Readers-Writers Problem A data set ( or database) is shared among a number of concurrent processes Readers – processes that only read the data set; they do not perform any updates Writers – processes that can both read and write. Readers-Writers Problem allow multiple readers to read at the same time. Only one single writer can access the shared data at the same time ( writers have exclusive access to the shared database). Variations of the problem: 1. No readers should wait for other readers to finish simply because a writer is waiting 2. If a writer is waiting to access the object, no new readers may start reading. In both cases, starvation may result. In the first case writers may starve In the second case readers Prof. Dr. Hanafy Ismail 6.23 may starve. Ref: Operating System Concepts with Java – 7 Edition, Nov 15, 2006
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