L26_Ch11a

I/O Management

The process of managing input and output operations between a computer and external devices.

Programmed I/O

A method where the processor issues an I/O command and then waits for the operation to complete.

Interrupt-driven I/O

I/O method where the processor is free to execute other instructions while waiting for I/O operations to complete.

Direct Memory Access (DMA)

A technique allowing hardware devices to transfer data to/from memory without CPU intervention.

Buffering

The process of temporarily storing data in a buffer while it is being moved between two devices.

Block-oriented device

A device that stores information in fixed-size blocks, transferring one block at a time.

Stream-oriented device

A device that transfers data as a continuous stream of bytes without a block structure.

Double Buffering

A technique using two buffers to allow a process to transfer data to one buffer while the OS processes the other.

Circular Buffer

A buffer structure where multiple buffers are used in a circular manner to manage data flow.

Device Controller

A component that manages the communication between the CPU and a hardware device.