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Operating Systems · Module 9 of 10

I/O, security and virtualisation

Handle devices, protect systems and run virtual machines.

📖 Key ideas

  1. Device drivers let the OS talk to hardware.
  2. Interrupts signal the CPU when devices need attention.
  3. DMA transfers data without the CPU.
  4. Security: authentication, access control, isolation.
  5. Virtualisation: hypervisors run multiple OSes; containers share the host kernel.
💡 Real-life example: A hypervisor is a landlord dividing one building into separate flats, each with its own family (OS).
Device driverSoftware controlling hardware
InterruptSignal to the CPU
DMADirect Memory Access
HypervisorRuns virtual machines