CST334 Week 2

    This week has been a great introduction to how CPU process selection works in operating systems. We covered a range of scheduling algorithms, including FIFO (First In, First Out), LIFO (Last In, First Out), Shortest Job First (SJF), and Round Robin (RR). I learned how each algorithm has its own strategy for picking which process should run next, and how these choices affect system performance and metrics like response times.

    I also learned to calculating those performance metrics such as response time, turnaround time, average arrival time, and average turnaround time. For Round Robin scheduling in particular, I learned how to calculate how long a process will stay in the system based on the time slice and the number of other processes in the queue. These exercises helped me understand the mechanics of how schedulers work and why the design choices made are so important.

    One of the most interesting parts was comparing the pros and cons of the different algorithms. Some prioritize fast response time, while others aim for lower average turnaround or more evenly distributed CPU time. Its clear that there is no 'best' solution and an effective systems will combine or adapt these strategies to meet the needs of different workloads.

    The programming assignment this week was also a great exercise in seeing how these concepts are applied in practice. I got to code simple implementations of process priority decision making, which really reinforced how the algorithms work under the hood. Writing out the logic helped me understand not just the theory, but the actual steps an operating system might take to choose which process runs next.

    Overall, this week really helped me appreciate the complexity behind something as hidden away from the a user as scheduling, and why it’s such an important topic in operating systems design.