This section describes I/O with real−time processes. In SunOS, the libraries supply two sets of interfaces and calls to perform fast, asynchronous I/O operations. The POSIX asynchronous I/O interfaces are the most recent standard. The SunOS environment also provides file and in-memory synchronization operations and modes to prevent information loss and data inconsistency.
Standard UNIX I/O is synchronous to the application programmer. An application that calls read(2) or write(2) usually waits until the system call has finished.
Real-time applications need asynchronous, bounded I/O behavior. A process that issues an asynchronous I/O call proceeds without waiting for the I/O operation to complete. The caller is notified when the I/O operation has finished.
Asynchronous I/O can be used with any SunOS file. Files are opened synchronously and no special flagging is required. An asynchronous I/O transfer has three elements: call, request, and operation. The application calls an asynchronous I/O interface, the request for the I/O is placed on a queue, and the call returns immediately. At some point, the system dequeues the request and initiates the I/O operation.
Asynchronous and standard I/O requests can be intermingled on any file descriptor. The system maintains no particular sequence of read and write requests. The system arbitrarily resequences all pending read and write requests. If a specific sequence is required for the application, the application must insure the completion of prior operations before issuing the dependent requests.