Updated November 30, 2023
What is the Cooperating Process in OS?
In an operating system, multiple processes run together independently. These act as a bridge between the user and hardware for sharing information. When two or more processes share a common goal, they interact to exchange information or data, aligning their actions to achieve the goal. This interaction defines a cooperating process, where processes can influence or be influenced by others.
A term called an independent process exists, and it operates independently in terms of actions without interacting with other processes.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Interaction of processes with each other by synching their actions to achieve a common goal.
- Shared memory or message sharing are ways of communication between processes.
- Pros – Improved system efficiency, dividing a significant task into several small tasks, and Efficient data sharing between processes.
- Cons – Management of increased complexity: Processes may fail or slow down due to complexity and multiple interactions.
Significance of Cooperating Processes in OS
The Importance of the Cooperating process is solely dependent on the ability of different processes to work together to break down a common task into small tasks, complete those tasks in an ordered manner, and finally achieve the goal with increased efficiency and less time.
1) Resource sharing– In the cooperating process, processes disclose their memory with each other to align their actions for a common objective. This allows the system to avoid unnecessary duplication of data and smooth functioning of processes, and each process gets its required information assets.
2) Task Management- Involvement of multiple processes with each other in a proper order, facilitating the completion of a managed goal. The objective of multiple processes getting together is to break down the end-to-end task into multiple small pieces. Different processes divide these small tasks among them, executing each task adequately ordered and formatted to achieve the required objective with complete efficiency, proper output, and in less time.
3) Improved Efficiency and Responsiveness- Compared to independent tasks, as discussed above, cooperating processes can complete the overall process in less time and with improved efficiency, giving the user complete satisfaction. By syncing the actions and sharing the information, real-time responsiveness can be achieved without any loads and bugs.
Methods of Cooperating Processes
Processes interacting with each other means sharing resources, which can be done in 2 ways.
1) Cooperation by Sharing- This refers to an approach where processes interact with each other to share resources, and that resource can be in any form, like files, variables, shared memory, etc. Here comes into play a crucial passage or area called a critical section. In this section, processes will access and manipulate the resources to complete and align their actions to achieve the final target. This section allows only one process at a time to enter. By allowing one at a time, the system confirms that there will be no conflict in the resources, and data will be preserved in its correct form. This ensures that data evaluation or alteration is mutually exclusive (no two or more processes can play with the resource simultaneously).
Let us ease this whole process with a simple diagrammatic representation.
The above diagram shows the critical section, and there are two processes, process α and process ß. These two processes will communicate using the critical section (shared section). Process α will alter the resource in that critical region, and process ß will read that data. In this, both processes will communicate with each other. Remember, to provide data integrity and maintain the consistency of resources, Process α and Process ß will not enter the critical section together. Only one process at a time and in the required order of entering.
2) Cooperation by Message Passing- Processes can communicate by passing messages. The Owner (producer) process of the message will create a message and transfer it to the kernel. Then, the kernel will pass on the message to the receiving process. Here,
instead of a critical region, we will use the kernel to pass messages for the [processes to interact with each other.
The kernel is the core aspect of message passing. It also plays a crucial role in creating, managing, and eliminating processes and files. It also oversees memory and I/O administration.
Let us grasp the concept visually.
In the above diagram, there are two processes, Process α and Process ß, which will interact with each other. Process α will create the desired message and push it to the kernel. The kernel will receive the message and interpret that this message is meant for Process ß. It will then push it to Process ß; this way, the whole communication process takes place between two processes with the help of the kernel.
Challenges in Cooperating Process
Let us break down the risks and challenges in the Cooperating process.
1) Deadlock risk- A deadlock is a situation where communication happens via message transfer and messages don’t reach. Suppose two processes are interacting with each other. Process A sends the message, but that message never gets delivered to process B. Process B keeps waiting for the message to arrive. Such a situation is Deadlock.
2) Another situation similar to a deadlock is where multiple processes interact. The next process is still waiting for the message to come, but the process before it is taking too long to process and consume it.
3) Data damage risk- In a situation where multiple processes communicate and disclose the data and resources with each other. However, these processes are not well organized and ordered. In such cases, the complexity of the entire task increases, and the chances of data getting damaged are high.
4) Unnecessary sharing of data- In some cases, sensitive data gets shared with those processes where it was not intended due to the complex nature of the cooperating process.
Overall, the complex nature of the cooperating process can lead to sharing that is optional and may lead to damage to resources.
Advantages of Cooperating process
1) Quick Execution- When processes interact, they disclose resources to each other. This increases the speed of the entire task as they can work together and access the files and data simultaneously.
