Explain the concept of thread, Computer Engineering

Assignment Help:

The Concept of Thread

A thread is a sequential flow of control within a process. A process is able to have one or more threads. Threads have their own register-values and program-counter but they share memory space and other resources of the process. Every process begins with a single thread. Through the execution, other threads can be created as and when required. Similar to processes, every thread has an execution state (terminated, ready, blocked or running). A thread has right to use the memory address space and resources of its process. Threads have similar life cycles as processes do. A single processor system may support concurrency by switching execution among two or more threads. A multi processor system may support parallel concurrency by executing a separate thread on every processor. There are three fundamental techniques in concurrent programming languages for terminating and creating threads: 

  • Unsynchronised creation and termination - In this mode threads are created and terminated by means of library functions for example START_PROCESS, CREATE_PROCESS, START_THREAD, CREATE_THREAD and. Thus because of these function calls a new thread or process is created and starts executing independent of its parents.
  • Synchronized termination and unsynchronised creation: This manner uses two instructions: JOIN and FORK. The FORK instruction creates a new thread or process. When the parent needs the child's (thread or process) result, it calls JOIN instruction. At this junction two processes (threads) are synchronised.
  • Synchronised termination and creation: The most often system construct to implement synchronization is COBEGIN...COEND. The threads among the COBEGIN...COEND construct are implemented in parallel. The termination of parent-child is suspended till all child threads are terminated.

We can think of a thread as essentially a lightweight process. Though, threads propose a number of advantages over processes. The advantages are as follows:

a)  It does not take so much time to create and terminate a new thread than to create and terminate a process. The reason is that a newly created thread uses the current process address space.  

b)  It does not take so much time to switch between two threads within a common process, partly since the newly created thread uses current process address space. 

c)  Less communication overheads -- communicating between the threads of one process is simple since the threads share amongst other entities the address space. So, data generated by one thread is right away available to all other threads.


Related Discussions:- Explain the concept of thread

What is gdpro and magicdraw uml, What is GDPro and  MagicDraw UML GDP...

What is GDPro and  MagicDraw UML GDPro : This  is a full suite of code  management tools and UML. MagicDraw UML: UML diagrams fully support this: MagicDraw RConverter a

Differentiate concurrent and parallel executions, Differentiate concurrent ...

Differentiate concurrent and parallel executions ? The words "parallel "and "concurrent" are often used interchangeably, however they are different. Parallel execution is connec

SWOT ANALYSIS, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN COMPUTER FEILD

OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS IN COMPUTER FEILD

Is the process before and after the swap are the same, Is the Process befor...

Is the Process before and after the swap are the same? Give reason. Process before swapping is residing in the primary memory in its original form. The regions (text, data and

What are the advantages of store program control, What are the Advantages o...

What are the Advantages of store program control (I) Easy to maintain (II) Easy to control (III) Wide range of services can be provided to customers (IV) Flexible

Virtual memory and organization of a cache memory, Described virtual memory...

Described virtual memory Ans: Data is to be stored in physical memory locations that have addresses different from those that specified by the program. The memory control circu

How many types of stages include in process of data mining, How many types ...

How many types of stages include in process of data mining? The process of data mining comprised three stages as given below: a) The initial exploration b) Model buildin

Performance instrumentation, The performance instrumentation states on how ...

The performance instrumentation states on how to efficiently gather information about the computation of the parallel computer. The process of instrumentation mainly attempts to ca

What is the use of isolated i/o configuration, What is the use of isolated ...

What is the use of isolated I/O configuration.  In isolated I/O configuration the CPU has distinct input and output instructions and each of these instructions is associated wi

Write Your Message!

Captcha
Free Assignment Quote

Assured A++ Grade

Get guaranteed satisfaction & time on delivery in every assignment order you paid with us! We ensure premium quality solution document along with free turntin report!

All rights reserved! Copyrights ©2019-2020 ExpertsMind IT Educational Pvt Ltd