ITPEC IP October 2025 Question 17
ITPEC IP October 2025 — Question 17 of 100
Processes wait indefinitely for resources held by one another — this circular waiting state is a deadlock.
For example, process P holds resource X and waits for Y, while process Q holds Y and waits for X. Because neither can proceed to release what the other needs, both remain blocked unless the system prevents, detects, or breaks the cycle.
Answer (c)
Why not others:
- (a) describes access control preventing unauthorized information access
- (b) describes account lockout after failed authentication
- (d) describes expiration of a scheduling time slice, after which a process can later be scheduled again
Key rule: Deadlock involves circular resource dependency; ordinary waiting or preemption is temporary because progress remains possible.
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