Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

process table
     
         A table containing all of the
        information that must be saved when the {CPU} switches from
        running one {process} to another in a {multitasking} system.
     
        The information in the process table allows the suspended
        process to be restarted at a later time as if it had never
        been stopped.  Every process has an entry in the table.  These
        entries are known as {process control blocks} and contain the
        following information:
     
        process state - information needed so that the process can be
        loaded into memory and run, such as the {program counter}, the
        {stack pointer}, and the values of {registers}.
     
        memory state - details of the memory allocation such as
        pointers to the various memory areas used by the program
     
        resource state - information regarding the status of files
        being used by the process such as {user ID}.
     
        Accounting and scheduling information.
     
        An example of a UNIX process table is shown below.
     
         SLOT  ST  PID  PGRP  UID  PRI  CPU  EVENT  NAME  FLAGS
          0    s    0     0     0   95   0  runout  sched load sys
          1    s    1     0     0   66   1    u     init  load
          2    s    2     0     0   95   0  10bbdc  vhand load sys
     
        SLOT is the entry number of the process.
     
        ST shows whether the process is paused or sleeping (s), ready
        to run (r), or running on a {CPU} (o).
     
        PID is the {process ID}.
     
        PGRP is the {process Group}.
     
        UID is the {user ID}.
     
        PRI is the priority of the process from 127 (highest) to 0
        (lowest).
     
        EVENT is the {event} on which a process is paused or
        sleeping.
     
        NAME is the name of the process.
     
        FLAGS are the process {flags}.
     
        A process that has died but still has an entry in the process
        table is called a {zombie process}.
     
        (1998-04-24)