:PROPERTIES: :ID: ea9ceb4e-ff99-4939-ad40-90d5dae2d567 :mtime: 20240902021633 20240307034156 20240304105708 :ctime: 20240304105641 :END: #+title: operating system process #+filetags: :public:operatingsystems:project: * What is a Process? • Process is the *unit of protection* and *resource allocation* • So you may have multiple running processes created from a single program * A Process is not a Program • Process ≠ Program • A program is static, on-disk • A process is dynamic, a program in execution * What is stored in a process? ** Program Counter as represented by the value of the *program counter* ** Registers and the contents of the processor’s *registers*. ** Stack A process generally also includes the process *stack*, which contains temporary data (such as function parameters, return addresses, and local variables), ** Data Section and a *data section*, which contains global variables. ** Heap A process may also include a *heap*, which is memory that is dynamically allocated during process run time. The structure of a process in memory.