In the context of disk scheduling, what is "starvation"?

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Question: In the context of disk scheduling, what is "starvation"?

Note: The provided data includes no list of answer options, but an explicit answer label is given as option c: 'When a disk request is repeatedly delayed and never gets serviced'.

Understanding the concept: Starvation in disk scheduling occurs when a particular I/O request (or a set of requests) is perpetually postponed due to the scheduling algorithm’s choices, such that it never gets CPU or disk service in a timely manner. This typically happens when the scheduler prioritizes other requests (e.g., based on geometry, requests with smaller seek times, or certain aging policies) and keeps delaying a waiting request indefinitely or for an arbitrarily long time.

Why option c matches the concept: The description 'When a disk request is repeatedly delayed and never gets serviced' captures the essence of starvation—persistent postponement leading to the request never being serviced. It reflects the core issue that starvation describes: a request that waits longer and longer (or forever) because other requests keep getting priority.

Why other hypothetical options (if they existed) would be incorrect concepts:
- If an option claimed starvation is simply slow performance for all requests, that would be a general performance issue, not the specific effect where one request is indefinitely bypassed.
- If an option suggested starvation only affects new requests and not those already waiting, that would mischaracterize starvation, which is about ongoing neglect of a waiting request.
- If an option stated starvation is the same as deadlock, that would be inaccurate: starvation involves indefinite postponement without a circular wait or deadlock condition, whereas deadlock is a different, more stringent synchronization failure.

Summary: Given the provided answer label, the correct interpretation of starvation in disk scheduling is: a disk request is repeatedly delayed and never gets serviced due to scheduling priorities, leading to indefinite postponement of that request.

In the context of disk scheduling, what is "starvation"?

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