Multi User Operating System OS? Types, Examples and Advantages!!

What is Multi user Operating System

Definition – A multi user operating system allows to permission of multiple users for accessing the single machine at a time. All different users can access that system running operating system with the help of several terminals, which are connected in networking form. Here, we will explain of multi user OS in detail.

Main objective of designing of Multi user OS is used to time sharing and batch processing on mainframe system. Now these days, this multi user operating system is used in the large organization, government sector, educational system such as large scale university, and mostly used in the servers side like as Ubunto Server or Windows Server. These servers grant the permission of multiple users to accessing the operating system, kernel, and hardware simultaneously.

List of Content

What is Multi User OS
Component of Multi User OS
Types of Multi User OS
Working of Multi User OS
Features and Characteristics of Multi User OS
Advantages of Multi User OS
Disadvantage of Multi User OS
Examples of Multi User OS

Component of Multi user Operating System

There are four types are software components of multi user OS. Below explain each one.

Kernel

Multi user operating system uses the Kernel component in low level, and it is written in the low level language. This component is embedded in the main memory of computer system, and it can interface directly with H/W of system.

Device Handler

Main goal of device handler is to provide the all requests on entire device request queue pool. Device handler is designed individually for every input and output devices. Device handler works as continuous cycle mode, and firstly it discards the Input/output request block from queue side.

Spooler

Spooler stands for “Simultaneous Peripheral Output On Line”. Spooler executes the all computing process, and it provides the output at same time. Several output devices use the spooling, for example printer.

User Interface

User interface is the communication medium in between the users and all functions of software an hardware. Main objective of using user interface is to create simple environment for all users for using the computer system.

Types of Multi user Operating System

There are three different types of multi user OS with classification, and here we will describe each one.

Distributed Systems

In this, entire system is distributed in the network form, and every terminal is connected with each other with high speed buses or telephone line. In the distributed system, any user can access of system’s resources from anyone terminal of distributed system.

Time-Sliced Systems

In this type of system, small time duration is allotted to every task. CPU time is divided into small time slices, and one time slice is assigned to each user, and this time slices are very short duration. They use the mainframe system at concurrently.

Multiprocessor System

This system involves the multiple processors, and it helps to improve the performance of entire system. If, in this system one processor gets fails then other processor has to responsible for completing of its assigned task.

How to Work Multi User Operating System

The multi user system contains the single master system. This master system can be accessed by all users anywhere and anytime on network, and they can open own local view of system. This local view is also known as “working model”.

All users can make any updating, deletion, and create new file on their working model at local area, but this working model will not show to another users until they save own working model to master system.

Features and Characteristics of Multi User Operating System

There are some features and uses of multi user operating system.

Multi Tasking – Multi user O/S is capable to perform couple of tasks at concurrently, and multiple programs can be run on this operating system at a same time.

Resource Sharing – In the multi user operating system, several peripheral can be shared such as printers, fax m/c, plotters, and hard drives etc. Due to this feature, users can share own documents. In this system, tiny time slice of CPU time is allotted to all users.

Background Processing – In which, if given instructions are not processed, and then they perform their tasks in the background as well as other programs are interacting with system in the current time.

Advantages of Multi User OS

Multi user operating system is very useful in offices or library, because it can be handled printing jobs with effective manner.

Multiple users can access same copy of document on one computer system. For example, if some PPT file is stored in the one computer, then other user can watch this PPT on other terminals.

Multi user O/S is used in the ticket reservation system.

Multi user O/S is also used in the some functionality of Airlines.

Entire system does not get halt, if one computer gets fails in own network system.

All company’s managers also can use the multi user operating system for searching manufacturing records, because this record is stored in one system but staff no bound on one computer, they can access other terminals those records.