Software

Educator: Sibongile Modisakeng

 Types of
software:
hierarchy of
hardware
and
software
 Set of programs to control and manage the
operation of computer hardware

Provides a platform on which other software

can run

System Required to allow hardware and software to

Software run

Provide a human computer interface (HCI)

Controls the allocation and usage of

hardware resources
 Used to perform various applications
on a computer

Allows a user to perform specific

tasks using the computer’s resources
Application
software
May be a single program or a suite

User can execute the software as and

when they require
Utility software
• Part of the system software
• Utility programs are often initiated by the user but some run in the
background without the need for any user input (e.g. virus checker)
• Programs offered by most computer system software:
• Virus checkers
• Defragmentation software
• Disk contents analysis and repair
• File compression and file management
• Back-up software
• Security
• Screensavers
 Must be kept up-to-date and run in the
background to maintain their ability to
guard against being infected by malware

Virus Features:
checker/a
nti-virus • They check software or files before they are run or
loaded on a computer
software • Anti-virus software compares a possible virus against
known database of known viruses
• Carry out heuristic checking –checking software for
types of behaviour that could indicate a possible virus
• Any possible files or programs which are infected are
put into quarantine
• Full system checks need to be carried out once a week
 As HDD becomes full, blocks used for files will become
scattered all over the disk surface

This will happen because files will become deleted,

partially-deleted, extended and so on

Defragmenta
tion software Consequences:

• slow data access time

• HDD read-write head will now require several movements just to find
and retrieve the data making up the required file

Would be advantageous if files could be

contiguous(next to each other) reducing HDD head
movements
Back up software

While it is sensible to have manual back-ups(memory stick/portable

HDD)

Allow a schedule for backing up files to be made

Better to use the OS back-up
Only carry out a back-up procedure if there have
utility because: been any changes made to a file
 The current (working) version
stored on the internal HDD or
SSD
Three
versions A locally backed up copy of
the file (portable SSD)
for total
security
A remote back-up version
stored well away from the
computer
Microsoft Windows environment offers the
following facilities using back-up utility:

Restore data, Options of

Create a restore
files or computer where to save
point
from back-up back-up files
 Takes snapshots of files and stores
them on an external HDD at regular
intervals
Windows – Builds up a vast library of past versions
File of files – allows a user to choose which
History version they want to use

Defaults to backing up every hour and

retains past versions of files for ever
unless the user changes the settings
 Erases contents of a selected drive and replaces
them with the contents from back-up

Mac OS : To use it, you need to have an external HDD or SSD

(connected via USB port) and ensure the TM utility is
Time installed and activated on the selected computer

Machine Automatically:

• Back up every hour

• Do daily back-ups for the past month
• Weekly back-ups for all the previous months
 • An over-arching utility:
• Manages access control and user accounts
• Links into other utility software
Security • Protects network interfaces
software • Uses encryption and decryption to ensure any
intercepted data is meaningless without a
decryption key
• Oversees the updating of software
 Programs that supply moving and still images on the
monitor screen after a period of inactivity by the
computer

They were originally developed to protect older CRT

(cathode ray tube) monitors which would suffer from
phosphor burn if the same screen image remained for any
Screensav length of time

ers
For modern LCD/OLED screens, now used to customize a
device

Also used to automatically log out a computer after not

being used for over 5 minutes (extra layer of security for
computers used in an office environment)
 Software that communicate with the operating
system and translate data into a format
understood by a hardware peripheral device

W/O a device driver, a hardware device would

be unable to work with a computer (error
Device message: device not recognized)

drivers As soon as a device is plugged into a USB port,

the operating system looks for the appropriate
device driver

Descriptors
 USB device drivers that contain a collection of
information about devices

Include vendors id(VID), product id (PID) and

unique serial number
Descriptor
s If a device does not have a serial number
associated with it, the OS will it as a new
device each time it is plugged in

Serial numbers must be unique

 Enable computer systems to function correctly
and allow users to communicate with
computer systems

Provides environment in which application

can be run and a useable interface between
Operating humans and computer

System Also disguises the complexity of computer

software and hardware

Common examples: Microsoft Windows,

Apple MacOS, Google Android and Apple IOS
Operating Systems functions
 Form of a CLI(Command Line Interface) or GUI
(Graphical User Interface)

