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Ready List
In a multitasking computer system, processes may occupy a variety of states. These distinct states may not be recognized as such by the operating system kernel. However, they are a useful abstraction for the understanding of processes. Primary process states The following typical process states are possible on computer systems of all kinds. In most of these states, processes are "stored" on main memory. Created When a process is first created, it occupies the "created" or "new" state. In this state, the process awaits admission to the "ready" state. Admission will be approved or delayed by a long-term, or admission, scheduler. Typically in most desktop computer systems, this admission will be approved automatically. However, for real-time operating systems this admission may be delayed. In a realtime system, admitting too many processes to the "ready" state may lead to oversaturation and overcontention of the system's resources, leading to an inability to meet process deadl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computer Multitasking
In computing, multitasking is the concurrent computing, concurrent execution of multiple tasks (also known as Process (computing), processes) over a certain period of time. New tasks can interrupt already started ones before they finish, instead of waiting for them to end. As a result, a computer executes segments of multiple tasks in an interleaved manner, while the tasks share common processing resources such as central processing units (CPUs) and main memory. Multitasking automatically interrupts the running program, saving its state (partial results, memory contents and computer register contents) and loading the saved state of another program and transferring control to it. This "context switch" may be initiated at fixed time intervals (pre-emptive multitasking), or the running program may be coded to signal to the supervisory software when it can be interrupted (cooperative multitasking). Multitasking does not require Parallel computing, parallel execution of multiple task ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Input/output
In computing, input/output (I/O, i/o, or informally io or IO) is the communication between an information processing system, such as a computer, and the outside world, such as another computer system, peripherals, or a human operator. Inputs are the signals or data received by the system and outputs are the signals or data sent from it. The term can also be used as part of an action; to "perform I/O" is to perform an input or output operation. are the pieces of hardware used by a human (or other system) to communicate with a computer. For instance, a keyboard or computer mouse is an input device for a computer, while monitors and printers are output devices. Devices for communication between computers, such as modems and network cards, typically perform both input and output operations. Any interaction with the system by an interactor is an input and the reaction the system responds is called the output. The designation of a device as either input or output depend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hard Disk
A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating hard disk drive platter, platters coated with magnetic material. The platters are paired with disk read-and-write head, magnetic heads, usually arranged on a moving actuator arm, which read and write data to the platter surfaces. Data is accessed in a random-access manner, meaning that individual Block (data storage), blocks of data can be stored and retrieved in any order. HDDs are a type of non-volatile storage, retaining stored data when powered off. Modern HDDs are typically in the form of a small disk enclosure, rectangular box. Hard disk drives were introduced by IBM in 1956, and were the dominant secondary storage device for History of general-purpose CPUs, general-purpose computers beginning in the early 1960s. HDDs maintained this position into the modern er ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Virtual Memory
In computing, virtual memory, or virtual storage, is a memory management technique that provides an "idealized abstraction of the storage resources that are actually available on a given machine" which "creates the illusion to users of a very large (main) memory". The computer's operating system, using a combination of hardware and software, maps memory addresses used by a program, called '' virtual addresses'', into ''physical addresses'' in computer memory. Main storage, as seen by a process or task, appears as a contiguous address space or collection of contiguous segments. The operating system manages virtual address spaces and the assignment of real memory to virtual memory. Address translation hardware in the CPU, often referred to as a memory management unit (MMU), automatically translates virtual addresses to physical addresses. Software within the operating system may extend these capabilities, utilizing, e.g., disk storage, to provide a virtual address space ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Resource Leak
In computer science, a resource leak is a particular type of resource consumption by a computer program where the program does not release resources it has acquired. This condition is normally the result of a bug in a program. Typical resource leaks include memory leak and handle leak, particularly file handle leaks, though memory is often considered separately from other resources. Examples of resources available in limited numbers to the operating system include internet sockets, file handles, process table entries, and process identifiers (PIDs). Resource leaks are often a minor problem, causing at most minor slowdown and being recovered from after processes terminate. In other cases resource leaks can be a major problem, causing resource starvation and severe system slowdown or instability, crashing the leaking process, other processes, or even the system. Resource leaks often go unnoticed under light load and short runtimes, and these problems only manifest themselves under ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Process Identifier
In computing, the process identifier (a.k.a. process ID or PID) is a number used by most operating system kernel (operating system), kernels—such as those of Unix, macOS and Windows—to uniquely identify an active Process (computing), process. This number may be used as a parameter in various function calls, allowing processes to be manipulated, such as adjusting the process's priority or kill (command), killing it altogether. Unix-like In Unix-like operating systems, new processes are created by the Fork (operating system), fork() system call. The PID is returned to the parent process, enabling it to refer to the child in further function calls. The parent may, for example, wait for the child to terminate with the waitpid() function, or terminate the process with kill(). There are two tasks with specially distinguished process IDs: PID 0 is used for ''swapper'' or ''sched'', which is part of the kernel and is a process that runs on a CPU core whenever that CPU core has not ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exit Status
