Q10Operating System
Question
2 marks
Define Disk Scheduling.
Answer
Disk scheduling is the technique used by the OS to determine the order in which disk I/O requests are processed to minimize total seek time and improve disk throughput.
Disk scheduling refers to the set of algorithms and policies used by the OS to manage and order the pending disk I/O requests. Since disk access involves mechanical movement of the read/write head (seek time), the order in which requests are processed significantly affects performance. Common disk scheduling algorithms include FCFS, SSTF (Shortest Seek Time First), SCAN (Elevator), C-SCAN, LOOK, and C-LOOK. The goal is to minimize total head movement and improve throughput while ensuring fairness.