List five resources to which a multitasking operating system might have to coordinate access.

SOLUTION

Multitasking is a technique in context of Operating System, in which resources are timeshared by more than one process and creates an illusion of performing more than one task. Each process requests Operation system for system resources to perform its task.

The resources to which multitasking operating systems might have to coordinate are:

(1)       Memory Space:

Each process will request the Operating System for memory space in main memory, to execute the process under the control of Operating system. It is a fundamental resource for every process.

(2)       Access to Printer:

In multitasking operating system, more than one software may request the operating system for access to printer, thus creating two process requiring access to the printer. Operating system allocates the resource on timeshared basis.

(3)       Time Slices:

The time required for a process to execute is called process time. Operating system chunks the process time into small intervals called time slices. Operating system swiftly moves the time slices of different process back and forth for execution. Hence time slices are a shared resource for different processes.

(4)       Mass Storage (magnetic disk):

Certain processes request operating system to store some information in mass storage, thus mass storage is a shared resource in multitasking operating systems.

(5)       Access to Files:

Operating system controls over the authorization of files to different processes. It may give access to certain process and may deny for some processes. So it a resource shared by different processes.

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