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

Which of the memories stores the most number of bits, Which of the memories...

Which of the memories stores the most number of bits ? Ans. most number of bits stores in 32M x 8 As 2 5 x 2 20   = 2 25 Therefore 1M = 2 20 = 1K x 1K = 2 10 x 2 10

By which analog signal combine with a carrier frequency, Analog signals can...

Analog signals can be              by combining them with a carrier frequency (A)  Carried                                      (B)  Transported (C)  Multiplexed

Explain about theta notation, Q. Explain about Theta Notation? Theta Θ...

Q. Explain about Theta Notation? Theta Θ Notation : The set Θ (g(n)) comprises all functions f(n) for that there exist positive constants c1,c2 such that f(n) is squeezed in b

What are the advantagesof fact finding, What are the Advantagesof fact find...

What are the Advantagesof fact finding - Analyst obtains reliable data - It's possible to see exactly what is being done -  This is an inexpensive method in comparison o

Artificial life - artificial intelligence, Artificial Life - artificial int...

Artificial Life - artificial intelligence: Give birth to new exits forms.  A swot of Artificial Life will certainly direct on what it means for a complex system to be 'aliv

Shell scripting, Write a script called addnames that is to be called as fol...

Write a script called addnames that is to be called as follows, where classlist is the name of the classlist file, and username is a particular student''s username. ./addnames cla

Create a web page from which customers can order equipment, Q. Create a Web...

Q. Create a Web page from which customers can order equipment? Suppose your boss wants you to create a Web page from which customers can order computer equipment. You need to c

Determine the nand gate, If  the input to T-flipflop is 100 Hz signal, the ...

If  the input to T-flipflop is 100 Hz signal, the final output of the three T-flipflops in cascade is ? Ans. The  final  output  of  the  three  T-flip-flops in cascade is 12

What is machine.config, What is Machine.config?  Machine configuration ...

What is Machine.config?  Machine configuration file: The machine. config file contains settings that apply to the whole computer.  The machine.config, which can be found in the

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