Queue
An orderly line of pending requests, handled in turn.
Glossary
Buffer
A small holding area that smooths the flow of data between parts moving at different speeds.
In one line
A small holding area that smooths the flow of data between parts moving at different speeds.
Also calledholding area
A buffer is a temporary resting place for data. When one part of a system produces information faster than another can accept it, a buffer holds the surplus until it can be dealt with. It absorbs the difference in pace so that neither side has to match the other exactly, moment by moment.
Drivers use buffers constantly, so that a quick component and a slower one can cooperate without either having to wait awkwardly on the other. The fast side can deposit its work and move on; the slow side can take what it needs when it is ready.
Choosing the size of a buffer is a quiet balancing act. Too small, and it fills up and forces waiting; too large, and it holds data longer than necessary and uses memory that could serve elsewhere. The right size smooths the flow without hoarding.
A buffer also guards against bursts. When data arrives in sudden clumps rather than a steady stream, the buffer catches the surge and releases it evenly, turning a jerky flow into a calm one that the rest of the system can handle comfortably.
In practice
In practice, a buffer is like the small tray where a kitchen places finished plates before a server collects them. The cooks do not have to pause until someone is free; they set the dishes down and carry on, and the plates wait briefly until they can be carried out. Data waits in a buffer the same way.
