There are many definitions for a process:
- A program in execution
- An instance of a program running on a computer
- The entity that can be assigned to and executed on a processor
- A unit of activity characterized by the execution of a sequence of instructions, a current state, and an associated set of system resources
A program consists of many elements, the two most important being:
- program code
- dataset associated with that code
A process can be uniquely identified by:
- Identifier (unique)
- State
- Priority
- Program counter
- Memory Pointers
- Context Data
- I/O status information
- Accounting information
Source: Operating Systems, internals and design principles by William Stallings
