Chapter 10, Problem 8E

Explanation of Solution

Interrupt Latency and Context switch:

Interrupt latency also known as interrupt response time is the length of time it takes for a computer interrupt to be acted on a when an interrupt is generated to when the source of the interrupt is serviced.

Context switching is the process of switching a process from working on one task to working on another even before the former task is complete.

Interrupt latency is related to context switching in the following ways:

• Modern architectures are interrupt driven and if the CPU requests data from a disc, it does not need to busy-wait until the read is over.
• It can issue the request and continue with some other execution and when the read is over; the CPU can be interrupted and presented with the read...