Final answer:
The background monitor is a background process on a computer performing tasks without user interaction like maintenance and updates. It ensures minimal disruption to the user by utilizing low system resources and operates based on specific conditions or schedules.
Step-by-step explanation:
The background monitor is a program or process that runs in the background of a computer system and is not in the direct interface with the user. Its purpose is to carry out tasks that do not require user interaction, such as system maintenance, updating software, indexing files for searching, monitoring system performance, and other administrative tasks. Key attributes of a background monitor include its ability to run unobtrusively, its low priority in terms of CPU and memory usage (so it doesn't interfere with the user's activities), the capability to start and stop based on certain conditions or schedules, and often some form of logging to record its operations or findings.