As a process is in execution, its state may change. The state is the current activity of the process:
- New: when the process is being created
- Ready: waiting to be assigned to a processor
- Running: instructions are being executed
- Waiting/Blocked: waiting for a signal or I/O operation
- Terminated: finished execution
Each processā Process Control Block block helps with this.
Example Lifecycle
- GCC can be be running, wants to access a file but its being used, becomes blocked while it waits
- After file is read, GCC moves to ready state, will be running when a CPU core is available to run it
- After GCC instruction are performed, moved back to ready state, then continues execution after next CPU is ready