What does the long term scheduler do?

The long-term scheduler, also known as the job scheduler, plays a crucial role in process management within an operating system. Its primary function is to determine which processes are admitted to the system for processing. This involves selecting processes from a pool of jobs that are in a waiting state (not yet in the ready queue) and moving them into the ready queue, where they will await CPU time.

This scheduling is essential for managing the degree of multiprogramming—the number of processes that are in the ready state at any given time. By selecting which processes to admit, the long-term scheduler helps to ensure that the system runs efficiently, balancing load and resource allocation over time.

In contrast, other roles such as resource allocation, monitoring, or terminating processes pertain to different types of schedulers or system management functions. The short-term scheduler, for instance, is responsible for selecting among the processes that are already in the ready queue to decide which will execute next on the CPU. This distinction is key in understanding the functioning of different components within an operating system's scheduling mechanism.