Submit Your Responses Here For Credit: Repeat Each Question
Submit Your Responses Here For Credit Repeat Each Question Above E
Submit your responses here. For credit: - Repeat each question above each response - Answer in your own words, and reference sources 2. Give an original “real life†example (not related to a computer system environment, not discussed in our textbook or in lecture) of each of these concepts: deadlock, starvation, and race. 5. Using the narrow staircase example from the beginning of this chapter, create a list of features or actions that would allow people to use it without causing deadlock or starvation.
14. As discussed in this chapter, a system that is in an unsafe state is not necessarily deadlocked. Explain why this is true. Give an example of such a system (in an unsafe state) and describe how all the processes could be completed without causing deadlock to occur. 16. Given the four primary types of resources—CPU, memory, secondary storage, and files—select for each one the most suitable technique described in this chapter to fight deadlock and briefly explain why you choose it. 1. Compare the processors’ access to main memory for the loosely coupled configuration and the symmetric multiprocessing configurations. Give a real-life example (not from lecture or textbook!) where the symmetric configuration might be preferred. 3. Describe the programmer’s role when implementing explicit parallelism. 6. Give a real-life example (not from lecture or textbook!) of busy-waiting. 8. Compare and contrast multiprocessing and concurrent processing. Describe the role of process synchronization for both systems. 9. Describe the purpose of a buffer and give an example from your own experience (not from lecture or textbook!) where its use clearly benefits system response.
Paper For Above instruction
The concepts of deadlock, starvation, and race conditions are fundamental to understanding the challenges in concurrent systems, whether in computing or everyday life. Exploring real-life examples helps clarify these concepts beyond theoretical or technical contexts, illustrating their relevance to daily activities and processes.
Deadlock
A deadlock occurs when two or more parties or processes are waiting indefinitely for each other to release resources, preventing any from proceeding. A non-computer example is two people trying to cross a narrow bridge from opposite ends simultaneously. If each waits for the other to step aside, both are stuck, in a deadlock, unable to move forward. This situation exemplifies mutual blocking due to competing resource requests.
In contrast to computer systems, where deadlock might involve processes and resources like printers or memory, the human example underscores how deadlocks can disrupt smooth operations in daily life. To avoid such deadlocks in pedestrian scenarios, implementing a simple yield or priority system ensures one person waits while the other crosses, preventing blockage.
Starvation
Starvation happens when a process or individual is perpetually denied access to resources due to others' priorities or scheduling policies. For instance, imagine a busy restaurant that continually seats large parties first, leavingsmall parties waiting indefinitely. Over time, the smaller groups experience starvation as they are never accommodated because the system favors the large parties, which are more profitable or prominent.
This example highlights how resource allocation policies can unfairly disadvantage certain individuals or tasks, akin to how in computing, lower-priority processes may never get CPU time due to continuous priority access being given to higher-priority processes.
Race Condition
A race condition occurs when the outcome of a process depends on the sequence or timing of uncontrollable events, often leading to inconsistent or undesirable results. Consider two staff members in a bakery simultaneously attempting to use the same rolling pin from a limited supply. If both try to grab it at the same time without coordination, a conflict or error might occur, such as dropping or breaking the tool.
This situation illustrates how unpredictability in access timing can cause failures or errors, emphasizing the importance of synchronization or control mechanisms to prevent such conflicts, whether in manufacturing or computing.
Using the Narrow Staircase Example to Prevent Deadlock and Starvation
In the classic narrow staircase scenario, users frequently face deadlock or starvation if multiple people attempt to ascend or descend simultaneously without regulation. To mitigate these issues, features such as traffic lights, wait lines, and priority rules can be implemented. For example, assigning priority to those going downstairs during busy times ensures smoother flow, preventing deadlock where nobody can move, and starvation of those waiting to descend.
Incorporating sensors that detect congestion and dynamically adjust signals can further optimize use, ensuring that all users eventually gain access without being indefinitely delayed. These actions reduce the chances of deadlock by preventing circular wait conditions and avoid starvation by guaranteeing fair opportunity to move.
Unsafe States and Deadlock Prevention
A system in an unsafe state is one where the current resource allocation could potentially lead to deadlock if processes' resource requests are combined in certain ways, but no deadlock has yet occurred. This situation is different from a deadlocked system, where processes are permanently blocked. An example could be a bank with limited funds and multiple loan applications approved but not yet disbursed, where the current allocations do not guarantee safety but do not yet constitute deadlock.
In such a case, executing processes carefully—either by ensuring they do not request large amounts simultaneously or by pre-emptively reallocating resources—can allow all processes to complete without deadlock. Proactive management based on resource allocation algorithms like the Banker’s Algorithm ensures system safety when in an unsafe state.
Resource Management Techniques to Prevent Deadlock
Among the primary resource types, specific deadlock prevention techniques are more effective. For CPU resources, preemptive scheduling techniques such as priority scheduling can prevent deadlock by forcibly reallocating CPU time from low-priority processes. For memory, strategies like paging and swapping help avoid deadlocks by efficiently managing resources and ensuring availability when needed. Secondary storage can use allocation policies that avoid circular waiting, such as first-come, first-served, with constraints to prevent deadlock. For files, employing lock hierarchies or timeout mechanisms reduces the likelihood of circular wait conditions, ensuring processes do not hold resources in conflicting ways.
Processors’ Access to Main Memory in Different Configurations
In loosely coupled systems, processors access main memory independently, often via networked connections, leading to potential latency and consistency issues. Conversely, symmetric multiprocessing (SMP) configurations involve multiple processors sharing a unified memory space, allowing for consistent and fast access. A real-world example where SMP might be preferred is in a manufacturing plant where different assembly lines are controlled by processors that require synchronized access to shared data about production status, enabling efficient coordination and data integrity.
Programmer's Role in Explicit Parallelism
Programmers implementing explicit parallelism are responsible for designing code that divides tasks into concurrent units, manages synchronization, and ensures correct data sharing among processes. They must identify independent tasks, use appropriate synchronization mechanisms such as locks or semaphores to prevent race conditions, and optimize the workload to achieve efficiency without leading to deadlocks or race conditions.
For example, a programmer developing a multithreaded application for data analysis must ensure threads correctly handle shared data, avoid conflicts, and coordinate execution flow through synchronization primitives, enhancing performance while maintaining data integrity.
Real-life Busy-Waiting Example
An everyday example of busy-waiting is when a person at a crowded cafeteria repeatedly checks their phone for the food order status, refreshing the app continuously rather than waiting passively for a notification. This constant polling consumes unnecessary battery and mental effort, exemplifying busy-waiting, where the individual cycle-checks a condition without any productive activity, leading to inefficiency.
Multiprocessing vs. Concurrent Processing
Multiprocessing involves the use of multiple processors working simultaneously to perform tasks, typically within a single system, allowing true parallelism. Concurrent processing, however, refers to managing multiple tasks that progress within the same time frame but may not execute simultaneously, often through time-sharing mechanisms. Process synchronization is vital in both systems to coordinate access to shared resources, prevent conflicts, and ensure consistency. In multiprocessing, synchronization ensures data integrity across processors; in concurrent processing, it prevents race conditions and maintains orderly execution.
Role of Process Buffers
A buffer acts as a temporary storage area that holds data being transferred between processes or within different parts of a system. For instance, when uploading files from a mobile device, an internal buffer temporarily stores data chunks before transmission over the network. This process prevents delays caused by slow network speeds, facilitating smoother system response and efficient data handling, ultimately improving user experience.
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