Browse Definitions :
Definition

context switch

A context switch is a procedure that a computer's CPU (central processing unit) follows to change from one task (or process) to another while ensuring that the tasks do not conflict. Effective context switching is critical if a computer is to provide user-friendly multitasking.

In a CPU, the term "context" refers to the data in the registers and program counter at a specific moment in time. A register holds the current CPU instruction. A program counter, also known as an instruction address register, is a small amount of fast memory that holds the address of the instruction to be executed immediately after the current one.

A context switch can be performed entirely in hardware (physical media). Older CPUs, such as those in the x86 series, do it that way. However, most modern CPUs perform context switches by means of software (programming). A modern CPU can perform hundreds of context switches per second. Therefore, the user gets the impression that the computer is performing multiple tasks in a parallel fashion, when the CPU actually alternates or rotates between or among the tasks at a high rate of speed.

 

Continue reading about context switching:

OSDev.org offers a concise explanation of how context switching works.

This was last updated in April 2012
Networking
  • remote infrastructure management

    Remote infrastructure management, or RIM, is a comprehensive approach to handling and overseeing an organization's IT ...

  • port address translation (PAT)

    Port address translation (PAT) is a type of network address translation (NAT) that maps a network's private internal IPv4 ...

  • network fabric

    'Network fabric' is a general term used to describe underlying data network infrastructure as a whole.

Security
CIO
  • digital innovation

    Digital innovation is the adoption of modern digital technologies by a business.

  • business goals

    A business goal is an endpoint, accomplishment or target an organization wants to achieve in the short term or long term.

  • vertical SaaS (software as a service)

    Vertical SaaS describes a type of software as a service solution created for a specific industry, such as retail, financial ...

HRSoftware
  • employee onboarding and offboarding

    Employee onboarding involves all the steps needed to get a new employee successfully deployed and productive, while offboarding ...

  • skill-based learning

    Skill-based learning develops students through hands-on practice and real-world application.

  • gamification

    Gamification is a strategy that integrates entertaining and immersive gaming elements into nongame contexts to enhance engagement...

Customer Experience
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365

    Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based portfolio of business applications from Microsoft that are designed to help organizations improve ...

  • Salesforce Commerce Cloud

    Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a cloud-based suite of products that enable e-commerce businesses to set up e-commerce sites, drive ...

  • Salesforce DX

    Salesforce DX, or SFDX, is a set of software development tools that lets developers build, test and ship many kinds of ...

Close