Synchronous versus Asynchronous
Posted on January 27, 2008 by Ben Cecka
Playing around with Microsoft Visio for class. Here’s a question I answered as well as a quick diagram.
The transmission of communicative data through any number of mediums can be described as either synchronous or asynchronous. The difference between the two is clear, and is important to recognize when evaluating if requirements are being met by using one product over another.
Synchronous data can best be described as a constant flow of information. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is a good example of this as when a user enters the chat stream it continues to flow with comments by other users already in the room. The only discernible beginning or end to the stream is left up to the individual, but the stream itself can only end when all users have left the room.
Asynchronous data is similar, but the flow of data can start and stop at different intervals. The message itself is still the same, but the speed is undoubtedly slower because of the interruptions between reception and response. An example of these would be an online message board. Users would login to the board and post a message, but the message would not by default broadcast to all other users. Instead, the message is retrieved at the convenience of other users and then responded to.
Technorati Tags: synchronous, asynchronous, visio
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