Capterra Glossary
Spool (Simultaneous Peripheral Operations Online)
Spool is an acronym for simultaneous peripheral operations online, and defines an area inside a computer's random access memory (RAM) that stores input or output data. When a computer function is initiated but cannot be run immediately, it is placed in a spool until the computer is ready to run it. This ensures that a device's central processing unit (CPU) operates efficiently, queuing computer processes in an optimal manner.
The most common type of spool businesses use is a print spool. Since a printer often needs time to warm up before printing a document, the print spool is used to hold the document during the warm-up period. Once the printer is ready to print the document, the print spool transmits the document's data to the computer to proceed with the printing process.
What Small and Midsize Businesses Need to Know About Spool (Simultaneous Peripheral Operations Online)
Computer spools enable employees to run multiple computer operations efficiently. Without common spools such as a print spool, small businesses would spend large amounts of time waiting for one document to print before they could initiate another printing process.
Related Terms
- Synchronous
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
- Intranet
- Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR)
- Identity and Access Management (IAM)
- Managed Service Provider (MSP)
- Haptics
- WAN (Wide-Area Network)
- Service-oriented Architecture (SOA)
- Augmented Reality (AR)
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Service-Level Agreement (SLA)
- Scalability
- Data Center
- Authorization
- Multitenancy