What do you understand by System Call ? Enumerate five system calls used in Process Management

Question

What do you understand by System Call ? Enumerate five system calls used in Process Management.

Solution

System Call

A system call is a mechanism that allows user-level processes to request services from the operating system’s kernel. It acts as an interface between the application and the operating system, enabling the application to perform operations that require higher privileges, such as accessing hardware or managing processes.

Key Points about System Calls

• Kernel Access: System calls provide controlled access to kernel resources, ensuring security and stability.
• Parameter Passing: Information can be passed to the kernel through registers, memory tables, or the stack.
• Process Management: System calls are essential for creating, managing, and terminating processes.
• Types of System Calls: They can be categorized into process management, file management, device management, and communication.
• Examples: Common system calls include fork(), exec(), wait(), exit(), and kill().

Five System Calls Used in Process Management

1. fork(): Creates a new process by duplicating the calling process.
2. exec(): Replaces the current process image with a new process image.
3. wait(): Makes the parent process wait until one of its child processes terminates.
4. exit(): Terminates the calling process and returns a status code to its parent.
5. kill(): Sends a signal to a process, which can be used to terminate it.

These system calls are fundamental for managing processes in an operating system, allowing for the creation, execution, and termination of processes effectively.

Figures

This figure supports the answer above — label the parts and mention them in the explanation.