Quiz 6

1. Define system software and identify the two types of system software.

• System software is computer software designed to operate the computer hardware and to provide a platform for running application software. The types of system software are: The computer BIOS and device firmware, which provide basic functionality to operate and control the hardware connected to or built into the computer. The operating system (prominent examples being Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux), which allows the parts of a computer to work together by performing tasks like transferring data between memory and disks or rendering output onto a display device. It also provides a platform to run high-level system software and application software. Utility software, which helps to analyze, configure, optimize and maintain the computer.

2. Briefly describe various server operating systems: Windows Server, UNIX,Linux, Solaris, and NetWare.

• Windows Server is a brand name for a group of server operating systems released by Microsoft Corporation.
• UNIX operating systems are widely used in servers, workstations, and mobile devices. The UNIX environment and the client–server program model were essential elements in the development of the Internet and the reshaping of computing as centered in networks rather than in individual computers.
• Linux refers to the family of Unix-like computer operating systems using the Linux kernel. Linux can be installed on a wide variety of computer hardware, ranging from mobile phones, tablet computers, routers and video game consoles, to desktop computers, mainframes and supercomputers. Linux is a leading server operating system, and runs the 10 fastest supercomputers in the world.
• Solaris is a UNIX operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems. Solaris has a reputation for being well-suited to symmetric multiprocessing, supporting a large number of CPUs. Solaris supports SPARC-based and x86-based workstations and servers from Sun and other vendors, with efforts underway to port to additional platforms. Solaris is registered as compliant with the Single UNIX Specification.
• NetWare is a network operating system developed by Novell, Inc. It initially used cooperative multitasking to run various services on a personal computer, with network protocols based on the archetypal Xerox Network Systems stack.