Protsessilt

Protsessilt is a term used in computer science to refer to a running instance of a computer program. When a program is executed, it becomes a process. Each process has its own memory space, resources, and execution state. The operating system is responsible for managing these processes, scheduling their execution, and allocating resources to them.

Processes can be created by users, by the operating system itself, or by other processes. Once created, a process can go through various states, such as running, waiting, or terminated. The operating system's scheduler determines which process gets to use the CPU at any given time. This allows multiple programs to appear to run simultaneously, even on a single-core processor.

Inter-process communication (IPC) is a mechanism that allows different processes to exchange information and synchronize their actions. This is crucial for the proper functioning of many applications, especially those that are distributed or rely on the cooperation of multiple components. Common IPC methods include pipes, shared memory, and message queues.

Process management is a fundamental aspect of operating systems. It involves creating, terminating, suspending, resuming, and synchronizing processes. Efficient process management is essential for maximizing system performance and ensuring stability. Understanding processes is key to comprehending how software interacts with the underlying hardware and operating system.