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Context Switch — Glossary | LowLevelCraft

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Glossary Term

Context Switch

Saving one execution context (registers, stack pointer, page tables) and restoring another, so a CPU can multiplex threads and processes.

Linux context switches cost roughly a microsecond plus cache pollution; the assembly that swaps stacks is a rite of passage in OS courses.

Related Terms

Kernel CPU Scheduler CPU Register

Used In

Build Round-Robin Scheduler: Time-Slice Between N Processes Design Process Control Block (PCB): struct process Implement Context Switching in Assembly Implement CPU Affinity: Pin Processes to Specific Cores Measure Scheduling Latency Using Clock Functions System Calls: The Gateway to the Kernel How Processes Actually Share the CPU