Question: When should we invoke the detection algorithm?

Answer:

If deadlocks occur frequently, then the detection algorithm should be invoked

frequently. Resources allocated to deadlocked processes will be idle until the

deadlock can be broken. In addition, the number of processes involved in the

deadlock cycle may grow.

Deadlocks occur only when some process makes a request that cannot be

granted immediately. This request may be the final request that completes a

chain of waiting processes. In the extreme, then, we can invoke the deadlockdetection algorithm every time a request for allocation cannot be granted immediately.