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scheduler
The part of an operating system that decides which thread runs on the CPU next, and switches between them.
A CPU can only run so many things at once, but a system has many threads wanting to run. The scheduler picks who runs, for how long, and performs the context switch that swaps one thread out for another. Its policy (fair, priority-based, and so on) shapes responsiveness and throughput.
See also
- round-robinA scheduling rule that gives each waiting task an equal turn, one after another in a fixed rotation.
- SMPA computer with multiple equal CPU cores that share the same memory and can all run tasks at once.
- semaphoreA counter used to coordinate threads, letting a limited number proceed while others wait.
Referenced by
round-robin · segfault / segmentation fault · semaphore · serial port · SMP · spinlock