Process management (computing): Difference between revisions

Revision as of 15:35, 11 March 2008

Revision as of 20:49, 11 March 2008

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# The process issues a system call, (sometimes called a ''software interrupt''); for example, an I/O request occurs requesting to access a file on hard disk.

# A hardware interrupt occurs; for example, a key was pressed on the keyboard.

The stopping of one process and starting (or restarting) of another process is called a ''[[context switch]] or context change''. In many modern Operating Systems, processes can consist of many sub-processes. This introduces the concept of a ''thread''. A thread may be viewed as a ''sub-process''; that is, a separate, independent sequence of execution within the code of one process. Threads are becoming increasingly important in the design of distributed and client-server systems and in software run on multi-processor systems.

== How multiprogramming increases efficiency==