Input queue

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In computer science, an input queue is a collection of processes in storage that are waiting to be brought into memory to run a program. Input queues are mainly used in Operating System Scheduling which is a technique for distributing resources among processes. Input queues not only apply to operating systems (OS), but may also be applied to scheduling inside networking devices. The purpose of scheduling is to ensure resources are being distributed fairly and effectively; therefore, it improves the performance of the system.

Essentially, a queue is a collection which has data added in the rear position and removed from the front position. There are many different types of queues, and the ways they operate may be totally different. Operating systems use First-Come, First-Served queues, Shortest remaining time, Fixed-priority pre-emptive scheduling, round-robin scheduling and multilevel queue scheduling. Network devices use First-In-First-Out queue, Weighted fair queue, Priority queue and Custom queue.