Process Control Block and Executing Process

These flashcards cover key concepts related to the process control block and the execution of processes in an operating system.

Process Control Block (PCB)

A data structure maintained by the operating system for each process, containing details like process state and CPU register values.

Process State

Information about the current status of a process, including the program counter and stack pointer.

Program Counter

A register that indicates the current instruction being executed in a process.

Memory Mapping

The process of translating virtual addresses to physical addresses in memory.

Open Files List

A list of files that are currently open and being used by a process.

Process Priority

A value that determines the importance of a process and influences CPU time allocation.

CPU Registers

Small storage locations in the CPU that hold data temporarily for computation.

Virtual to Physical Address Translation

The process of converting a virtual address from a program to a physical address in memory.

Execution Time Tracking

Monitoring how much CPU time a process has used, important for scheduling.

Field Updates in PCB

Certain fields in the PCB are updated when the process state changes, such as requesting more memory.