Introduction of Process Management

Process Management for a single tasking or batch processing system is easy as only one process is
active at a time. With multiple processes (multiprogramming or multitasking) being active, the
process management becomes complex as a CPU needs to be efficiently utilized by multiple
processes. Multiple active processes can may share resources like memory and may communicate
with each other. This further makes things complex as an Operating System has to do process
synchronization.

Please remember the main advantages of having multiprogramming are system responsiveness and
better CPU utilization. We can run multiple processes in interleaved manner on a single CPU. For
example, when the current process is getting busy with IO, we assign CPU to some other process.

CPU-Bound vs I/O-Bound Processes

A CPU-bound process requires more CPU time or spends more time in the running state. An I/O-
bound process requires more I/O time and less CPU time. An I/O-bound process spends more time
in the waiting state.

Process planning is an integral part of the process management operating system. It refers to the
mechanism used by the operating system to determine which process to run next. The goal of
process scheduling is to improve overall system performance by maximizing CPU utilization,
minimizing throughput time, and improving system response time.

Process Management Tasks

Process management is a key part in operating systems with multi-programming or multitasking.

Process Creation and Termination : Process creation involves creating a Process ID,
setting up Process Control Block, etc. A process can be terminated either by the
operating system or by the parent process. Process termination involves clearing all
resources allocated to it.
CPU Scheduling : In a multiprogramming system, multiple processes need to get the
CPU. It is the job of Operating System to ensure smooth and efficient execution of
multiple processes.
Deadlock Handling : Making sure that system does not reach a state where two or
processes cannot proceed due to a cycling dependency on each other.
Inter-Process Communication : Operating System provides facilities such as shared
memory and message passing for cooperating processes to communicate.
Process Synchronization : Process Synchronization is the coordination of execution of
multiple processes in a multiprogramming system to ensure that they access shared
resources (like memory) in a controlled and predictable manner.

Process Operations
Please remember a process goes through different states before termination and these state changes
require different operations on processes by an operating system. These operations include process
creation, process scheduling, execution and killing the process. Here are the key process operations:
Process Operations

Process Creation
Process creation in an operating system (OS) is the act of generating a new process. This new
process is an instance of a program that can execute independently.

Scheduling
Once a process is ready to run, it enters the “ready queue.” The scheduler’s job is to pick a process
from this queue and start its execution.

Execution
Execution means the CPU starts working on the process. During this time, the process might:

Move to a waiting queue if it needs to perform an I/O operation.

Get blocked if a higher-priority process needs the CPU.

Killing the Process

After the process finishes its tasks, the operating system ends it and removes its Process Control
Block (PCB).

Context Switching of Process

The process of saving the context of one process and loading the context of another process is
known as Context Switching. In simple terms, it is like loading and unloading the process from the
running state to the ready state.

When Does Context Switching Happen?

Context Switching Happen:
 When a high-priority process comes to a ready state (i.e. with higher priority than the
running process).
An Interrupt occurs.
User and kernel-mode switch (It is not necessary though)
Preemptive CPU scheduling is used.

Context Switch vs Mode Switch

A mode switch occurs when the CPU privilege level is changed, for example when a system call is
made or a fault occurs. The kernel works in more a privileged mode than a standard user task. If a
user process wants to access things that are only accessible to the kernel, a mode switch must occur.
The currently executing process need not be changed during a mode switch. A mode switch
typically occurs for a process context switch to occur. Only the kernel can cause a context switch.

Process Scheduling Algorithms

The operating system can use different scheduling algorithms to schedule processes. Here are some
commonly used timing algorithms:

First-Come, First-Served (FCFS): This is the simplest scheduling algorithm, where

the process is executed on a first-come, first-served basis. FCFS is non-preemptive,
which means that once a process starts executing, it continues until it is finished or
waiting for I/O.
Shortest Job First (SJF): SJF is a proactive scheduling algorithm that selects the
process with the shortest burst time. The burst time is the time a process takes to
complete its execution. SJF minimizes the average waiting time of processes.
Round Robin (RR): Round Robin is a proactive scheduling algorithm that reserves a
fixed amount of time in a round for each process. If a process does not complete its
execution within the specified time, it is blocked and added to the end of the queue. RR
ensures fair distribution of CPU time to all processes and avoids starvation.
Priority Scheduling: This scheduling algorithm assigns priority to each process and the
process with the highest priority is executed first. Priority can be set based on process
type, importance, or resource requirements.
Multilevel Queue: This scheduling algorithm divides the ready queue into several
separate queues, each queue having a different priority. Processes are queued based on
their priority, and each queue uses its own scheduling algorithm. This scheduling
algorithm is useful in scenarios where different types of processes have different
priorities.

Advantages of Process Management

Running Multiple Programs: Process management lets you run multiple applications
at the same time, for example, listen to music while browsing the web.
Process Isolation: It ensures that different programs don’t interfere with each other, so a
problem in one program won’t crash another.
Fair Resource Use: It makes sure resources like CPU time and memory are shared
fairly among programs, so even lower-priority programs get a chance to run.
Smooth Switching: It efficiently handles switching between programs, saving and
loading their states quickly to keep the system responsive and minimize delays.

Disadvantages of Process Management

 Overhead: Process management uses system resources because the OS needs to keep
track of various data structures and scheduling queues. This requires CPU time and
memory, which can affect the system’s performance.
Complexity: Designing and maintaining an OS is complicated due to the need for
complex scheduling algorithms and resource allocation methods.
Deadlocks: To keep processes running smoothly together, the OS uses mechanisms like
semaphores and mutex locks. However, these can lead to deadlocks, where processes get
stuck waiting for each other indefinitely.
Increased Context Switching: In multitasking systems, the OS frequently switches
between processes. Storing and loading the state of each process (context switching)
takes time and computing power, which can slow down the system.

Conclusion
In conclusion, process management is a important function of an operating system, ensuring that
multiple programs can run smoothly and efficiently. It involves creating, scheduling, and
terminating processes, as well as managing resources and handling communication between
processes. Effective process management optimizes the use of system resources, maintains system
stability, and enhances the overall performance and responsiveness of the computer. Understanding
and implementing robust process management strategies are crucial for maintaining an efficient and
reliable computing environment.

GATE-CS-Questions on Process Management

Q.1: Which of the following need not necessarily be saved on a context switch
between processes? (GATE-CS-2000)
(A) General purpose registers

(B) Translation lookaside buffer

(C) Program counter

(D) All of the above

Answer: (B)

In a process context switch, the state of the first process must be saved somehow, so that
when the scheduler gets back to the execution of the first process, it can restore this state
and continue. The state of the process includes all the registers that the process may be
using, especially the program counter, plus any other operating system-specific data that
may be necessary. A translation look-aside buffer (TLB) is a CPU cache that memory
management hardware uses to improve virtual address translation speed. A TLB has a fixed
number of slots that contain page table entries, which map virtual addresses to physical
addresses. On a context switch, some TLB entries can become invalid, since the virtual-to-
physical mapping is different. The simplest strategy to deal with this is to completely flush
the TLB.

Q.2: The time taken to switch between user and kernel modes of execution is t1
while the time taken to switch between two processes is t2. Which of the
following is TRUE? (GATE-CS-2011)