Operating System: Cooperating Processes and Synchronization

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What type of processes can affect or be affected by the execution of other processes?

Independent processes

Asynchronous processes

Synchronized processes

Cooperating processes (correct)

Which problem is used to illustrate the concept of cooperating processes?

Reader-Writer problem

Producer-Consumer problem (correct)

Dining Philosophers problem

Sleeping Barber problem

What is the main concern when multiple processes access shared data concurrently?

Process synchronization

Process communication

Resource allocation

Data consistency (correct)

What is required to ensure the orderly execution of cooperating processes?

Synchronization mechanisms Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the Producer process in the Producer-Consumer problem?

To produce data and store it in a buffer Signup and view all the answers

What is a race condition?

A situation where several processes access and manipulate the same data concurrently Signup and view all the answers

What is the outcome of a race condition dependent on?

The particular order in which access takes place Signup and view all the answers

What is required to prevent race conditions?

Synchronizing concurrent processes Signup and view all the answers

What is the key characteristic of a race condition?

Two or more processes reading and writing shared data Signup and view all the answers

What is the bounded-buffer problem related to?

A shared-memory solution to concurrent processing Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the critical section in a process?

To manipulate shared data or resources Signup and view all the answers

What is the key requirement for the execution of the critical section?

It must be executed mutually exclusively Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the entry section in a process?

To request permission to enter the critical section Signup and view all the answers

What is the problem of designing a protocol for cooperating processes?

The Critical section problem Signup and view all the answers

What are the three sections that a process can be divided into?

Entry, critical, and remainder sections Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of the mutual exclusion condition in the critical section problem?

To allow only one process to execute in its critical section at a time Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of not meeting the bounded waiting condition in the critical section problem?

Starvation of one process Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of the progress condition in the critical section problem?

To allow processes to enter their critical sections without delay Signup and view all the answers

What is the key characteristic of the critical section problem?

Mutual exclusion among processes Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of meeting the three conditions of the critical section problem?

Ensured data integrity and program correctness Signup and view all the answers

What is the main requirement for mutual exclusion in the critical section problem?

Only one process can execute in its critical section Signup and view all the answers

What type of solution relies on special machine instructions?

Hardware solution Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the flag variable in Peterson's Solution?

To indicate the process is ready to enter its critical section Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of not meeting the progress condition in the critical section problem?

Infinite waiting is possible Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary benefit of meeting the bounded waiting condition?

Starvation is prevented Signup and view all the answers

What is the key characteristic of software solutions to the critical section problem?

Do not rely on any other assumptions Signup and view all the answers

What is the drawback of having long critical sections in software solutions?

It leads to busy waiting and inefficient use of processor time. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of using locks in process synchronization?

To protect critical regions from concurrent access. Signup and view all the answers

Why are special atomic hardware instructions used in modern machines?

To provide non-interruptable operations. Signup and view all the answers

What is the limitation of disabling interrupts in uniprocessor systems?

It is not scalable to multiprocessor systems. Signup and view all the answers

What are the two types of atomic hardware instructions?

Test and set, and swap contents. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the test_and_set instruction?

To return the original value of the passed parameter Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of the lock variable in the solution using test_and_set?

To prevent race conditions in shared data access Signup and view all the answers

What is the effect of the line 'lock = false' in the solution using test_and_set?

It releases the lock, allowing other processes to access shared data Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the while loop in the solution using test_and_set?

To repeatedly attempt to acquire the lock until successful Signup and view all the answers

Why is the test_and_set instruction executed atomically?

To prevent race conditions in shared data access Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the semaphore in process synchronization?

To provide a synchronization tool that does not require busy waiting Signup and view all the answers

What is the function of the 'wait' operation in a semaphore?

To decrement the semaphore value Signup and view all the answers

What is the characteristic of the 'signal' operation in a semaphore?

It is an atomic operation Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the 'key' variable in the solution using swap?

To act as a local Boolean variable for each process Signup and view all the answers

What is the advantage of using semaphores over busy waiting?

It allows processes to wait efficiently Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between a counting semaphore and a binary semaphore?

Counting semaphore can have any integer value, while binary semaphore can only have a value of 0 or 1. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a semaphore in process synchronization?

To solve various synchronization problems. Signup and view all the answers

What is the key challenge in implementing a semaphore?

Ensuring that no two processes can execute wait() and signal() on the same semaphore at the same time. Signup and view all the answers

Why is busy waiting in critical section implementation not a good solution?

Because applications may spend lots of time in critical sections. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between a counting semaphore and a binary semaphore?

A counting semaphore can be implemented using a binary semaphore. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the signal() function in a semaphore?

To increment the value of the semaphore. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of a waiting queue in semaphore implementation?

To store blocked processes Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the 'block' operation in a semaphore?

To place the process invoking the operation on the waiting queue Signup and view all the answers

What is the key feature of an entry in a waiting queue associated with a semaphore?

It has a pointer to the next record in the list Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the 'wakeup' operation in a semaphore?

To remove a process from the waiting queue and place it in the ready queue Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of using waiting queues in semaphore implementation?

It eliminates the need for busy waiting Signup and view all the answers