Context switching allows a system to switch between processes by saving the state of the current process and loading the saved state for a new process. This allows multiple processes to share resources like the CPU and gives the appearance of parallel processing. Context switching has advantages like enabling multitasking but also has disadvantages like requiring time for the switching process itself.

1. ADVANCE
OPERATING SYSTEM
DARAKHSHAN NAYAB
MSC IT
Ms (Computer Science)
Dept.of Computer Science

2. Content
■ Context Switching
■ Example
■ Reason
■ Advantages
■ Disadvantages

3. Context Switching
■ Switching from one process to another in a system require
Saving the state of old process & loading saved state of new
process.
■ In Context Switching, the process is stored in PCB to save the
new state. So that,the old process can be removed from the
same part it was left.
■ To make it efficient we use register.

4. Example
■ Pure multitasking doesn’t exist.
■ It is impossible to perform two mentally challenging tasks
at the same time.
■ Therefore, when we multitask, what we really do is
constantly switch from one task to another. That’s what
context switching is.
■ It is just as applicable to mental tasks performed by
humans. After all, the human mind is similar to a CPU in
many ways.

5. Reason due to Context Switching happen
■ When a process of high priority comes in the ready state. In this
case, the execution of the running process should be stopped
and the higher priority process should be given the CPU for
execution.
■ When an interruption occurs then the process in the running
state should be stopped and the CPU should handle the interrupt
before doing something else.
■ When a transition between the user mode and kernel mode is
required then you have to perform the context switching

6. Advantages
■ Context switching is used to achieve multitasking i.e.
multiprogramming with time-sharing. Multitasking gives an
illusion to the users that more than one process are being
executed at the same time.
■ Context switching is so fast that the user feels that the CPU is
executing more than one task at the same time.

7. Disadvantages
■ It requires some time for context switching i.e. the context
switching time.
■ Time is required to save the context of one process that is
in the running state and then getting the context of another
process that is about to come in the running state.