What Do You Know About Disk Cache?

Disk caching refers to a strategy for speeding up system performance. Here's how it works: During any disk access, the computer system also fetches program or data contents in neighboring disk areas, and transports them to a dedicated part of RAM known as a disk cache. For instance, if a particular command calls for only a single data record, a disk caching feature may direct the drive to read the entire track on which the record is located. The theory behind disk caching assumes that neighboring data will likely have to be read soon anyway, so the computer system can save disk accesses by bringing such data into RAM –an area from which they can be more quickly retrieved early.

Caching saves not only time but also wear and tear on the disk. In portable computers, it can also extend battery life. Disk caching is frequently implemented through circuitry on the disk controller board the circuit board that manages the hard disk. Disk cache A disk management scheme that directs a drive to read more data than necessary for an immediate processing task during each disk fetch; a part of RAM stores the extra data to minimize the number of disk fetches.