Process management is an essential aspect of Node.js because it helps developers to manage and control the execution of multiple processes to achieve efficient and effective utilization of system resources. Node.js has built-in process management mechanisms that make it easy for developers to manage processes, monitor their performance, and handle any issues that may arise during execution.

Node.js has a process object that provides detailed information about the current process and its environment. Developers can use this object to access system resources, set environment variables, and control the execution of child processes. Node.js also provides the cluster module, which allows developers to create a pool of worker processes to handle incoming requests and distribute the processing load across multiple CPU cores.

In addition to the built-in process management mechanisms, Node.js also has several third-party process management tools, such as PM2 and Forever. These tools provide additional features for managing, monitoring, and deploying Node.js applications.

PM2, for example, provides advanced process management features, such as automatic restarts, load balancing, and disaster recovery. It also provides a dashboard that allows the developer to monitor the performance of each process and access logs, metrics, and other important information.

Forever, on the other hand, is a simple and easy-to-use process management tool that provides automatic restarts and logging capabilities. It also has a command-line interface that makes it easy to start, stop, restart, and monitor Node.js processes.

In summary, process management is an essential aspect of Node.js that helps developers to create scalable, reliable, and efficient applications. Node.js provides built-in process management mechanisms and third-party tools that make it easy to manage and control the execution of multiple processes, monitor their performance, and handle any issues that may arise during execution.