Question 1: (5 Marks) Why is main memory not suitable for permanent program storage or backup purposes? Furthermore, what is the main disadvantage to storing information on a magnetic disk drive as opposed to main memory. Main memory is not suitable for permanent program storage or backup purposes because it is volatile memory, meaning that it is only able to store information as long as it is connected to power. Once power is shut off, the main memory is unable to store the information and the info is lost. The main disadvantage to storing information on a magnetic disk drive as opposed to main memory is due to the speed at which information is processed. The disk drive is considerably slower compared to the main memory. Question 2: (5 Marks) Describe the dining - philosophers problem and how it relates to operating system. The dining philosophers problem is a example that illustrates the synchronization, starvation, and deadlock issues. It works by having philosophers that require two forks (left and right) of them to eat(), and that philosophers cannot place a fork down once they have taken it. It relates to operating system because it illustrates the issues in a concurrent algorithm design and utilizes the synchronization method in order to make the problem starvation-free and avoiding a deadlock.