Process is a program that is currently being executed by a computer. It represents an active instance of a software application that includes the program code, current activity, and allocated system resources such as memory and CPU.
In operating systems, processes are managed to ensure efficient execution of multiple programs at the same time. Each process operates independently and is assigned resources by the system scheduler.
For example:
- When you open a web browser, it becomes a running process in the system.
- A text editor running on your computer is an active process using CPU and memory.
- A video player app operates as a process while playing media.
- Multiple background processes run simultaneously to support system services.
Common technologies and concepts related to processes include:
- Multitasking
- Process Management
- CPU Scheduling
- Threads
- Memory Allocation
- Operating System (OS)
- Process ID (PID)
- Task Manager
- System Resources
