Nova Southeastern University
College of Engineering and Computing
Winter 2025 – Master Level Course
Term Code: 202530 – CRN: 30675 Sec: L01 Cr: 3.0
Dates: 8 weeks: 01/06/2025 – 03/02/2025
MSIT 650 Platform and Network Tech (3 Credits)
Midterm Exam
Check Syllabus and Calendar for % and due date
Make sure you provide enough detail to your answer to show you
understand the question, simple answers (no detail) or 1 or 2
sentences as answers will be worth little.
Most answers are about ½ page each at a minimum
1. Explain in the windows operating system how the operating system changes from
one process to the next, basically the context switch (do not include the algorithms
used by the scheduler, or scheduler activities)
2. Explain in the windows operating system, how an interrupt is handled (for example a
keyboard entry), What sees the key press.
3. Of the three basic operating systems we have covered, windows, Linux and mac, if
you had a customer that was new to PC systems, what questions would you ask them
to determine which operating system they should use/purchase.
4. What are all the file system types that Windows and a Mac use by the operating
system and how large of a file is supported in each (max size), What file systems are
supported by Linux. (list 3 of the more popular)
5. A customer running Windows 11, wants to use Windows XP for older applications, it
has been suggested that they use a VM (Virtual Machine). Explain the steps should
the customer take to install a XP operating system into a VM running on the
windows 11 machine.
6. Describe at least 10 reasons why a server operating system is more robust than your
standard pc-based operating system.
7. What is the max number of simultaneous users that the windows 10 operating system
supports, what is the max number of simultaneous users that a Mac operating system
supports? In your opinion why is there a limit?
8. Explain the steps that should be taken to install a device driver into a windows
operating system, (you can use an example). What steps should be taken to install a
new device into a Mac.
9. You want to upgrade your PC from windows XP to windows 11, is there an upgrade
path? Explain. You also would like to upgrade from windows 8.1 to windows 10,
explain the steps you should take.
10. What does windows 11 zero Trust do? how does this affect you if you are going
to upgrade to Microsoft windows 11?
11. What fundamental change has occurred in windows that it is no longer necessary
to install drivers?
12. Explain the differences between the Von Neumann vs. Harvard architecture? If
you want to modify instructions, which architecture should be chosen?
13. How is a CPU cache used to increase the performance of the Operating system?,
who controls the usage, the operating system or the CPU. Explain
14. What is the difference between a UNIX operating system and a Linux Operating
system? Which was developed first? Why was UNIX developed?
15. What is a “Page Fault” in an operating system and why is it used and how does
the operating system deal with this. Is a “page fault” hardware or software?
16. Explain the difference between Multitasking and Multi-Processing and why and
when are they used?
17. What is the difference between a SoC and a multiprocessor, Give an example of
each.
18. How wide is your data bus and address bus on the computer you use.
19. What is the difference between time-sharing processing and Multi-user
processing. When are they used and is it important to make sure you work with one
or the other, i.e. which one is more responsive.
20. What is the difference between soft real-time and Hard real-time operating
systems, what does windows server and non-server support? What does Linux
support? What does windows 11 support
21. Is an Intel I9 CPU a microprocessor, a microcomputer or a system on a chip?
Explain what it is and why is it not the other two.
