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 are the advantages of carrying out simulations, What are the Advantage...

What are the Advantages of carrying out simulations -  saves cost (instead of doing the real thing) -  Safer (scenarios tried out on the simulation first before used in real

Define about hyper-threading technology, Q. Define about Hyper-threading te...

Q. Define about Hyper-threading technology? Hyper-threading technology enables a single microprocessor to behave as two separate threaded processors to operating system and app

Identifying constraints between objects, Identifying Constraints between Ob...

Identifying Constraints between Objects In a system, there are few boundaries to work on. Boundaries or Constraints are functional dependencies among objects which are not con

Interpeter, diifference between pure and impure interpeter

diifference between pure and impure interpeter

Program which take input two images by homography, The goal of this questio...

The goal of this question is to create a program that takes as input two images that are related by a homography, and which "warps" the second image (piscine2.bmp) to align with th

Identify the number of control lines for 16 to 1 multiplexer, The number of...

The number of control lines for 16 to 1 multiplexer is ? Ans. We have 16 = 2 4 , 4 Select lines are needed.

Explain implementation techniques, Explain Implementation techniques Im...

Explain Implementation techniques Implementation techniques(e.g. remote invocation, HTTP). An event-based cooperation can be executed using message passing or it can  be based

Main features of TCP, The main features of TCP are: Reliability: TCP...

The main features of TCP are: Reliability: TCP makes sure that any data sent by a sender arrives at destination as it was sent. There can't be any data loss or change in the

Describe the horizontal frequency or cycle, Q. Describe the Horizontal Freq...

Q. Describe the Horizontal Frequency or cycle? Horizontal Frequency: The time to scan one line connecting the right edge to left edge of the screen horizontally is known as t

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