Scheduling criteria (turnaround time, waiting time, throughput) in Operating Systems - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is turnaround time in process scheduling?

Turnaround time is the total time taken from when a process enters the system until it completes. It includes both waiting time and execution time.

beginner

Define waiting time in the context of CPU scheduling.

Waiting time is the total time a process spends waiting in the ready queue before it gets CPU time for execution.

beginner

What does throughput measure in scheduling?

Throughput measures how many processes are completed per unit time. Higher throughput means more work is done in less time.

intermediate

How are turnaround time and waiting time related?

Turnaround time includes waiting time plus the actual execution time of the process. So, turnaround time = waiting time + burst time.

intermediate

Why is minimizing waiting time important in scheduling?

Minimizing waiting time improves system responsiveness and user experience because processes spend less time idle before execution.

What does turnaround time include?

A Time spent in I/O operations only

B Only execution time

C Only waiting time

D Waiting time plus execution time

Turnaround time is the total time from process arrival to completion, including waiting and execution times.

Which scheduling criterion measures the number of processes completed per unit time?

A Waiting time

B Turnaround time

C Throughput

D Response time

Throughput measures how many processes finish in a given time period.

If a process has a burst time of 5 ms and waiting time of 3 ms, what is its turnaround time?

A 8 ms

B 5 ms

C 3 ms

D 2 ms

Turnaround time = waiting time + burst time = 3 ms + 5 ms = 8 ms.

Why is high throughput desirable in scheduling?

A It means fewer processes are completed

B It means more processes are completed quickly

C It increases waiting time

D It reduces CPU utilization

High throughput means the system completes more processes in less time, improving efficiency.

Which of the following is NOT a scheduling criterion?

A Memory size

B Waiting time

C Throughput

D Turnaround time

Memory size is not a scheduling criterion; it relates to system resources, not scheduling performance.

Explain the difference between turnaround time and waiting time in process scheduling.

Think about the total time a process spends in the system versus just the waiting part.

Why is throughput an important measure in CPU scheduling? Give a real-life example.

Consider how fast work gets done in a busy place.