What are locks in multiprocessing?

What are locks in multiprocessing?

Locks are synchronization primitives used to prevent multiple processes from accessing shared resources simultaneously.

Why do we need locks? Can you give an example?

We need locks to avoid race conditions. For example, if two processes try to update a bank account balance at the same time, locks ensure that only one process can update it at a time.

How do I implement locks in Python?

In Python, you can use the threading module. For example, you can create a lock using lock = threading.Lock() and use lock.acquire() and lock.release() to control access.

Are there any downsides to using locks?

Yes, using locks can lead to deadlocks if not managed properly, and they can also reduce performance due to contention.