execution, and working steps.
Topics include:
Definition of process + process state transition diagram Batch operating system explanation
Critical section problem & requirements for a correct solution Page replacement algorithms (FIFO & Optimal) with detailed execution using a reference string
Disk scheduling calculations (SSTF & FCFS) for given cylinder requests
This section evaluates the student’s ability to apply OS algorithms and analyze system behavior.
SECTION C — Long Answer / Detailed Questions (7 marks each)
Each question offers choice (a or b).
These require strong conceptual clarity, problem solving, or algorithmic computation.
Q3 – OS Structures & Functions
Operating System definition + OS functions
Monolithic, layered, and microkernel structures
Q4 – Synchronization Mechanisms
Semaphores, busy waiting removal, binary semaphores
Classical Producer-Consumer problem as synchronization example
Q5 – Scheduling & Deadlock (Numerical)
FCFS & Preemptive SJF scheduling → waiting & turnaround times
Banker’s algorithm:
Need matrix Safe state check
Q6 – Memory Management
Paging with example + Paging vs Segmentation
External vs internal fragmentation + paging as a solution
Q7 – File Systems
File definition + file access methods
Short notes:
File system protection & security
Linked file allocation method
This section checks advanced OS knowledge, computational accuracy, and ability to explain OS mechanisms clearly.
OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE EXAM
This question paper tests whether the student can:
Understand how operating systems manage processes, memory, files & devices
Apply OS algorithms (scheduling, page replacement, banker’s algorithm)
Solve practical OS problems involving deadlocks, fragmentation & disk scheduling
Explain OS structures (kernel types) and synchronization tools (semaphores)
Understand memory management (paging, segmentation, MMU)
Describe file system operations and protections
It evaluates both theoretical OS foundations and algorithmic / problem-solving abilities, essential for system programming, OS design, and application development.