Process

CSCE 351: Operating System

Kernels
 Major Requirements of an OS

• Interleave the execution of several

processes to maximize processor
utilization while providing reasonable
response time
• Allocate resources to processes
• Support interprocess communication
and user creation of processes
 Processes
The Process Model

• Multiprogramming of four programs

• Conceptual model of 4 independent, sequential processes
• Only one program active at any instant
 Two-State Process Model

• Process may be in one of two states

– Running
– Not-running
 Two-State Process Model (2)

• Not-running
– ready to execute
• Blocked
– waiting for I/O
• Dispatcher cannot just select the
process that has been in the queue the
longest because it may be blocked
Not-Running Process in a Queue
 Process Creation

Principal events that cause process

creation
1. System initialization
– Execution of a process creation system
2. User request to create a new process
3. Initiation of a batch job
 Process Termination

Conditions which terminate processes

1. Normal exit (voluntary)
2. Error exit (voluntary)
3. Fatal error (involuntary)
4. Killed by another process (involuntary)
 Process Hierarchies

• Parent creates a child process, child

processes can create its own process
• Forms a hierarchy
– UNIX calls this a "process group"
• Windows has no concept of process
hierarchy
– all processes are created equal
 A Three-State Model (1)

• Possible process states

– running
– blocked
– ready
• Transitions between states shown
 A Three-State Model (2)

• Lowest layer of process-structured OS

– handles interrupts, scheduling
• Above that layer are sequential processes
 A Five-State Model

• Running
• Ready
• Blocked
• New
• Exit
A Five-State Model
Using Two Queues
Using Multiple Queues
 Suspended Processes

• Processor is faster than I/O so all processes

could be waiting for I/O
• Swap these processes to disk to free up more
memory
• Blocked state becomes suspend state when
swapped to disk
• Two new states
– Blocked, suspend
– Ready, suspend
One Suspend State
Two Suspend States
Reasons for Process Suspension
Operating System Control Structures

• Information about the current status of

each process and resource
• Tables are constructed for each entity
the operating system manages
 Memory Tables

• Allocation of main memory to processes

• Allocation of secondary memory to
processes
• Protection attributes for access to
shared memory regions
• Information needed to manage virtual
memory
 I/O Tables

• I/O device is available or assigned

• Status of I/O operation
• Location in main memory being used as
the source or destination of the I/O
transfer
 File Tables

• Existence of files
• Location on secondary memory
• Current Status
• Attributes
• Sometimes this information is
maintained by a file-management
system
 Process Table

• Where process is located

• Attributes necessary for its
management
– Process ID
– Process state
– Location in memory
 Process Table (2)

Fields of a process table entry

 Process Location

• Process includes set of programs to be executed

– Data locations for local and global variables
– Any defined constants
– Stack
• Process control block
– Collection of attributes
• Process image
– Collection of program, data, stack, and attributes
 Process Control Block (1)

• Process identification
– Identifiers
• Numeric identifiers that may be stored with the
process control block include
• Identifier of this process
• Identifier of the process that created this
process (parent process)
• User identifier
 Process Control Block (2)

• Processor State Information

– User-Visible Registers
• A user-visible register is one that may be
referenced by means of the machine language
that the processor executes. Typically, there are
from 8 to 32 of these registers, although some
RISC implementations have over 100.
 Process Control Block (3)

• Processor State Information

– Control and Status Registers
These are a variety of processor registers that are employed to
control the operation of the processor. These include
• •Program counter: Contains the address of the next instruction
to be fetched
• •Condition codes: Result of the most recent arithmetic or logical
operation (e.g., sign, zero, carry, equal, overflow)
•Status information: Includes interrupt enabled/disabled flags,
execution mode
 Process Control Block (4)

• Processor State Information

– Stack Pointers
• Each process has one or more last-in-first-out
(LIFO) system stacks associated with it. A stack
is used to store parameters and calling
addresses for procedure and system calls. The
stack pointer points to the top of the stack.
 Process Control Block (5)
• Process Control Information
– Scheduling and State
•Process state: defines the readiness of the process to be
scheduled for execution (e.g., running, ready, waiting, halted).
•Priority: One or more fields may be used to describe the
scheduling priority of the process. In some systems, several
values are required (e.g., default, current, highest-allowable)
•Scheduling-related information: This will depend on the
scheduling algorithm used. Examples are the amount of time
that the process has been waiting and the amount of time that
the process executed the last time it was running.
•Event: Identity of event the process is awaiting before it can be
resumed
 Process Control Block (6)

• Process Control Information

– Data Structuring
• A process may be linked to other process in a queue,
ring, or some other structure. For example, all processes
in a waiting state for a particular priority level may be
linked in a queue. A process may exhibit a parent-child
(creator-created) relationship with another process. The
process control block may contain pointers to other
processes to support these structures.
 Process Control Block (7)

• Process Control Information

– Interprocess Communication
• Various flags, signals, and messages may be associated with
communication between two independent processes. Some or
all of this information may be maintained in the process control
block.
– Process Privileges
• Processes are granted privileges in terms of the memory that
may be accessed and the types of instructions that may be
executed. In addition, privileges may apply to the use of system
utilities and services.
 Process Control Block (8)

• Process Control Information

– Memory Management
• This section may include pointers to segment and/or page
tables that describe the virtual memory assigned to this
process.
– Resource Ownership and Utilization
• Resources controlled by the process may be indicated, such as
opened files. A history of utilization of the processor or other
resources may also be included; this information may be
needed by the scheduler.
Process Control Block (9)
 Processor State Information

• Contents of processor registers

– User-visible registers
– Control and status registers
– Stack pointers
• Program status word (PSW)
– contains status information
– Example: the EFLAGS register on Pentium
machines
Pentium II EFLAGS Register
 Modes of Execution

• User mode
– Less-privileged mode
– User programs typically execute in this
mode
• System mode, control mode, or kernel
mode
– More-privileged mode
– Kernel of the operating system
 Process Creation

• Assign a unique process identifier

• Allocate space for the process
• Initialize process control block
• Set up appropriate linkages
– Ex: add new process to linked list used for
scheduling queue
• Create of expand other data structures
– Ex: maintain an accounting file
 When to Switch a Process

• Clock interrupt
– process has executed for the maximum
allowable time slice
• I/O interrupt
• Memory fault
– memory address is in virtual memory so it
must be brought into main memory
 When to Switch a Process

• Trap
– error occurred
– may cause process to be moved to Exit
state
• Supervisor call
– such as file open
 Change of Process State (1)

• Save context of processor including

program counter and other registers
• Update the process control block of the
process that is currently running
• Move process control block to
appropriate queue - ready, blocked
• Select another process for execution
 Change of Process State (2)

• Update the process control block of the

process selected
• Update memory-management data
structures
• Restore context of the selected process
 Change of Process State (3)

Skeleton of what lowest level of OS does when an interrupt occurs

 Execution of the Operating System

• Non-process Kernel
– Execute kernel outside of any process
– Operating system code is executed as a separate
entity that operates in privileged mode
• Execution Within User Processes
– Operating system software within context of a user
process
– Process executes in privileged mode when
executing operating system code
 Execution of the Operating System

• Process-Based Operating System

– Major kernel functions are separate
processes
• Useful in multi-processor or multi-computer
environment
 UNIX SVR4 Process Management

• Most of the operating system executes

within the environment of a user
process
UNIX Process States
 Summary

• In this presentation we discussed

– Process life-cycle
– Process swapping mechanism
– Basic data structure that maintain process
• At this point, we just finished chapter 3
in the book