What is the difference between deadlock and starvation?

Can you explain the difference between deadlock and starvation?

Sure! Deadlock occurs when two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release resources. Starvation, on the other hand, happens when a process is perpetually denied the resources it needs to proceed, often due to resource allocation policies.

Can you give me an example of each?

Of course! For deadlock, imagine two printers and two users; if User A holds Printer 1 and waits for Printer 2, while User B holds Printer 2 and waits for Printer 1, they are in a deadlock. For starvation, consider a low-priority process that keeps getting preempted by higher-priority processes, preventing it from executing.

How can we prevent deadlock?

Deadlock can be prevented using strategies like resource allocation graphs, avoiding circular wait conditions, or implementing a timeout for resource requests.

What about preventing starvation?

To prevent starvation, you can use aging techniques, where the priority of waiting processes increases over time, ensuring they eventually get the resources they need.