Starvation in operating systems (OS) occurs when a process is perpetually denied the necessary resources to proceed with its execution. This usually happens when a scheduling algorithm continuously favors other processes, leading to the affected process being delayed indefinitely. Starvation is often associated with priority-based scheduling, where lower-priority processes may never get CPU time because higher-priority processes keep taking precedence. To mitigate starvation, techniques like *aging* can be employed, where the priority of a waiting process is gradually increased over time to ensure it eventually gets the necessary resources.
Causes of Starvation:
Priority Scheduling: In priority-based systems, higher-priority processes can continuously preempt lower-priority ones, leading to the lower-priority processes never getting scheduled.Resource Contention: When multiple processes are competing for limited resources, a process might be continuously bypassed in favor of others, especially if the resource allocation is biased.Non-preemptive Scheduling: In systems where a process cannot be preempted once it starts, longer processes can monopolize the CPU, causing others to starve.
Solutions:
Aging: This is a common solution where the priority of a waiting process is gradually increased the longer it waits, ensuring that it will eventually be executed.Fair Scheduling
Algorithms: Some algorithms, like Round-Robin or Multilevel Queue Scheduling with time-sharing, are designed to minimize the chances of starvation by ensuring that all processes get some CPU time.Resource Allocation Policies: Implementing fair resource allocation policies can help in reducing contention and ensuring that all processes receive the resources they need in a timely manner.
