
Spinlock makes no use of context switching.On the other hand, the mutex is useful for crucial extended areas where frequent context switching would add overhead. Spinlock is useful for limited critical sections else, it wastes the CPU cycles.In contrast, the mutex may block a thread for an extended amount of time. The spinlock temporarily prevents a thread from moving.On the other hand, a mutex is a program object designed to allow different processes may take turns sharing the same resource. Spinlock is a type of lock that causes a thread attempting to obtain it to check for its availability while waiting in a loop continuously.Some main differences between Spinlock and Mutex in OS are as follows: Here, you will learn about the various key differences between Spinlock and Mutex in OS. Key differences between Spinlock and Mutex in the operating system They have to wait till the mutex is unlocked in line. The other processes are unable to utilize the shared variable in the critical area, while one process has the lock. After the critical section's execution is complete, the lock is released using the release() method. When the process requires using a shared resource or access to a shared variable, it uses the acquire() procedure to occupy the lock. As a result of this locking mechanism, only one process may run in the vital part at a time. Similarly, only one process may access the shared resource at a time. After that, the lock is released by the process. A process obtains the mutex condition before using the shared resource. The mutex is another locking method in OS. Usually, it may happen in single processor systems. Other threads may attempt to acquire the lock repeatedly in this state, while the thread holding the lock doesn't start to release it.

However, if a thread holds a spinlock for an extended time, other threads may be unable to execute. As a result, most OS kernels employ spinlocks.

Moreover, it is an effective mechanism for temporarily blocking threads. In some systems, if the thread holding the lock is blocked or enters a state of sleep, the spinlock could be automatically launched.Ī spinlock also prevents overhead from context switching or operating system process rescheduling. After obtaining the lock, the thread may hold the spinlock until releasing it. In other words, a thread spins or waits in a loop until the lock becomes accessible. It permits a thread to wait until the lock becomes accessible. What is a Spinlock?Ī locking mechanism is called a spinlock. But before discussing the differences, you must know about Spinlock and Mutex in the operating system.

In this article, you will learn about the difference between Spinlock and Mutex in the operating system. Spinlock and mutex are two strategies for synchronizing processes or threads in the operating system. Multiple processes or threads running simultaneously may cause a race condition, and as a result, it may lead to data inconsistency. When many processes access and modify the same data simultaneously, the outcome is specified by the sequence in which the processes are completed. Next → ← prev Difference between Spinlock and Mutex in Operating System
