System Management Program and Its Utilities
System Management Program
It includes an integrated system of programs, which manges the operations of the processor, controls input/output, manages storage resources and provides various support services. Some common examples of system management programs are operating system, device driver and system utilities.
Operating System
It contains of programs, which controls, coordinates and supervises the activities of the various components of a computer system. Its function is to provide link between the computer hardware and the user. It performs all internal management functions (disk access, memory management, task scheduling and user interfacing) and ensures systematic functioning of computer system. It provides an environment to run the programs.
Ex:- MS-DOS, Windows XP/7/8/2000/98
The operating system performs the following functions:
- It recognises input from keyboard, sends output to the display screen.
- It makes sure that programs running at the same time do not interface with each other.
- It is also responsible for security, ensuring that unauthorized users do not access the system.
Device Drivers
A software, which is written with the objective of making a device functional when it is connected to the computer is called device driver. It is a system software that acts like an interface between the device and the user. Every device, whether it is a printer, monitor, mouse or keyboard has driver program associated with it for its proper functioning.
- Device drivers are a set of instructions that introduced our PC to a hardware device.
- Device drivers are not independent programs, they assists and are assisted by the operating system for the proper functioning.
System Utilities
These programs performs tasks related to the maintenance of the computer system. These are the package which are loaded into computer during time of installation of operating system. They are used to support, enhance, expand and secure existing programs and data in the computer system.
System utility mainly consists of the following functions:
( i ) Disk Compression: It increases the amount of information that can be stored on a hard disk by compressing all information stored on a hard disk. This utility works automatically and the user does not need to be aware of its existence.
( ii ) Disk Fragmentation: It detects computer files whose contents are broken across several locations on the hard disk and moves the fragments to one hard disk and moves the fragments to one location to increase efficiency. It can be used to rearrange files and unused space on your hard disk.
( iii ) Back Utilities: It can make a copy of all information stored on a disk and restore either the entire disk or selected files.
( iv ) Disk Cleaners: It is used to find files that have not been used for a long time. This utility also serves to increase the speed of a slow computer.
( v ) Anti-Virus: It is the utility which is used to scan computer for viruses and prevent the computer system files from being corrupt.
