Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Your answer for each question should be about $150$ words. $(60$ marks total$)$

Describe a typical instruction$$execution cycle as executed on a system with von Neumann architecture. $(5$ marks$)$

Explain the concept of device driver. Describe how the device driver utilizes the interrupt mechanism to ensure orderly access to the shared memory while the device controllers execute in parallel. $(5$ marks$)$

What roles do device controllers and device drivers play in a computer system? $(5$ marks$)$

Explain why kernel data structures and algorithms are important to the major performance improvement in operating systems. $(5$ marks$)$

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the following typical operating$-$system structures: monolithic structure, layered systems, microkernel, modules, and hybrid systems. $(5$ marks$)$

Explain three general methods used to pass parameters from a user program to the operating system. $(5$ marks$)$

What is the difference between the linker and the loader? $(5$ marks$)$

Why is the separation of policy from mechanism important in the operating system? $(5$ marks$)$

How is the performance of an operating system monitored and traced? How is the interaction between user level and kernel code debugged? $(5$ marks$)$

Explain the concepts of virtualization, emulation, and virtual machine. $(5$ marks$)$

Why does an operating system need two modes of operation? $(5$ marks$)$

Describe the relationship between an API, the system$-$call interface, and the operating system. $(5$ marks$)$