What is the main purpose of process scheduling?

The main purpose of process scheduling is to determine which process runs at any given time. This is crucial for the efficient and fair allocation of CPU resources among multiple processes that may be active concurrently. The operating system uses various scheduling algorithms to manage how processes are assigned CPU time, ensuring that all processes receive an opportunity to execute while also optimizing various performance metrics, such as response time and throughput.

Scheduling allows the operating system to maintain system stability and responsiveness by prioritizing processes based on their needs and the overall system workload. This means that processes can be suspended and resumed in favor of others, allowing for multitasking and the smooth user experience that modern operating systems provide. Proper scheduling is key to maximizing CPU utilization and minimizing idle time, making it a fundamental aspect of process management within an operating system.