Do kernel components like the scheduler execute on their own dedicated CPU/Core or do they share?

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Kernel components, including the scheduler, typically execute on shared CPU cores rather than having dedicated cores of their own. In modern operating systems, the kernel and its components are designed to run on the same CPU cores as user-level processes.

Here's a brief explanation:

  1. CPU Core Allocation: When an operating system boots up, it assigns CPU cores to both user-level processes and kernel threads. These threads include components like the scheduler, memory management, device drivers, and more.

  2. Time Slicing: The CPU scheduler is responsible for allocating CPU time to different processes and threads. It operates as part of the kernel and runs on the same CPU cores as other processes. The scheduler uses time slicing techniques to distribute CPU time among multiple threads and processes, including both user-level and kernel-level threads.

  3. Context Switching: When a context switch occurs, the currently running thread is paused, and the CPU switches to executing a different thread. This context switch can involve a transition between user-level and kernel-level code. Context switches are a fundamental mechanism for the operating system to manage and schedule the execution of multiple threads on shared CPU cores.

  4. Thread Prioritization: The scheduler assigns priorities to threads based on their importance and priority levels. This prioritization ensures that critical kernel tasks, such as handling interrupts or managing I/O operations, are executed promptly.

  5. Multicore Systems: In systems with multiple CPU cores, the kernel can distribute its threads across different cores, allowing concurrent execution of kernel-level tasks and user-level processes. This parallelism helps improve system performance by utilizing the available processing power efficiently.

Overall, kernel components, including the scheduler, do not have dedicated CPU cores. They share CPU cores with user-level processes and are subject to the scheduling decisions made by the operating system's scheduler. The scheduler dynamically manages the execution of both user-level and kernel-level threads on the available CPU cores, ensuring fair and efficient utilization of system resources.