Operating System Concepts Chapter 3

Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of the exit() system call in process termination?

To create a new instance of the process.

To delete a process after executing its last statement. (correct)

To pause the execution of a process indefinitely.

To allocate more resources to the process.

Why might a parent process use the abort() system call on a child process?

The task assigned to the child is no longer required. (correct)

The child process has finished executing its task.

The child process has completed its allocated resources.

The parent process needs to free up memory.

Which of the following statements about child processes is true?

Child processes continue to run independently of the parent process.

Child processes cannot outlive their parent process under certain operating systems. (correct)

All child processes are allowed to operate indefinitely.

Child processes can terminate without the parent process doing so.

How does Google Chrome's multiprocess architecture improve browser stability?

It isolates website processes to prevent complete browser crashes. Signup and view all the answers

Which process in Google Chrome is responsible for managing the user interface?

Browser process Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of process creation in operating systems?

Parent processes can create children processes forming a tree. Signup and view all the answers

Which system call in UNIX is used specifically to create a new process?

fork() Signup and view all the answers

In process resource sharing, what scenario allows a child process to have access to a subset of the parent's resources?

Children share only specific resources defined by the parent. Signup and view all the answers

What is typically the identifier used to manage processes in an operating system?

Process Identifier (pid) Signup and view all the answers

What happens to the address space of a child process after it is created?

It is identical to the parent's address space. Signup and view all the answers

When a parent process waits until its child processes have terminated, this behavior is classified as what type of execution option?

Blocking execution Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the exec() system call in process management?

It loads a new program into the current process's memory space. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about parent-child process relationships is NOT true?

Parents and children must share all resources. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the sandbox environment used by new renderers?

To restrict disk and network I/O for security Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a reason for processes to cooperate?

Maximum resource utilization Signup and view all the answers

What are the two primary models of interprocess communication (IPC)?

Message passing and shared memory Signup and view all the answers

What operations does the IPC facility provide in message passing?

send(message) and receive(message) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the LPC facility in Windows?

To enable communication between processes on the same system. Signup and view all the answers

In shared memory IPC, who controls the communication process?

The users' processes Signup and view all the answers

What do ports in the LPC system function like?

Mailboxes establishing communication channels. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is essential for processes to communicate using message passing?

Establishing a communication link Signup and view all the answers

What is a socket in the context of communication systems?

An endpoint for communication defined by an IP address and port. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key challenge in shared memory IPC?

Ensuring only one process accesses memory at a time Signup and view all the answers

What type of communication does the message system allow between processes?

Communication without shared variables Signup and view all the answers

Which port range is designated for well-known services?

Ports below 1024. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about the special IP address 127.0.0.1 is true?

It indicates a loopback to the same host where the process is running. Signup and view all the answers

In a client-server system using LPC, what does the server do after receiving a connection request?

It creates two private communication ports for interaction. Signup and view all the answers

What must the client do first to establish communication with a server in an LPC system?

Open a handle to the subsystem's connection port object. Signup and view all the answers

What does communication between sockets in a networking context require?

A pair of sockets uniquely identified by IP and port. Signup and view all the answers

What role does the client-side stub play in a Remote Procedure Call (RPC)?

It marshalls the parameters and locates the server. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of ordinary pipes?

They require a parent-child relationship for communication. Signup and view all the answers

What is a major advantage of named pipes compared to ordinary pipes?

Named pipes allow bidirectional communication. Signup and view all the answers

In what programming language is the specification for RPC stub code compiled on Windows systems?

Microsoft Interface Definition Language (MIDL) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of communication does an ordinary pipe facilitate?

Unidirectional communication. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about named pipes is FALSE?

Named pipes are limited to a single process. Signup and view all the answers

What determines if the communication through a pipe is half or full-duplex?

The configuration of the pipe. Signup and view all the answers

What limitation does an ordinary pipe have compared to named pipes?

It cannot be used for network communication. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Process Creation

Parent processes can create child processes, forming a hierarchical tree structure.
Each process is identified by a unique process identifier (PID).
Resource sharing between parent and child can vary:
- All resources shared.
- Subset of parent’s resources shared.
- No resources shared.
Execution strategies involve concurrency or parent waiting for child termination.
Child processes may duplicate the parent's address space or load a different program.
In UNIX, the fork() system call generates a new process, while exec() replaces the child's memory space.

Process Termination

Processes terminate by executing the last statement and invoking exit(), returning status data to the parent via wait().
Operating systems reclaim resources upon termination.
Parents can abort child processes if:
- Resources exceeded or task is no longer needed.
- Parent is terminating, prohibiting child continuation.
Some OS enforce child termination upon parent exit.

Multiprocess Architecture

Single-process browsers may crash due to issues in any single site.
Google Chrome utilizes a multiprocess model, consisting of:
- A browser process for UI and I/O management.
- Renderer processes for rendering web pages per site, operating in sandboxed environments.
- Separate processes for each browser plug-in.

Interprocess Communication (IPC)

Processes can be independent or cooperating; cooperating processes interact and share data.
IPC facilitates:
- Information sharing.
- Speeding up computation.
- Promoting modularity and convenience.
Two main IPC models:
- Shared memory.
- Message passing.

IPC Mechanisms

Message Passing:
- Allows processes to communicate and synchronize.
- Operations include send(message) and receive(message).
- Message sizes can be fixed or variable.
- Establishes a communication link between processes for exchanging messages.
Shared Memory:
- A shared memory region enables processes to communicate at user-controlled levels.
- Synchronization mechanisms are needed for concurrent access by multiple processes.

Example IPC System – Windows

Employs message-passing through Local Procedure Call (LPC) for inter-process communication.
Communication involves setting up ports as channels for message exchange.
The client-server communication process includes connection requests and port creation.

Client-Server Communication Models

Sockets:
- Serve as endpoints for communication, combining IP addresses and ports.
- All ports below 1024 are classified as well-known ports.
- Loopback address is frequently used for local communication.
Remote Procedure Calls (RPC):
- Abstract the function call process between networked systems.
- Involves client-side and server-side stubs for parameter management and execution.
Pipes:
- Facilitate communication, with considerations for directionality and process relationship.
- Ordinary Pipes:
  - Unidirectional, requiring a parent-child relationship; used for standard producer-consumer models.
- Named Pipes:
  - Bidirectional communication without requiring a parent-child relationship; accessible across processes and platforms.

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Description

This quiz focuses on the concepts of process creation and termination in operating systems. It covers how parent processes create child processes and the management of these processes through identifiers. Test your understanding of resource sharing options and the hierarchical nature of process management.