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Changing short description from "Region of a physical memory storage used to temporarily store data while it is being moved from one place to another" to "Memory used temporarily in data transfers" (Shortdesc helper) |
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{{redirect distinguish|Memory buffer|memory buffer register}}
In [[computer science]], a '''data buffer''' (or just '''buffer''') is a region of a physical memory storage used to temporarily store [[data]] while it is being moved from one place to another. Typically, the data is stored in a buffer as it is retrieved from an [[input device]] (such as a microphone) or just before it is sent to an output device (such as speakers). However, a buffer may be used when moving data between [[Process (computing)|processes]] within a computer. This is comparable to buffers in telecommunication. Buffers can be implemented in a fixed memory ___location in hardware—or by using a virtual data buffer in software, pointing at a ___location in the physical memory. In all cases, the data stored in a data buffer are stored on a [[computer data storage|physical storage medium]]. A majority of buffers are implemented in [[software]], which typically use the faster [[Random-access memory|RAM]] to store temporary data, due to the much faster access time compared with [[hard disk drive]]s. Buffers are typically used when there is a difference between the rate at which data is received and the rate at which it can be processed, or in the case that these rates are variable, for example in a printer spooler or in [[Video hosting service|online video]] [[Streaming media|streaming]]. In the [[distributed computing]] environment, data buffer is often implemented in the form of [[burst buffer]] that provides distributed buffering service.
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