Worker processes, in the context of software or computing systems, refer to individual instances or units of execution that perform tasks or operations in parallel to achieve efficient and scalable processing. These processes work concurrently to handle incoming requests, perform computations, or carry out other operations.
Worker processes are commonly used in various types of systems, including web servers, application servers, task queues, and distributed computing frameworks. They help distribute the workload across multiple processes or machines, allowing for better utilization of system resources and improved performance.
In the context of web servers or application servers, worker processes typically handle incoming client requests, such as processing HTTP requests and generating responses. By having multiple worker processes, the server can handle multiple requests simultaneously, enabling it to serve more clients and improve responsiveness.
In distributed computing frameworks, worker processes are often used to execute tasks or computations in parallel across a cluster of machines. Each worker process independently performs a portion of the overall computation, allowing for faster processing and efficient resource utilization.
The number of worker processes used in a system is usually configurable and depends on various factors, such as the available system resources, the workload characteristics, and the desired performance. The optimal number of worker processes may vary depending on the specific application or system architecture.
Overall, worker processes play a crucial role in enabling parallelism, scalability, and efficient utilization of resources in software and computing systems.