CPU Scheduling Simulation: FIFO, SJF, and Round Robin

Understanding how operating systems manage processes on the CPU is a fundamental skill for system architects, software developers, and computer science enthusiasts. Without efficient scheduling, multitasking operating systems would fail to run smoothly. This text-based course guides you from the absolute basics of operating system processes to simulating real-world scheduling algorithms in written code. You will learn to analyze process queues and calculate critical performance metrics that define system efficiency. What you'll learn: Understand core operating system concepts, process states, and the role of the CPU scheduler; Analyze and simulate First-In, First-Out (FIFO) and Shortest Job First (SJF) scheduling policies; Implement and evaluate the Round Robin algorithm with varying time quantum sizes; Calculate key performance metrics including response time, waiting time, and turnaround time; Compare scheduling efficiency under different workloads to identify bottlenecks; Explore modern scheduling concepts, including multi-core considerations and priority-based queues. Starting with foundational operating system terminology, you will progress through detailed written explanations of each scheduling policy. You will analyze execution timelines and study simple simulation logic to model how CPU schedulers manage competing tasks. This course is designed for beginner computer science students, aspiring systems programmers, and self-taught developers who want to understand operating system internals. No prior background in systems engineering is required. Begin reading today to master the core algorithms that power modern operating systems.