Editing Critical section (section)

{{Short description|Protected section of code that cannot be executed by more than one process at a time}}
In [[concurrent programming]], concurrent accesses to [[shared resource]]s can lead to unexpected or erroneous behavior. Thus, the parts of the program where the shared resource is accessed need to be protected in ways that avoid the concurrent access. One way to do so is known as a '''critical section''' or '''critical region'''. This protected section cannot be entered by more than one process or thread at a time; others are suspended until the first leaves the critical section. Typically, the critical section accesses a shared resource, such as a [[data structure]], peripheral device, or network connection, that would not operate correctly in the context of multiple concurrent accesses.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Concurrent Programming: Algorithms, Principles, and Foundations |last=Raynal |first=Michel |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |year=2012 |isbn=978-3642320279 |pages=9}}</ref>