https://blog-dev.simpleenough.net/tags/systems/Recent content in Systems on Simple Enough BlogHugoenWed, 28 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0100https://blog-dev.simpleenough.net/blog/latency/Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:00:00 +0100https://blog-dev.simpleenough.net/blog/latency/<p>Latency is one of those ubiquitous terms in computing, often used to explain a negative feeling — <em>“it lags”</em>, <em>“it’s slow”</em> — without its real meaning being clearly understood.<br> Yet latency is neither a bug nor a simple performance issue: it is a <strong>structural constraint</strong> of modern computer systems.</p> <p>This article offers a comprehensive view of latency:</p> <ul> <li>what it is from a <strong>general perspective</strong>,</li> <li>its <strong>technical definition</strong>,</li> <li>how it is <strong>perceived by users</strong>,</li> <li>the <strong>trade-offs</strong> it imposes,</li> <li>and above all, <strong>how to master it architecturally</strong>.</li> </ul> <hr> <h2 id="i-what-is-latency" class="heading">I. What Is Latency?<a href="#i-what-is-latency" aria-labelledby="i-what-is-latency"> <!-- <i class="fas fa-link anchor"></i> --> <svg class="svg-inline--fa fas fa-link anchor" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" role="img" viewBox="0 0 640 512"><use href="#fas-link"></use></svg>&nbsp; </a> </h2> <h3 id="1-general-definition" class="heading">1. General definition<a href="#1-general-definition" aria-labelledby="1-general-definition"> <!-- <i class="fas fa-link anchor"></i> --> <svg class="svg-inline--fa fas fa-link anchor" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" role="img" viewBox="0 0 640 512"><use href="#fas-link"></use></svg>&nbsp; </a> </h3> <p>In its simplest sense, <strong>latency</strong> refers to the <strong>waiting time between an action and the system’s first reaction</strong>.</p>