Operations on Processes

GeeksforGeeks

Last Updated : 01 Oct, 2024

Process operations refer to the actions or activities performed on processes in an operating system. These
operations include creating, terminating, suspending, resuming, and communicating between processes.
Operations on processes are crucial for managing and controlling the execution of programs in an
operating system.

Operations on processes are fundamental to the functioning of operating systems, enabling effective flow
of program execution and resource allocation. The lifecycle of a process includes several critical
operations: creation, scheduling, blocking, preemption, and termination. Each operation plays a vital role
In ensuring that processes are efficiently managed, allowing for multitasking and optimal resource
utilization. In this article, we will discuss various operations on Process.

What is a Process?
A process is an activity of executing a program. It is a program under execution. Every process needs
certain resources to complete its task. Processes are the programs that are dispatched from the ready state
and are scheduled in the CPU for execution. PCB (Process Control Block) holds the context of the
process. A process can create other processes which are known as Child Processes. The process takes
more time to terminate, and it is isolated means it does not share the memory with any other process. The
process can have the following states new, ready, running, waiting, terminated, and suspended.

• Text : A Process, sometimes known as the Text Section, also includes the current activity
represented by the value of the Program Counter .
• Stack : The stack contains temporary data, such as function parameters, returns addresses, and local
variables.
 • Data : Contains the global variable.
• Heap : Dynamically memory allocated to process during its run time.

Operation on a Process
The execution of a process is a complex activity. It involves various operations. Following are the
operations that are performed while execution of a process:

Process operations, such as creation, scheduling, and termination, are crucial for managing an
operating system’s performance. To gain a deep understanding of these operations for GATE, the GATE
CS Self-Paced Course offers detailed lessons on process management, providing clarity with practical
examples and exam-oriented exercises.

1. Creation

This is the initial step of the process execution activity. Process creation means the construction of a new
process for execution. This might be performed by the system, the user, or the old process itself. There are
several events that lead to the process creation. Some of the such events are the following:

• When we start the computer, the system creates several background processes.
• A user may request to create a new process.
• A process can create a new process itself while executing.
• The batch system takes initiation of a batch job.

2. Scheduling/Dispatching

The event or activity in which the state of the process is changed from ready to run. It means the operating
system puts the process from the ready state into the running state. Dispatching is done by the operating
system when the resources are free or the process has higher priority than the ongoing process. There are
various other cases in which the process in the running state is preempted and the process in the ready
state is dispatched by the operating system.

3. Blocking

When a process invokes an input-output system call that blocks the process, and operating system is put in
block mode. Block mode is basically a mode where the process waits for input-output. Hence on the
demand of the process itself, the operating system blocks the process and dispatches another process to
the processor. Hence, in process-blocking operations, the operating system puts the process in a ‘waiting’
state.

4. Preemption

When a timeout occurs that means the process hadn’t been terminated in the allotted time interval and the
next process is ready to execute, then the operating system preempts the process. This operation is only
valid where CPU scheduling supports preemption. Basically, this happens in priority scheduling where on
the incoming of high priority process the ongoing process is preempted. Hence, in process preemption
operation, the operating system puts the process in a ‘ready’ state.

5. Process Termination

Process termination is the activity of ending the process. In other words, process termination is the
relaxation of computer resources taken by the process for the execution. Like creation, in termination also
there may be several events that may lead to the process of termination. Some of them are:

• The process completes its execution fully and it indicates to the OS that it has finished.
• The operating system itself terminates the process due to service errors.
• There may be a problem in hardware that terminates the process.

Conclusion
Operations on processes are crucial for managing and controlling program execution in an operating
system. These activities, which include creation, scheduling, blocking, preemption, and termination, allow
for more efficient use of system resources and guarantee that processes run smoothly. Understanding these
procedures is critical to improving system performance and dependability.so these processes help our
computers do many things at once without crashing or slowing down.

Frequently Asked Questions on Operations on Process – FAQs

What are process operations?

Process operations refer to the actions or activities performed on processes in an operating

system. These operations include creating, terminating, suspending, resuming, and
communicating between processes.

What is process termination?

Process termination is the operation of ending the execution of a process. It involves releasing
allocated resources, closing open files, deallocating memory, and removing the process’s data
structures from the system. The termination can be voluntary (process calls an exit system
call) or involuntary (due to an error or external intervention).

What is process suspension?

Process suspension, also known as process blocking or process waiting, is the operation of
temporarily pausing the execution of a process. The process enters a blocked state, typically
waiting for a certain event or resource to become available before it can resume execution.
What is IPC in OS?

Inter-process communication (IPC) is a mechanism that allows processes to communicate

with each other and synchronize their actions.

What is context switching?

Context switching in an operating system involves saving the context or state of a running
process so that it can be restored later, and then loading the context or state of another.
process and run it.

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