Inter Process Communication in Operating System (OS)

April 23, 2025

Inter Process Communication in OS

Inter Process Communication in Operating System (OS) is a fundamental concept that allows processes to exchange data and coordinate with each other. Inter process communication (IPC) is essential for enabling multiple processes to share information and synchronize their actions effectively. It plays a crucial role in resource sharing, computational speed up, and modularity in system design.

On this page, we will learn about inter process communication in OS. There are two types of processes  Independent processes and cooperating processes. Let’s just directly jump in.

communication

There are 2 types of process 

Independent Processes –

  • Processes that do not share data with other processes.
  • These processes do not share data or resources with other processes.
  • They work in isolation and are not affected by the execution of other processes.
  • Example: A calculator app running independently from a music player.

Cooperating Processes –

  • Processes that shares data with other processes.
  • These processes share data and resources with other processes.
  • Their execution can be influenced by other processes.
  • Cooperating processes are useful for:
    • Information sharing
    • Computation speed-up
    • Modularity
    • Convenience

The cooperating process requires Interprocess communication (IPC) mechanism. Inter Process Communication is the mechanism by which cooperating process share data and information.

The mechanism that will allow them to exchange data and information are the following:–

  • Shared memory    
    • Processes communicate by accessing a shared area of memory.
    • Requires synchronization (e.g., semaphores) to avoid conflicts.
  • Message Passing
    • Processes exchange data by sending and receiving messages.
    • More secure and easier to implement across distributed systems.
Inter process Communication

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Priority Scheduling

CPU Scheduling

FCFS Scheduling

Preemptive Scheduling

Types

Let’s look at few of the important points of each .

Shared Memory

  1. A particular region of memory is shared between cooperating process.
  2. Cooperating process can exchange information by reading and writing data to this shared region.
  3. It’s faster than Memory Parsing, as Kernel is required only once, that is, setting up a shared memory . After That, kernel assistance is not required.
Inter process Communication – 2

Message Parsing

  1. Communication takes place by     exchanging messages directly between cooperating process.
  2. Easy to implement
  3. Useful for small amount of data.
  4. Implemented using System     Calls, so takes more time than Shared Memory.
Inter process Communication – 1

Final Thoughts

Inter Process Communication (IPC) is a vital aspect of operating systems that allows processes to collaborate and share data efficiently. It supports both shared memory and message passing mechanisms, each with its own advantages and use cases. Proper synchronization is crucial to avoid issues like race conditions and deadlocks. Understanding IPC is key to building robust, modular, and high performing systems.

FAQs

IPC allows multiple processes to collaborate and coordinate, making multitasking smoother. It improves system efficiency through better resource management.

By enabling processes to run in parallel and share tasks, IPC boosts computational speed. It minimizes redundant operations and enhances performance.

Incorrect synchronization can lead to issues like deadlocks and race conditions. These problems can compromise data integrity and application reliability.

Yes, IPC through message passing can facilitate communication between processes across a network. It’s widely used in distributed systems and client server models.