Exercise 3. Have you ever had a problem with any of these? What happened?

Cable or connection, database, internet connection, LAN connection, monitor, password, peripheral device

UNIT 5. Operating systems.

Lesson 15. Operating system.

Exercise 1. Read the text and translate it into Russian.

Terms.

An operating system (OS) has a number of functions. One of its main tasks is to act as an interface between the user and the hardware connected to the computer. The operating system also controls other functions:

· Software resources

· Memory allocation and all peripheral devices

· Common services to computer application software

From digital watches to computers, almost all computers require an operating system before they can be operated, hence the name.

To understand the capabilities of an operating system, it is important to first understand some basic terms. The following terms are often used when describing operating systems:

· Multi-user – Two or more users have individual accounts that allow them to work with programs and peripheral devices at the same time.

· Multitasking – The computer is capable of operating multiple applications at the same time.

· Multiprocessing – The operating system can support two or more CPUs.

· Multithreading – A program can be broken into smaller parts that are loaded as needed by the operating system. Multithreading allows different parts of a program to be run at the same time.

The OS boots the computer and manages the file system. Operating systems can support more than one user, task, or CPU.

Exercise 2. What OS do you know? Give some information about each of them.

Exercise 3. Work in pairs. Put these steps in reinstalling an operating system in the correct order.

	During the process, the computer will restart itself several times.
	Near the end of the process, you can partition the hard drives.
	In the BIOS, set the first boot drive to DVD. Then reboot again.
	At the end of the process, the operating system will ask for the product key, time, date, network type and details for user account.
	First, put the installation DVD into the optical drive. Then reboot the computer while you press the “F2” key. The BIOS will not start.
	This time, the computer will boot from the DVD and installation will begin.
1	Before you start, back up everything.
	Near the start of the process, it will ask you to agree to the license terms.

Exercise 4. Find words in ex. 3 that match these definitions.

1. Start again

2. Split a hard drive into parts that act like separate drives

3. Software built into a computer that controls how it starts up

4. The drive that the computer reads first when starting up

5. Software comes with this to show you are the owner

6. Settings for a user

7. Switch a computer off and on again

8. A series of actions to do something

9. Copy data to another place

10. Rules about how you can you software

 

Lesson 16. Storage drives.

Exercise 1. Remember types of storage devices. Which storage devices do you use? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Exercise 2. Read the next texts and copy out all the types of storage device.

Storage device types.

As a technician, you might have to perform a clean installation of an OS. Perform a clean install in the following situations:

· When a computer is passed from one employee to another

· When the OS is corrupt

· When the primary hard drive is replaced in a computer

The installation and initial booting of the OS is called the operating system setup. Although it is possible to install an OS over a network from a server or from a local hard drive, the most common installation method for a home or small business is through external media such as CDs, DVDs or USB drives. To install an OS from external media, configure the BIOS setup to boot the system from the media. Most modern BIOS should support booting from CD, DVD or USB.

Note: If the hardware is not supported by the OS, you may need to install third party drivers when performing a clean installation.

Before the operating system can be installed, a storage media device must be chosen and prepared. Several types of storage devices are available and can be used to receive the new operating system. The two most common types of data storage devices used today are hard disk drives and flash memory-based drives.

Hard Disk Drives

Although Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) are considered old technology, these drives are still common in modern computers and can be used for storing and retrieving data. HDDs contain a number of magnetic, spinning, rigid steel disks and magnetic heads mounted to a mobile arm. The magnetic head and is responsible for reading and writing data off the spinning disks.

Flash Memory-Based Drives

Flash memory is a type of non-volatile data storage medium that can be electrically erased and re-written. It became popular over the last decade as the flash technology evolved and became more reliable. Different types of flash memory are used in different applications:

· USB Flash Drives - USB flash drives are a good solution for storing operating system installation images. They are fast, reliable, resilient and inexpensive. USB flash drives are comprised of flash memory and a small control board to govern data transfer. They are most commonly used to store operating system installation images, but they can also be used to store a full installation of an OS if space allows.

· Solid State Drives (SSD) - Another popular application for flash memory is the SSD. An alternative to hard disks, SSDs are disks that employ high performance flash memory technology to achieve fast data storage without the moving parts of HDDs. SSDs are faster and less prone to physical problems. Due the high performance type of flash memory used, SSDs tend to be more efficient than USB flash drives and are a great choice for OS hosting.

· Solid State Hybrid Disks (SSHDs) - A popular and less expensive option than SSDs, SSHD devices combine the speed of SSDs with the lower price of HDDs by packing both technologies in the same enclosure. In SSHDs, data is stored in an HDD, but a small flash memory is used to cache frequently used data. This allows for frequently used data to be accessed by the operating system at SSD speeds, while other data is transferred at HDD speeds. SSHDs are a good option for storing operating systems.

· Embedded MultiMediaCard (eMMC) - Although slower and less expensive than SSD, eMMC is very popular in cell phones, PDAs and digital cameras.

Regardless of the application, flash memory-based storage devices can be used to store entire installations of operating systems. With different levels of performance, flash-memory based drives allow for flexibility when designing modern computer hardware.

A few different standards govern the connection between computers. Hot swapping is a technique used in servers that allows devices such as hard drives to be connected or disconnected without powering down the computer. While the entire computer hardware and OS must be designed to support this feature, it is very useful in servers as it allows for part replacement without interrupting service.

When the storage device type has been chosen, it must be prepared to receive the new operating system. Modern operating systems ship with an installer program. Installers usually prepare the disk to receive the operating system, but it is crucial for a technician to understand the terms and methods involved in this preparation.