Problem Statement
What is a Process Control Block (PCB) and what key information does it hold?
Explanation
A Process Control Block, or PCB, is a data structure used by the operating system to store all information about a process. It holds the process identifier (PID), process state (such as ready, running, waiting), CPU register values, memory limits, list of open files, scheduling information like priority or quantum, and pointers to parent and children processes. The OS uses the PCB when it needs to switch into or out of a process, resume the process later, or manage its resources.