2) Modular structure- Modular structure refers to the involvement of multiple processes with each other in a proper order and facilitates the completion of a managed goal. The main purpose is to divide the entire task into small sections and divide those within processes so that the entire task can be accelerated and done in the proper order. This leads to fast execution, increasing the system’s efficiency and getting desired output.
3) Avoiding unnecessary interference- The cooperating process creates an environment where each process runs simultaneously without interfering with the other’s work.
In simple terms, the Cooperating process provides such a platform for the processes where tasks are divided into small pieces so that each process can work on it, and processes also interact with each other to share information and complete the execution in minimal time.
Real-world Application
Let us take a real-world scenario where servers handle multiple client requests.
Consider a server getting multiple requests from a client to fetch data. This request can be of various types like HTTP, File access request, etc. Let us understand the example by breaking it into The producer and consumer processes.
Producer Process- An HTTP request hits the server. The producer process receives the request from the network. It evaluates the request and creates a unit of work containing it for further processing. The critical region has shared data structures or resources for storing such requests. The critical region only allows one process at a time, so initially, the producer process enters the region with the task containing the HTTP request information. It hands over this task to the critical region and exits the region.
Consumer Process- Once the Producer has given all the information regarding the HTTP request and left the region, the consumer process enters the region. It fetches all the information regarding the HTTP request. It then performs the necessary actions, like extracting data from the database and generating the required response.
Let us inspect how this works using the code:-
Producer Process
Code:
while(true)
{
produce an item &
while(counter = = buffer-size);
buffer[int] = next produced;
in = (in+1) % buffer- size;
counter ++;
}Consumer Process
Code:
while(true)
{
while (counter = = 0);
next consumed = buffer[out];
out= (out+1) % buffer size;
counter--;
}In the above code, there are 2 different stages.
1st one is the working stage of the Producer process, where it uses the counter to determine the size of the buffer. The Consumer process also utilizes this buffer. Additionally, the producer process employs variables to inspect empty regions in the buffer area.
The Consumer process in the second code utilizes our variable to determine the placement of items for consumption.
Since there are two shared resources, Buffer and counter, problems may arise when the Producer and Consumer processes do not execute on time. If the producer and consumer processes function at the same time, the magnitude of the counter variable will be inaccurate.
Code:
var n;
type item = .....;
var Buffer : array [0,n-1] of item;
In, out:0..n-1; The in and out are the 2 logical pointers of the buffer, and they are implemented as a circular array. The in variable decides the initial empty position in the buffer, while the out variable determines the first filled position in the buffer. Hence, the buffer is filled when the condition in + 1 mod n = out is satisfied, while the buffer is empty if the condition in = out is true.
This way, 2 processes share the HTTP request information, using the critical region as a bridge. The server distributes client requests within processes, allowing it to handle multiple requests simultaneously. Divide the task between two processes to increase efficiency and execute it in less time.
Two processes share the HTTP request information, maintaining the critical region as a bridge. The server distributes client requests within processes, enabling the simultaneous handling of multiple requests. Dividing the task between two processes enhances efficiency and accomplishes it in less time.
Conclusion
To summarize, the Cooperating process is where different processes interact with each other, having a common target. Processes share resources using either the resource-sharing method via critical region or the message-passing method via kernel. This method increases the system’s efficiency, executing the task in less time. However, the Complexity of the process can sometimes be an issue that should be handled with proper care.
FAQ’s
Q1. After the consumer process has accessed data from the critical region and completed the desired task, will the consumer process return to the critical region to deliver the output?
Answers: No, the Consumer process will not deliver the output to critical regions. The critical region is a region for safeguarding the resources. Task outputs are not stored in the critical region.
Q2. What is implicit cooperation in the OS?
Answers: Implicit cooperation is a situation where different processes work together without directly communicating.
Q3. What is known by “rendezvous” in the cooperating process in OS?
Answers: It is a point where processes align their actions and exchange data before proceeding with further actions.
Q4. How do semaphores contribute to process cooperation?
Answers: Semaphores are synchronization primitives that help control access to shared resources, preventing conflicts and ensuring orderly execution of processes.
Q5. What is a deadlock in the context of process cooperation?
Answers: A deadlock occurs when two or more processes cannot proceed because each is waiting for the other to release a resource, leading to perpetual waiting.
Q6. How can deadlock be prevented or avoided in cooperative processes?
Answers: Deadlock prevention strategies include using a proper resource allocation policy, employing timeouts, and implementing techniques like deadlock detection and recovery.
Q7. What role does the operating system scheduler play in process cooperation?
Answers: The scheduler determines the order in which processes are executed, ensuring fair resource access and preventing starvation.
Q8. Can processes cooperate across different machines in a networked environment?
Answers: Yes, processes can cooperate over a network using distributed computing principles. This involves communication between processes on different machines.
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