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Bishwadeep Bose - PCC-CS502

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23 views6 pages

Bishwadeep Bose - PCC-CS502

Bishwadeep submitted this project by the performance

Uploaded by

bose.bishwadeep
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PailanCollegeofManagement&Technology B.

Tech
Division (College Code-156)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------
CA-II Examinations
(REPORTWRITING)
(FullMarks=25)
StudentName Bishwadeep Bose
UniversityRollNo 15600123041
SubjectName Operating Systems
SubjectCode PCC-CS502
Semester 5th semester
Department Computer Science Engineering

Instructions:
1. Pleasedon’tchangetheformattingand font.
2. Topicsshouldbeselectedbasedonthesyllabuscoveredintheclass.
3. ConvertthewordintoPDFbeforesubmission.
Module/Topic Inter-Process Communication (IPC)
Explanation:
Introduction
Inter-Process Communication (IPC) refers to the mechanisms and
techniques that operating systems provide to allow processes to
communicate and synchronize with each other. Processes in
modern computing environments often need to exchange data,
signals, or other types of information to perform tasks
cooperatively or in parallel. IPC enables these processes to
coordinate their activities, share resources, and ensure that data is
consistently managed across different processes.

Types of Inter-Process Communication Mechanisms


There are several IPC mechanisms, each designed to handle
different types of communication needs:
1. Pipes:
o Unnamed Pipes: These are used for communication

between parent and child processes. They are typically


used for one-way communication and are created using
system calls like pipe() in Unix-based systems.
Unnamed pipes exist only while the communicating
processes are running.
o Named Pipes (FIFOs): Unlike unnamed pipes, named

pipes have a name within the file system, allowing


unrelated processes to communicate. Named pipes
support bidirectional communication and persist beyond
the lifetime of the processes.
2. Message Queues:
o Message queues allow processes to send and receive

messages in a structured format. This mechanism


provides more flexibility compared to pipes, as it
supports prioritized messages and asynchronous
communication. Message queues are typically managed
by the operating system's kernel.
3. Shared Memory:
o Shared memory is one of the fastest IPC methods. It

allows multiple processes to access a common memory


segment. Processes can read and write to this shared
space without copying data between them, making it
highly efficient. However, managing synchronization
(to avoid race conditions) is crucial when using shared
memory.
4. Semaphores:
o Semaphores are synchronization tools used to control

access to shared resources. They are often used in


conjunction with shared memory. A semaphore can
signal whether a resource is available or being used,
preventing issues like deadlocks or race conditions.
5. Sockets:
o Sockets provide a way for processes to communicate

over a network. While traditionally used for


communication between processes on different
machines, sockets can also be used for local IPC.
Sockets support both connection-oriented (TCP) and
connectionless (UDP) communication.
6. Signals:
o Signals are a mechanism for processes to send simple

notifications to each other. Signals are typically used to


notify a process of an event (e.g., termination,
interruption). Although they do not carry data, they are
effective for triggering specific actions within a process.
7. Memory-Mapped Files:
o Memory-mapped files allow processes to map files into

their memory space, enabling them to read and write to


the file as if it were part of their memory. This method
is efficient for sharing large amounts of data and is
commonly used in systems that require high-speed data
processing.
Synchronization and Coordination in IPC
Synchronization is a crucial aspect of IPC, ensuring that processes
access shared resources or communicate in a controlled manner.
Without proper synchronization, processes may encounter issues
such as:
• Race Conditions: When two or more processes attempt to
modify shared data simultaneously, leading to inconsistent
results.
• Deadlocks: A situation where two or more processes are
waiting for each other to release resources, resulting in a
standstill.
• Starvation: When a process is perpetually denied access to
resources, often due to other processes continually taking
precedence.
To manage synchronization, various IPC mechanisms use
semaphores, mutexes, and condition variables. These tools help
ensure that only one process accesses a critical section of code or
a shared resource at a time.

Applications of IPC
IPC is widely used in various applications, including:
• Operating Systems: IPC is fundamental in operating system
design, enabling communication between kernel components
and user-space processes.
• Client-Server Applications: IPC is used to enable
communication between clients and servers, often over a
network, using sockets or message queues.
• Parallel Processing: In parallel computing, IPC allows
multiple processes to collaborate on a single task, sharing
data and results through shared memory or message passing.
• Distributed Systems: IPC mechanisms such as sockets are
essential in distributed systems, where processes running on
different machines need to communicate and coordinate their
activities.

Conclusion
Inter-Process Communication is a critical component of modern
computing, enabling processes to work together effectively and
efficiently. By providing various mechanisms for data exchange,
synchronization, and coordination, IPC ensures that processes can
share resources, communicate, and achieve complex tasks that
would be impossible for a single process to handle alone.
Understanding and implementing IPC mechanisms is essential for
developing robust and high-performance applications in today's
multi-process and multi-core environments.

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