CLI: requires a user to type instructions in order to

Human choose options from menus

computer GUI: allows user to interact with a computer using

interface pictures/symbols rather than having to type in a
number of commands

GUI use various technologies and devices to provide

the user interface
• Most common is WIMP (Windows Icons Menu and Pointing
device)
 • Functions:
• Manages the primary storage (RAM) and allows
data to be moved between RAM and HDD/SSD
during the execution of programs
Memory • Keep track of all the memory locations
managem • Carries out memory protection to ensure that
two competing applications cannot use the
ent same memory locations at the same time
• Data would be lost
• Applications could produce incorrect results
• Potential security issues
• Computer may crash
 To ensure integrity, confidentiality and
availability of data

Can be achieved by:

Security • Carrying out OS updates as and when available

managem • Ensure anti-virus is always up-to-date

• Communicating with firewall to check all traffic to and

ent from computer

• Maintaining access rights for all users
• Offering ability for recovery of data
• Helping prevent illegal intrusion into the computer
system
• Making use of privileges to prevent users entering
‘private areas’ on a computer that permits multi-user
activity
 Involves all input and output peripheral devices

Communicates with all input and output devices

using device drivers
Hardware
peripheral Uses a device driver to take data from a file and
translate it into a format that the input/output
managem device can understand

ent Ensures each hardware resource has a priority

(easy release as required)

Manages input/output devices by controlling

queues and buffers
 File naming conventions which can be used

Performing specific tasks( e.g. create, open, close,

delete, rename, move and copy)

File
managem Maintaining the directory structures

ent
Ensuring access control mechanisms are maintained

Ensuring memory allocations for a file by reading it

from the HDD/SSD and loading it into the memory
 Allows computers to carry out more than one
task at a time

Each of the processes will share the hardware

resources under the control of the OS
Multitaski
ng OS needs to constantly monitor the status of
each of the process under its control to allow
smooth operation
• Resources are allocated to a process for a specific time
limit
• The process can be interrupted while it is running
• Process can be given priority so it can have resources
according to its priority
 It is important that users data is stored in
separate parts of the memory for
security reasons

Managem Each person will be given a user account

ent of protected by a username and password
user
accounts Allows user to:

• Customize their screen layout and other settings

• Use separate folders and files and to manage
these themselves
 Application software requires the operating
system to provide a platform on which the
software can run

Running of
applicatio Computer start-up – part of the OS needs to be
loaded to RAM (Booting up/Bootstrap loader)
ns
Motherboard is handled by the BIOS (aka
Firmware) telling the computer where the
storage device that holds OS can be found then
loads the part of the OS needed and executes it
 BIOS program is stored in a special type of
ROM called EEPROM(Electronically Erasable
Programmable ROM) – Flash memory chip,
which means its content remain even when
Running of powered down but can also be rewritten,
updated or deleted by a user
applicatio
ns BIOS settings are stored on a CMOS
(Complementary Metal Oxide Semi-Conductor)
powered up at all times via a rechargeable
battery on the motherboard; would be reset if
battery is removed or disconnected. If reset, it
will go to default settings from EEPROM
 A signal sent from a device or from software to
the microprocessor causing the microprocessor
to temporarily stop what it is doing so it can
service interrupt

Interrupts Can be caused by:

• A timing signal
• An input/output process (e.g. a disk drive or printer
requiring more data)
• Hardware fault (paper jam)
• User interaction ( user pressing keys <ctrl><alt><break>)
• Software errors that cause a problem
Interrupts
• Once received, microprocessor either carries on with what it was
doing or stops to service device/program causing interrupt
• Computer needs to identify interrupt type and establish priority level
• They allow computers to carry out many tasks/ to have several
windows open at the same time using a buffer (a memory area
storing data temporarily)
 When interrupt is received it needs to be
serviced

Status of the current task being run first needs to

be saved

Interrupts Contents of the PC and other registers are saved

ISR (Interrupt Service Routine) is executed by

loading start address into the PC

Once interrupt fully serviced, status of the

interrupt task is reinstated and process continues