What are some real-world examples of deadlocks?

What are some real-world examples of deadlocks?

Deadlocks occur when two or more processes are unable to proceed because each is waiting for the other to release resources. A classic example is the dining philosophers problem, where philosophers must share forks to eat.

Can you give me another example?

Sure! In a database system, a deadlock can happen when two transactions hold locks on resources that the other needs to complete. For instance, Transaction A locks Resource 1 and needs Resource 2, while Transaction B locks Resource 2 and needs Resource 1.

How can deadlocks be prevented?

Deadlocks can be prevented by using techniques like resource ordering, where resources are always requested in a predefined order, or by implementing timeouts, where processes are aborted if they wait too long.

What happens if a deadlock occurs?

If a deadlock occurs, the system may need to detect it and take action, such as terminating one of the processes involved or rolling back transactions to free up resources.