Android Architecture
Introduction
• Android architecture contains a different number of
components to support any Android device's needs.
• Android software contains an open-source Linux
Kernel having a collection of a number of C/C++
libraries which are exposed through application
framework services.
• Among all the components Linux Kernel provides the
main functionality of operating system functions to
smartphones and Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM)
provide a platform for running an Android application.
Components of Android Architecture
The main components of Android architecture are the following:-
• Applications
• Application Framework
• Android Runtime
• Platform Libraries
• Linux Kernel
Android Architecture
1. Applications
• Applications is the top layer of android architecture. The pre-
installed applications like home, contacts, camera, gallery etc.
• Third party applications downloaded from the play store like
chat applications, games etc. will be installed on this layer only.
• It runs within the Android run time(ART) with the help of the
classes and services provided by the application framework.
2. Application framework
• The Application Framework is a core part of Android
that gives developers the tools and services they
need to build apps.
• It provides access to device features like hardware,
screen display, and system resources.
• It includes several important services that make it
easier to build powerful and consistent Android apps
without having to create everything from scratch.
The services of Application framework
Activity Manager - Manages the app’s activities and their life cycle
(like opening, pausing, or closing screens).
Notification Manager - Allows apps to show alerts or updates to the
user.
Package Manager - Keeps track of all the apps installed on the device.
Window Manager - Handles the placement and appearance of
windows on the screen.
Content Providers - Help apps share data with other apps (like
contacts or photos).
View System - Controls how things (like buttons or text) appear on
the screen.
3. Application runtime (ART)
• ART provides us an environment for executing and
debugging our android applications.
• This includes Dalvik Virtual Machine (DVM).
• DVM is a Java virtual machine(JVM) optimized for Android
• ART also includes some native libraries that provide access
to hardware resources.
4. Platform libraries
The Platform Libraries includes various C/C++ core
libraries and Java based libraries such as Media,
Graphics, Surface Manager, OpenGL etc. to provide a support
for android development.
• Media library provides support to play and record an audio and
video formats.
• Surface manager responsible for managing access to the display
subsystem.
• SGL and OpenGL both cross-language, cross-platform application
program interface (API) are used for 2D and 3D computer graphics.
• SQLite provides database support and FreeType provides font
support.
• Web-Kit This open source web browser engine provides all the
functionality to display web content and to simplify page loading.
• SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is security technology to establish an
encrypted link between a web server and a web browser.
5. Linux Kernel
• Linux Kernel is heart of the android architecture/
foundation of the Android operating system.
• It provides basic services such as process
management, memory management, and device
drivers.
It manages all the available drivers such as display drivers,
camera drivers, Bluetooth drivers, audio drivers, memory drivers, etc.
which are required during the runtime.
• It acts as an interface between the underlying
hardware and the higher-level software layers,
ensuring efficient resource allocation and
management.
Features of Linux Kernel
Network Management
• It allows networking support and routes networks, and
looks into the network stack.
• It also manages network interfaces and handles tasks
such as IP configuration and traffic routing to ensure
efficient and reliable network communication.
User Management
• Linux handles various types of user authentication and allows
users to interact with the device.
• It manages user sessions, permissions, and access controls to
ensure secure interactions.
• By verifying user credentials, Linux ensures that only authorized
individuals can access specific features or data on the device.
Process Management
• It handles all the processes and decides when to start, pause, or
stop them.
• It efficiently allocates system resources to ensure that
applications run smoothly and manage the lifecycle of processes.
• This includes balancing CPU usage and memory to maintain
overall system performance.
File Management
• It manages the memory and file systems and allows user data
storage and access.
• The Linux kernel organizes data into files and directories, ensuring
efficient read/write operations.
• It handles tasks like file creation, deletion, and permissions,
providing a structured way to store and retrieve user data securely.
Driver Management
• The Linux kernel manages all the drivers of the
respective hardware. It helps us to interact with the
hardware of our device.
Security
• As Linux authenticates users before giving them access, it also
looks for safety and maintains that other users can’t access or
manipulate your data.
Portability
• As various devices support Linux, it allows several devices to
share resources and data. Almost all hardware components
can interact with Linux.
