Thread Interruption Scenarios
A thread’s scheduling priority and the processor’s current IRQL determine whether a running thread can be preempted or interrupted. In thread preemption, the operating system replaces the running thread with another thread, usually of higher thread priority, on the same processor. The effect of preemption on an individual thread is to make the processor unavailable for a while. In thread interruption, the operating system forces the current thread to temporarily run code at a higher IRQL.
Some simple examples can show what happens when a thread is preempted or interrupted. This section presents a single-processor example and a multiprocessor example.
Thread Interruption on a Single-Processor System
Figure 15-1 shows ...
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