Time-Sharing Operating Systems

  Time-Sharing Operating Systems –   

The time sharing operating system works on the multiprogramming concepts where multiple jobs are executed at the same time through switching them frequently. This switching is very fast so that the users can interact with each program while it is running without realizing that the system is being shared.

Time sharing systems employ an interactive (or hands-on) computer system to enable straight communication between the system and the user. Here interactive means that the user will give the instructions to the system or program directly using an input device and the system will generate the results immediately on the output devices. The generation of the results consume very less time and its response time have to be short less than one second.

The time sharing operating system enable sharing of the computer resources to the multiple users at the same time. It requires less CPU time for each user as each command or action existing in a time shared system is short. The time shared systems employ a strategic CPU scheduling and multiprogramming to give each user a little amount of time shared system. Each user deals with at least one separate program in memory and which is known as a process while execution. It reduces the idleness of the CPU.

feature of operating system:-

• Time sharing is a logical extension of multiprogramming.
• multiple jobs are executed simultaneously by switching the CPU back and forth among them.
• The switching occurs so frequently that the users can not identify the presence of other users or program.
• users can interact with his program while it is running in timesharing mode.
• processors time is shared among multiple users. an interactive or hands on computer system provides online communication between the user and the system.
• A time shared OS uses CPU scheduling and multiprogramming provides each user with a small portion of a time shared computer. Each user has at least one separate program in memory.
• A  time shared operating system allowed many users to share computer simultaneously. since  each action or command  in a time shared system tends to be short only a little CPU time is needed for each user.

Advantages :-

• easy to use
• user friendly
• Quick response time

Disadvantages :-

• Reliability problem.
• One must have to take of security and integrity of user programs and data.
• Data communication problem.