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Difference between Buffering and Caching in OS

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Both the term buffering and caching is related to storage and then access of data, but there are some key difference that makes them different. First let’s see what both these term means and after that we will see the differences. 

1. Buffering : 
In computer system when the speed in which data is received and the speed in which data is processed are different, then there we use the buffer. Buffer is a memory space which stores the input data and pass it on to the system according to this speed in this way there is no need to hold the input device until it is processed. simply the data will be stored in buffer and then used by the system. The buffer can be of any type, hardware or software, but in general software buffer are used widely. 

Example – In printers spoolers, we can pass a large no of pages to print as input, but the processing/printing is slow. Here buffering is used. 

2. Caching : 
Caching is storing data in a separate disk (very fast speed disk). The data which is to be used many times results in wastage of time if it is in hard disk, but storing the data in cache reduces this time wastage. 

Example – Cache is used in system to speed up the access of data frequently used. 

Difference between buffering and caching : 
 

BASIS BUFFERING CACHING
Definition  Buffering is a process of temporarily holding data in memory or a buffer before writing it to a permanent storage location. Caching is a process of temporarily storing data in memory for quick access or retrieval.
Basic Buffer stores data till it is processed Caching fastens the data access speed of repeatedly used data
Storage Buffer stores original data Cache stores copy of the data.
Location Buffer is a memory space in ram Cache is in processor, and can be also implemented with ram and disk.
Type Buffer can be hardware as well as software buffer. Cache is a fast disk and hence it is hardware.
Policy First in First out Least recently used
Behavior Buffer is in block sizes like 4, 8, 16 so on, i.e, reading a single character will be same as reading the whole block Read and write is same as the normal storage
Use Used for input/output process. Used for reading and writing processes from the disk.
Purpose  The purpose of buffering is to ensure smooth and continuous data flow between input/output devices and storage devices. The purpose of caching is to improve system performance by reducing the time needed to access data from slower storage devices such as hard disks or network drives.
Typical use  Buffering is typically used in situations where data is being transferred between devices or applications with different speeds or data processing rates. Caching is typically used to store frequently accessed data to reduce the time needed to access it.
Occurrence of level  Buffering can occur at various levels, such as application buffering, system buffering, or hardware buffering. Caching can occur at different levels, such as client-side caching, server-side caching, or network caching.
Cause  Buffering can cause delays and additional memory usage, particularly if the buffer is too small or if the data transfer rate is high. Caching can also cause additional memory usage, particularly if the cache is too large or if the data being cached is not properly managed.

 


Last Updated : 12 Apr, 2023
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