The time dispatcher takes and for the dispatcher to stop one process and start…
2023
The time dispatcher takes and for the dispatcher to stop one process and start another running is known as _____.
- A.
dispatch wasting time
- B.
dispatch latency
- C.
dispatch turnaround time
- D.
dispatch response time
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
In an operating system, the dispatcher is the module that gives control of the CPU to the process selected by the short-term scheduler.
When switching from one process to another, the dispatcher needs to:
Save the state (context) of the currently running process.
Load the saved state (context) of the newly selected process.
Jump to the proper location in the user program to restart that process.
The total time spent by the dispatcher in stopping one process and starting another running is explicitly defined as Dispatch Latency. Since this overhead occurs during every context switch, operating systems aim to keep this duration as low as possible.