[1] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

context switch
     
         when a multitasking operating system
        stops running one process and starts running another.  many
        operating systems implement concurrency by maintaining
        separate environments or "contexts" for each process.  the
        amount of separation between processes, and the amount of
        information in a context, depends on the operating system but
        generally the os should prevent processes interfering with each
        other, e.g. by modifying each other's memory.
     
        a context switch can be as simple as changing the value of the
        program counter and stack pointer or it might involve
        resetting the mmu to make a different set of memory pages
        available.
     
        in order to present the user with an impression of parallism,
        and to allow processes to respond quickly to external events,
        many systems will context switch tens or hundreds of times per
        second.
     
        1996-12-18
     
     
see also:
multitasking operating system process program counter stack pointer mmu 
pages 

Context Switch >> C Words
Context Switch, definition of term: Context Switch
context+switch_pag1.html

Context >> C Words
Context, definition of term: Context
context_pag1.html

Switch >> S Words
Switch, definition of term: Switch
switch_pag1.html

Switch Back >> S Words
Switch Back, definition of term: Switch Back
switch+back_pag1.html

Switch Over >> S Words
Switch Over, definition of term: Switch Over
switch+over_pag1.html

Toggle Switch >> T Words
Toggle Switch, definition of term: Toggle Switch
toggle+switch_pag1.html

Scram Switch >> S Words
Scram Switch, definition of term: Scram Switch
scram+switch_pag1.html

Dip Switch >> D Words
Dip Switch, definition of term: Dip Switch
dip+switch_pag1.html

Ignition Switch >> I Words
Ignition Switch, definition of term: Ignition Switch
ignition+switch_pag1.html

Safety Switch >> S Words
Safety Switch, definition of term: Safety Switch
safety+switch_pag1.html

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