Process Image

operating-systems

Definition

Process Image

A process image is the physical manifestation of a process in memory, containing all data, code, and control information needed for management and execution.

Structure

User Program

Static machine code instructions executed by the processor. See Code.

User Data

Global variables, constants, and heap used during execution.

User Stack

LIFO structure for function calls and local variables in user mode.

Kernel Stack

Separate stack used during kernel mode execution (e.g., system calls).

Process Control Block

Data structure holding process context, state, and registers. See PCB.

Location

Memory Separation

Code, Data, and User Stack reside in user space. PCB and Kernel Stack reside in kernel space, protected from user modification. This enables safe context switching.