Process Scheduling in

Windows XP, Linux, and

UNIX

By Sarah G. Levinson
CSC 4320
Common Measures of Operating
System Performance

CPU Utilization
Throughput
Turnaround Time
Response Time
Wait Time
 Other Important Factors
“User-Perceived Performance”: This measure is
concerned with how efficient the system seems to
a human user. This deals less with overall
efficiency and more with the time it takes for the
user to see observable results of a response.

Fairness: Processes that are similar are given

similar access to system resources. The property
of fairness is exemplified by the Round Robin
scheduling algorithm.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Traditional UNIX – Overall Efficiency, Fairness

and User-Perceived Performance

Multi-level feedback queue implementation is used,

so processes with higher priority have first access
to CPU time.

Priority of a process is based on the type of process,

where the swapper has highest priority and user
processes have lowest priority.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Traditional UNIX – Overall Efficiency, Fairness

and User-Perceived Performance

Round Robin algorithm is implemented within

individual priority queues, and a process’s priority
is decreased as it uses more CPU time.

User programs that are processor-bound are

penalized more than user programs that are I/O-
bound.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Modern UNIX – Real-Time Processing and

Overall Efficiency

Processes can be assigned one of three priority

levels: Real Time, Kernel, or Time Shared.

Real Time processes have the highest priority and

may pre-empt processes at any other level,
including kernel processes.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Modern UNIX – Real-Time Processing and Overall

Efficiency

If multiple real-time processes are waiting to run, the

highest-priority process is selected to run until it has
exhausted its time quantum.

If a higher-level process has not completed but is not

currently in a running status, a process is selected from
the highest-priority ready queue that is not empty.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Modern UNIX – Real-Time Processing and

Overall Efficiency

The priorities of time shared processes are

dynamically set by the OS.

A process’s priority is lowered when it uses up a

time quantum and raised it if blocks on an event
or resource.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Linux—Real-Time Processing and Fairness

Linux uses two process scheduling algorithms: a

real-time algorithm for processes that must be
allowed to execute in a timely fashion, and a
timesharing algorithm for all other processes.

The Round Robin and FIFO scheduling algorithms

are used to switch between real-time processes.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Linux—Real-Time Processing and Fairness

Timesharing algorithm is prioritized and “credit-

based”.

Credit-Based: When a new process must be

selected, the process with the most credits is
selected. A process that is running loses a credit
every time the timer interrupt occurs. When a
process has no more credits, it may not run.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Linux—Real-Time Processing and Fairness

Timesharing algorithm is prioritized and “credit-

based”.

Prioritized: When no processes have any remaining

credits, the system re-assigns credits. Higher
priority processes receive more credits.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Linux—Real-Time Processing and Fairness

Timesharing algorithm is prioritized and “credit-

based”.

This crediting system automatically prioritizes

interactive and I/O-bound processes, which
increases fairness and user-perceived
performance.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Windows XP – Real Time Processing and User-

Perceived Performance

Real time processes have the highest priority and

can pre-empt any process with lower priority.

System processes may be starved by real time

processes because a process’s priority is never
decreased.
The process scheduling algorithms used
by an operating system reflect its
primary performance objectives.

Windows XP – Real Time Processing and User-

Perceived Performance

All processes receive a priority boost after a wait

event, but processes that have experienced a
keyboard I/O wait get a larger boost than those
that have experienced a disk I/O wait.

“Foreground” processes given higher priority.

Questions?