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58 Appendix A: Hardware glossary
Glossary
• Bandwidth.
A term describing the capacity to transfer data. Greater bandwidth is needed to
sustain a higher transfer rate. Greater bandwidth can be achieved, for example, by
using a wider bus.
• BIOS.
Basic input/output system. The interface between the operating system and the
hardware. It is also responsible for booting the operating system when a unit is
turned on.
• Blocking cache.
A type of cache that allows for one information request at a time. If the cache does
not contain the information needed by the processor, it will be "blocked," or
unavailable for use until the required information is obtained from memory.
See also cache and non-blocking cache.
• Bus.
A pathway along which signals are sent, generally in two directions, for
communication of data.
• Cache.
A memory area of the processor. The processor can access data from its cache faster
than it can access data from system RAM or mass storage devices.
Many processors have a primary cache and a secondary cache. When searching for
information, the processor first refers to the primary cache. If it cannot find the
required information, it will then refer to the secondary cache.
See also blocking cache and non-blocking cache.
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