Trap (computing)
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In computing and operating systems, a trap, also known as an exception or a fault, is typically[NB 1][1] a type of synchronous interrupt typically caused by an exceptional condition (e.g., breakpoint, division by zero, invalid memory access). A trap usually results in a switch to kernel mode, wherein the operating system performs some action before returning control to the originating process. A trap in a system process is more serious than a trap in a user process, and in some systems is fatal. In some usages, the term trap refers specifically to an interrupt intended to initiate a context switch to a monitor program or debugger.[2]
In SNMP, a trap is a type of PDU used to report an alert or other asynchronous event about a managed subsystem.
See also
Notes
- ↑ There is a wide variation in the nomenclature. On some computers the term trap refers to any interrupt, on some machines to any synchronous interrupt, on some machines to any interrupt not associated with input/output, on some machines only to interrupts caused by instructions with trap in their names, etc.
