In an operating system, where are newly submitted processes typically stored…

Concept

When a program is submitted to the system, it does not go directly into main memory. The collection of all submitted processes that reside on the disk (secondary storage) waiting to be brought into main memory is called the job pool (also known as the job queue). The long-term scheduler (also called the admission or job scheduler) selects processes from this pool and admits them into main memory for execution.

Application

The lifecycle of a submitted process moves through these stages:

1. A newly submitted process is placed on disk in the job pool, awaiting allocation of main memory.

2. The long-term scheduler picks a process from the job pool and loads it into main memory, changing its state to ready.

3. Only after admission does the process join the ready queue in main memory, from which the short-term scheduler dispatches it to the CPU.

Since the question asks where processes are held BEFORE admission into main memory, the holding area on disk is the job pool.

Cross-check / Contrast

• Job pool: on-disk store of all submitted processes awaiting admission to main memory — this matches the pre-admission stage in the question.

• Ready queue: holds processes that are already in main memory and ready to run, i.e. AFTER admission — not before it.

• Process table: an OS data structure that stores control information (PCBs) about processes; it is bookkeeping, not a holding area for un-admitted jobs.

• Cache memory: a small, fast CPU-level memory for speeding up access to recently used data; it does not stage submitted processes.

• Stack: a per-process region for function calls and local variables; it exists within a running process, not as a system-wide intake area.