In computing, the exit status (also exit code or exit value) of a terminated process is an integer number that is made available to its parent process (or caller). In DOS, this may be referred to as an errorlevel. When computer programs are executed, the operating system creates an abstract entity called a process in which the book-keeping for that program is maintained. In multitasking operating systems such as Unix or Linux, new processes can be created by active processes. The process that spawns another is called a ''parent process'', while those created are ''child processes''. Child processes run concurrently with the parent process. The technique of spawning child processes is used to delegate some work to a child process when there is no reason to stop the execution of the parent. When the child finishes executing, it exits by calling the ''exit'' system call. This system call facilitates passing the exit status code back to the parent, which can retrieve this v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wait (system Call)
In computer operating systems, a process (or task) may wait for another process to complete its execution. In most systems, a parent process can create an independently executing child process. The parent process may then issue a ''wait'' system call, which suspends the execution of the parent process while the child executes. When the child process terminates, it returns an exit status to the operating system, which is then returned to the waiting parent process. The parent process then resumes execution. Modern operating systems also provide system calls that allow a process's thread to create other threads and wait for them to terminate ("join" them) in a similar fashion. An operating system may provide variations of the ''wait'' call that allow a process to wait for any of its child processes to exit, or to wait for a single specific child process (identified by its process ID) to exit. Some operating systems issue a signal ( SIGCHLD) to the parent process when a child pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zombie Process
On Unix and Unix-like computer operating systems, a zombie process or defunct process is a process that has completed execution (via the exit system call) but still has an entry in the process table: it is a process in the " terminated state". This occurs for the child processes, where the entry is still needed to allow the parent process to read its child's exit status: once the exit status is read via the wait system call, the zombie's entry is removed from the process table and it is said to be "reaped". A child process initially becomes a zombie, only then being removed from the resource table. Under normal system operation, zombies are immediately waited on by their parent and then reaped by the system. Processes that stay zombies for a long time are usually an error and can cause a resource leak. Generally, the only kernel resource they occupy is the process table entry, their process ID. However, zombies can also hold buffers open, consuming memory. Zombies can ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Exit (system Call)
On many computer operating systems, a computer process terminates its execution by making an exit system call. More generally, an exit in a multithreading environment means that a thread of execution has stopped running. For resource management, the operating system reclaims resources ( memory, files, etc.) that were used by the process. The process is said to be a '' dead process'' after it terminates. How it works Under Unix and Unix-like operating systems, a process is started when its parent process executes a '' fork'' system call. The parent process may then wait for the child process to terminate, or may continue execution (possibly forking off other child processes). When the child process terminates ("dies"), either normally by calling ''exit'', or abnormally due to a fatal exception or signal (e.g., SIGTERM, SIGINT, SIGKILL), an exit status is returned to the operating system and a SIGCHLD signal is sent to the parent process. The exit status c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Critical Section
In concurrent programming, concurrent accesses to shared resources can lead to unexpected or erroneous behavior. Thus, the parts of the program where the shared resource is accessed need to be protected in ways that avoid the concurrent access. One way to do so is known as a critical section or critical region. This protected section cannot be entered by more than one process or thread at a time; others are suspended until the first leaves the critical section. Typically, the critical section accesses a shared resource, such as a data structure, peripheral device, or network connection, that would not operate correctly in the context of multiple concurrent accesses. Need for critical sections Different code or processes may consist of the same variable or other resources that must be read or written but whose results depend on the order in which the actions occur. For example, if a variable is to be read by process A, and process B must write to the variable at the s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blocking (computing)
In computing, a process that is blocked is waiting for some event, such as a resource becoming available or the completion of an I/O operation. Once the event occurs for which the process is waiting ("is blocked on"), the process is advanced from blocked state to an imminent one, such as runnable. In a multitasking computer system, individual tasks, or threads of execution, must share the resources of the system. Shared resources include: the CPU, network and network interfaces, memory and disk. When one task is using a resource, it is generally not possible, or desirable, for another task to access it. The techniques of mutual exclusion are used to prevent this concurrent use. When the other task is blocked, it is unable to execute until the first task has finished using the shared resource. Programming languages and scheduling algorithms are designed to minimize the over-all effect of blocking. A process that blocks may prevent local work-tasks from progressing. In thi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
