Operating Systems

How do processes and threads differ in an operating system?

Support Engineer

Talkdesk

Intel

Motorola Solutions

Accenture

Did you come across this question in an interview?

Your answer

Try Free AI Interview

Google logo

Google

Product Manager

Prepare for success with realistic, role-specific interview simulations.

Product Strategy
Meta logo

Meta

Product Manager

Prepare for success with realistic, role-specific interview simulations.

Product Sense
Meta logo

Meta

Engineering Manager

Prepare for success with realistic, role-specific interview simulations.

System Design
Amazon logo

Amazon

Data Scientist

Prepare for success with realistic, role-specific interview simulations.

Behavioral
  • How do processes and threads differ in an operating system?
  • Can you explain the advantages of using threads over processes?
  • How does virtual memory work, and why is it important for system performance?
  • What happens when a system runs out of available RAM, and how does the OS compensate?
  • How do modern operating systems manage memory allocation between applications?
  • What role does paging play in virtual memory management?
  • If a process consumes excessive memory, how does the OS handle it?
  • What are the main differences between stack and heap memory allocation?
  • How does memory fragmentation affect system performance?
  • What tools would you use to monitor memory usage and identify performance bottlenecks?
  • What is the difference between a process and a thread? Can you explain how virtual memory works and how an OS manages memory allocation?

Interview question asked to Support Engineers interviewing at Motorola Solutions, Intel, Talkdesk and others: How do processes and threads differ in an operating system?.