What is the role of the long-term scheduler in an operating system?

a) To determine which processes are admitted into the system for execution

b) To manage memory allocation

c) To allocate CPU time to running processes

d) To handle interrupt requests from hardware

Answer:

a) To determine which processes are admitted into the system for execution

Explanation:

The long-term scheduler, also known as the job scheduler, is responsible for determining which processes are admitted into the system for execution. It controls the degree of multiprogramming by selecting processes from a pool of available jobs and loading them into memory for execution.

By controlling the number of processes that are admitted into the system, the long-term scheduler ensures that the system does not become overloaded and that resources are used efficiently. It decides when new processes should be created and added to the ready queue.

The long-term scheduler is especially important in batch-processing systems, where it manages the flow of jobs into the system, ensuring that the system maintains an optimal balance between performance and resource utilization.

Reference:

Operating System MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions)