Mikrosäikeisiin

Mikrosäikeisiin, often translated as "microthreads" or "fibers" in English, refers to a concept in computer science and programming. It describes a lightweight unit of execution that can be managed by a user-level thread library rather than relying directly on the operating system's kernel scheduler. Unlike traditional threads which are managed by the operating system kernel, microthreads are typically scheduled by an application or a runtime environment.

The primary advantage of microthreads lies in their lower overhead. Creating, switching between, and managing microthreads is significantly faster and less resource-intensive than with kernel threads. This is because context switching between microthreads often involves only saving and restoring the state of a few registers within the CPU, whereas kernel thread switches require more extensive system calls and kernel interventions.

Microthreads are particularly useful in scenarios where a very large number of concurrent tasks need to be managed efficiently. This can include applications involving many I/O-bound operations, such as web servers, network applications, or concurrent data processing systems. By allowing a single kernel thread to manage hundreds or thousands of microthreads, these applications can achieve high levels of concurrency without overwhelming the operating system's resources.

However, microthreads also have limitations. Because they are managed in user space, they cannot take full advantage of multi-core processors as effectively as kernel threads unless special measures are taken. If one microthread blocks on an I/O operation, it can potentially block the entire kernel thread it resides on, thus preventing other microthreads managed by that kernel thread from executing. This is often addressed through cooperative multitasking, where microthreads voluntarily yield control, or through more advanced scheduling techniques within the user-level library.