Transitions

The transitions of a process represent changes of its execution state.

The transitions can be described in terms of their causes and the resulting actions taken by the operating
system.

Creation

Cause

The creation transition is caused by a system call instruction for loading a program.

Action

A process control block is created for the program. It is initialized so that the process starts with cleared
registers and PC set to the program's start (main) address. Usually the operating system sets up three
open files: standard input, standard output, and standard error.

Dispatch

Cause

A process is dispatched when a processor is free to execute the process and the operating system has
scheduled the process to run next. Scheduling involves selecting one of the ready processes to run next.
The choice is often based on which ready process has gone the longest time since it last had a running
execution status, but the choice may also involve prioritization of processes.

Action

Saved information about the process's register and PC contents is loaded into the processor. The PC
contents are typically loaded by executing a jump instruction which, in effect, resumes execution of
process code from where it left off.
Timeout

Cause

A timeout is triggered by an external interrupt from a timer device.

Action

Information about the process's register and PC contents is saved into the PCB for the process. The
process then goes into the ready state, where it enters a queue with other ready processes. The
operating system will the schedule one of the ready processes and dispatch it.

Blocking

Cause

A blocking transition is caused by the process making an operating system request (syscall) that must be
satisfied before it can continue executing. The most common type of request is a request for input.

Action

The operating system will initiate an action to satisfy the request. For example, for file input from a disk,
the operating system will send a signal to the disk initiating the fetch of a block from the disk. The
process is put into a blocked state, where it cannot execute until its request is satisfied

Unblocking
Cause

The unblocking transition is triggered by satisfaction of the request that lead to blocking. For example, if
a process requested file input from a disk, the satisfaction will occur several milliseconds later when the
disk sends an external interrupt indicating that it is ready to transfer the requested block.

Action

After the operating system has handled the request satisfaction it puts the process into the ready state,
entering it into the ready queue. In the file read example, handling the request means storing the block
contents in a file structure for the process.

Termination

Cause

The termination transition may be triggered by an exit syscall from the process (normal termination) or
by a processor exception (abnormal termination).

Action

The operating system frees up any resources used by the process. If the termination is abnormal an error
message is displayed.

A process which is Executed by the Process have various States, the State of the Process is also called as
the Status of the process, The Status includes whether the Process has Executed or Whether the process
is Waiting for Some input and output from the user and whether the Process is Waiting for the CPU to
Run the Program after the Completion of the Process.

The various States of the Process are as Followings:-

1) New State : When a user request for a Service from the System , then the System will first initialize the
process or the System will call it an initial Process . So Every new Operation which is Requested to the
System is known as the New Born Process.

2) Running State : When the Process is Running under the CPU, or When the Program is Executed by the
CPU , then this is called as the Running process and when a process is Running then this will also
provides us Some Outputs on the Screen.

3) Waiting : When a Process is Waiting for Some Input and Output Operations then this is called as the
Waiting State. And in this process is not under the Execution instead the Process is Stored out of
Memory and when the user will provide the input then this will Again be on ready State.

4) Ready State : When the Process is Ready to Execute but he is waiting for the CPU to Execute then this
is called as the Ready State. After the Completion of the Input and outputs the Process will be on Ready
State means the Process will Wait for the Processor to Execute.

5) Terminated State : After the Completion of the Process , the Process will be Automatically terminated
by the CPU . So this is also called as the Terminated State of the Process. After Executing the Whole
Process the Processor will Also deallocate the Memory which is allocated to the Process. So this is called
as the Terminated Process.

As we know that there are many processes those are running at a Time, this is not true. A processor can
execute only one Process at a Time. There are the various States of the Processes those determined
which Process will be executed. The Processor will Execute all the processes by using the States of the
Processes, the Processes those are on the Waiting State will not be executed and CPU will Also divides
his time for Execution if there are Many Processes those are Ready to Execute.

When a Process Change his State from one State to Another, then this is also called as the Process State
Transition. In this a Running Process may goes on Wait and a ready Process may goes on the Wait State
and the Wait State can be goes on the Running State.