Q. Presume that you have coded the deadlock-avoidance safety algorithm as well as now have been asked to implement the deadlock-detection algorithm. Can you do thus by simply using the safety algorithm code and redefining Maxi = Waiting + Allocation where Waiting is a vector specifying the resources process i is waiting for, and Allocation is as defined in Section 7.5? Describe your answer.

Answer:

Yes. The Max vector symbolizes the maximum request a process may make. When computing the safety algorithm we use the Need matrix which represents Max- Allocation. One more way to think of this is Max = Need + Allocation. As-per to the question the Waiting matrix fulfils a role similar to the Need matrix therefore Max = Waiting + Allocation.