time slice

1 definition found

time slice - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  time slice
  quantum
  time quantum
  
     <operating system> (Or "time quantum", "quantum") The period
     of time for which a process is allowed to run uninterrupted in
     a pre-emptive multitasking operating system.
  
     The scheduler is run once every time slice to choose the
     next process to run.  If the time slice is too short then the
     scheduler will consume too much processing time but if it is
     too long then processes may not be able to respond to external
     events quickly enough.
  
     (1998-11-06)