Microsoft® .NET Compact Framework (Core Reference)

Scheduling

The term scheduling refers to the task undertaken by the operating system of deciding which thread will run at any one time. In your computer, there might be multiple threads but only one processor to execute them. In this way the scheduler resembles the manager of an office that has only one critical resource, such as a photocopier, which must be shared among various office personnel. The manager can decide to implement a "fair shares for all" policy, in which each person is allocated the photocopier for a fixed length of time, called a timeslice. In scheduling terms, this is often called round-robin scheduling. The manager stipulates a condition for a person being allocated a timeslice: she has to actually need to use the photocopier ...