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Hence, concurrent execution of processes is actually ___. ____ keeps the CPU busy when a process requires an input or output (I/O) operation, such as reading a block from disk.

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Final answer:

Concurrent execution of processes is known as multitasking, and context switching keeps the CPU busy during I/O operations of a process.

Step-by-step explanation:

Hence, concurrent execution of processes is actually multitasking. Context switching keeps the CPU busy when a process requires an input or output (I/O) operation, such as reading a block from disk.

Concurrent execution of processes, or multitasking, allows multiple processes to be executed simultaneously, or at least gives the appearance of simultaneous execution. This is achieved by sharing the CPU time among processes, so while one process is waiting for I/O to complete, another one can proceed with its execution. This optimizes CPU usage and ensures that it is not idle unnecessarily.

The term context switching refers to the process where the state of a CPU process is saved so that it can be later restored and execution can be resumed. This operation is critical in a multitasking environment and is managed by the operating system to facilitate the smooth operation of multiple processes.

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