taakbesturingsblok

Taakbesturingsblok, often abbreviated as TCB, is a fundamental data structure in operating systems used for managing processes or threads. It encapsulates all the necessary information about a specific task, enabling the operating system kernel to control and schedule its execution.

A TCB typically contains information such as the task's state (e.g., ready, running, blocked), its priority, program counter value, CPU registers, memory management information, open file descriptors, and scheduling parameters. This comprehensive set of data allows the operating system to suspend a task, save its context, and later resume it from the exact point of interruption.

When a task switch occurs, the operating system saves the current TCB of the running task and loads the TCB of the next task to be executed. This process, known as context switching, is crucial for multitasking and allows multiple tasks to share the CPU efficiently. Different operating systems may have variations in the exact contents and structure of their TCBs, but the core purpose remains the same: to represent and manage an active task within the system. The TCB is a critical component for the scheduler to make informed decisions about which task runs next and for how long.