Computer Engineering Articles

Found 353 articles

Process Contention Scope vs System Contention Scope

Way2Class
Way2Class
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 898 Views

Process Contention Scope (PCS) and System Contention Scope (SCS) are two fundamental threading models that define how threads compete for CPU resources in operating systems. These concepts determine the scheduling domain where thread contention occurs and directly impact system performance and resource allocation strategies. Resource contention occurs when multiple threads compete for the same CPU time simultaneously. The contention scope defines the boundary within which this competition takes place − either among threads within a single process or among all threads system-wide. Process Contention Scope (PCS) In Process Contention Scope, threads compete for CPU resources only among ...

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Process Management

Amit Diwan
Amit Diwan
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 4K+ Views

A process is an active program — a program that is under execution. It contains the program code, program counter, process stack, registers, and other execution context information. Process States During its lifecycle, a process transitions through different states. These state changes are managed by the operating system scheduler and occur based on resource availability and system events. Process State Diagram New Ready Running ...

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Structure of a Client Server System

Ricky Barnes
Ricky Barnes
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 6K+ Views

In client-server computing, the clients request a resource and the server provides that resource. A server may serve multiple clients at the same time while a client is in contact with only one server. This architecture forms the backbone of modern distributed systems, web applications, and enterprise software. The different structures for two-tier and three-tier architectures are given as follows − Two-Tier Client/Server Structure The two-tier architecture primarily has two parts: a client tier and a server tier. The client tier sends a request to the server tier and the server tier responds with the desired information. ...

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Asymmetric and Symmetric Clustering System

Kristi Castro
Kristi Castro
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 7K+ Views

Clustering systems are similar to parallel systems as they both have multiple CPUs. However, a major difference is that clustered systems are created by two or more individual computer systems merged together. The primary goal is to provide high availability and fault tolerance by distributing workload across multiple nodes. There are two main types of clustering systems: asymmetric and symmetric clustering systems. Asymmetric Clustering System In an asymmetric clustering system, one node acts as the primary server that runs all applications, while one or more nodes remain in hot standby mode. The standby nodes continuously monitor the primary ...

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Layered Operating System

David Meador
David Meador
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 21K+ Views

A Layered Operating System is an architectural approach where the operating system is divided into multiple hierarchical layers, each with specific functionalities. This design was developed as an improvement over early monolithic systems, providing better organization, maintainability, and modularity. Why Layering in Operating System? Layering provides distinct advantages in operating system design. Each layer can be defined separately and interact with adjacent layers as required. This approach makes it easier to create, maintain, and update the system since changes in one layer specification do not affect other layers. The layered structure also enhances debugging and testing capabilities, as ...

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Major Activities of an Operating System with Regard to Secondary Storage Management

David Meador
David Meador
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 2K+ Views

Secondary storage devices are non-volatile devices where data is stored for long-term storage. Disks are the mainly used secondary storage devices, providing the bulk of secondary storage in modern operating systems. The main activity performed in secondary storage management is disk scheduling. This involves determining the order in which disk I/O requests are serviced to minimize seek time and optimize performance. There are many disk scheduling algorithms, with the most important being FCFS, SSTF, SCAN, and LOOK scheduling. Disk Scheduling Overview Disk Track (0 to 199) ...

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Solaris OS Loadable Modules

Alex Onsman
Alex Onsman
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 1K+ Views

Solaris is a Unix-based operating system originally developed by Sun Microsystems and now maintained by Oracle as Oracle Solaris. It is renowned for its enterprise-grade scalability and innovative features such as DTrace (dynamic tracing), ZFS (Zettabyte File System), and Time Slider backup functionality. Solaris Kernel Architecture The Solaris kernel serves as the core component that manages hardware resources and system operations. Unlike monolithic kernels, Solaris employs a modular kernel design that allows dynamic loading and unloading of kernel modules, providing flexibility and efficient memory usage. Solaris Boot Process The Solaris boot sequence involves several distinct phases, ...

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What is a bootstrap program?

Alex Onsman
Alex Onsman
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 27K+ Views

A bootstrap program is the first code that is executed when the computer system is started. The entire operating system depends on the bootstrap program to work correctly as it loads the operating system. Bootstrap Program Loading Process ROM (Non-volatile) Bootstrap Loads RAM (Volatile) Operating System ...

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Different Operations on Processes

Kristi Castro
Kristi Castro
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 24K+ Views

There are many operations that can be performed on processes. Some of these are process creation, process preemption, process blocking, and process termination. These are given in detail as follows − Process Creation Processes need to be created in the system for different operations. This can be done by the following events − User request for process creation System initialization Execution of a process creation system call by a running process Batch job initialization A process may be created by another process using fork(). The creating process is called the parent process and the ...

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Interprocess Communication with Sockets

David Meador
David Meador
Updated on 17-Mar-2026 7K+ Views

Interprocess Communication (IPC) is the mechanism provided by the operating system that allows processes to communicate with each other. This communication could involve a process letting another process know that some event has occurred or transferring data from one process to another. Sockets are one of the most powerful IPC mechanisms, providing point-to-point, two-way communication between processes. They serve as endpoints of communication and can be associated with one or more processes. Sockets can facilitate communication between processes on the same machine or across different machines over a network. Types of Sockets The different types of sockets ...

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