Definition
A scheduling technique that decides the order of disk I/O requests to minimize seek time and improve disk performance
Visual IT Encyclopedia › Operating Systems › Storage Management
Visual IT Encyclopedia › Operating Systems › Storage Management
Definition
A scheduling technique that decides the order of disk I/O requests to minimize seek time and improve disk performance
Assumes tracks 0–199 · head starts at 50 moving toward higher tracks · requests 80, 10, 60, 30 (in arrival order)
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SCAN
Total movement 0Service order 50 → 60 → 80 → (199) → 30 → 10
Like an elevator, the head serves requests moving one way to the end (199), then turns around and serves the rest on the way back. That is why it is called the elevator algorithm.