Practice mode Operating Systems

What is a context switch?

Correct answer D. Saving the state of the running process and loading the saved state of another process

Explanation

During a context switch the kernel stores the current process's registers and program counter in its PCB and restores another process's saved state, so execution resumes where that process left off. It is pure overhead because no useful work is done. A mode switch for a system call does not by itself change which process runs, so it is not a context switch.

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