Control: you must learn to control

Computer programs that control non-computer-related devices are called process control programs; programs that keep track of what devices are doing are called process monitoring programs.  Process monitoring and control programs usually run on their own processors and run continuously (or as long as the physical process is running).

Process monitoring results can be analyzed in real time or saved for later analysis.

Process monitoring and control programs are usually polling or event driven; some operations may be polled and some may generate events.

Programs often have to be synchronized with the process(es) that they are monitoring:  this can put constraints (lower bound, upper bound, or both) on the time used by each routine.  Optimizing compilers which can move pieces of code around can complicate these constraints, as can sections of code of unequal duration as alternatives of a conditional statement.