PEEK Reference Manual

Glossary
PEEK Reference Manual — 529657-006
Glossary - 8
PPL table
PPL table. A table containing process pair list (PPL) entries. See also process-pair list
(PPL).
prepaging. On TNS processors, a technique that involves transferring extra pages to
reduce the number of reduce the number of page faults. Prepaging does not occur on
TNS/R and TNS/E processors.
primary path. A path enabled as the preferred path. When a primary path is disabled, an
alternate (backup) path becomes the primary path. Contrast with backup path.
process. A program that has been submitted to the operating system for execution, or a
program that is currently running in the computer. See also system process and user
process.
process control block (PCB). An element of the operating system that monitors and
controls the resources and environment of the processes in a processor. See also
PCB table.
process environment. The state and contents of the code and data spaces, stacks, and
register values that exist when the processor is executing instructions that are part of a
user process or system process.
process identification number (PIN). An unsigned integer that identifies a process in a
processor. Internally, a PIN is used as an index into the process control block (PCB)
table.
process message queue. A linked list of messages and notifications that have been sent
to a process. A process has several process message queues, one for each type of
request or notification. The headers for most of these linked lists reside in the process
control block (PCB) of the process.
process name. A name that can be assigned to a process when the process is created. A
process name uniquely identifies a process or process pair in a system.
process-p
air list (PPL). An operating system data structure that contains information
about the relationships
between named processes and logical devices in the system.
See also
PPL table.
process time. The amount of time that a process has spent in the active substate. (GPG)
process time list. A linked list of process time-list elements (P
TLEs) used to manage
process time. See also
process time-list element (PTLE).
process time-list element (PTLE). An operating-system data structure that can be queued
on the process time list to manage process time. See also process time list.
process timer. A clock that measures process execution time.