Question

Explain running,ready and blocked process states in process management

Answer 1

In process management, the running, ready, and blocked states are the three primary states that a process can be in. Here is an explanation of each state:

1. Running state: A process is said to be in the running state when it is currently being executed by the CPU. At any given time, only one process can be in the running state on a single CPU. The process in this state has access to system resources, such as the CPU, memory, and input/output (I/O) devices, and is actively executing instructions.

2. Ready state: A process is said to be in the ready state when it is waiting for a CPU to become available. Processes in this state are waiting to be executed, but cannot do so until a CPU becomes available. Processes in the ready state are typically prioritized based on their external priority and are scheduled for execution by the operating system's scheduler.

3. Blocked state: A process is said to be in the blocked state when it is waiting for an event, such as a resource to become available, before it can continue executing. Processes in this state cannot use system resources while they are waiting for the event to occur, and they are not scheduled for execution by the operating system's scheduler. Once the event occurs, the process is moved back to the ready state and is scheduled for execution by the operating system.