Introduction to information systems T. Cornford, M. Shaikh is1 060 2013

4.3.6 Network management
Another area for operating systems is managing a computer’s connection 
to a network. In a local area network, for example, this may involve the 
operating system being able to retrieve and store files on a separate file 
server computer, which is shared by a number of computers connected to 
the network. Similarly, a network operating system may allow shared use 
of a print server or a communications server that gives access to wide area 
networks. More generally, operating systems provide basic connections to 
the internet and allow this to be shared among programs.

---

IS1060 Introduction to information systems
54
When many programs are running simultaneously in a computer, it does, 
of course, complicate all the other management tasks. Memory must be 
carefully shared between programs; input needs to be directed to the right 
program and output devices such as printers need careful management 
too. As you will gather from the above description, operating systems 
are complicated items of software. As hardware gets more powerful and 
users expect more, operating software gets more complex too, and today 
an operating system for a microcomputer or a mobile phone is a very 
substantial and sophisticated piece of software. 
Activity
Pull up the task manager window on a windows-based PC when it is running (for 
example, press CTL-Alt-Del all at the same time). 
Take a look at the Applications tab to see what ‘user applications’ are running. Then look 
at the Processes tab, and see how many actual bits of software (modules or processes) 
are running on the machine. A process is roughly equivalent to a separate program and 
in this case will include many separate parts of the operating system software as well as 
‘applications’. 
Then click the Performance tab and see how much physical memory the computer has, 
how much main memory is in use and how much of the CPU power is being used. The 
graphs you see will show this for the recent past. Try loading a couple of other data-heavy 
or processor heavy programs such as a computer game or a big spreadsheet and see if 
these figures change.