Process Pre-emption

When a higher priority process becomes dispatchable, the kernel interrupts its computation and forces the context switch, pre-empting the currently running process. A process can be pre-empted at any time if the kernel finds that a higher-priority process is now dispatchable.

For example, suppose that process A performs a read from a peripheral device. Process A is put into the sleep state by the kernel. The kernel then finds that a lower-priority process B is runnable. Process B is dispatched and begins execution. Eventually, the peripheral device sends an interrupt, and the driver of the device is entered. The device driver makes process A runnable and returns. Rather than returning to the interrupted process B, the kernel now pre-empts B from processing, resuming execution of the awakened process A.

Another interesting situation occurs when several processes contend for kernel resources. A high-priority real-time process might be waiting for a resource held by a low-priority process. When the low-priority process releases the resource, the kernel pre-empts that process to resume execution of the higher-priority process.