Access time
Performance measure of storage drives and storage media in computers
Access time is the time delay or latency between a request to an electronic system, and the access being initiated or the requested data returned.
In computer and software systems, it is the time interval between the point where an instruction control unit initiates a call to retrieve data or a request to store data, and the point at which delivery of the data is completed or the storage is started. Note that in distributed software systems or other systems with stochastic processes, access time or latency should be measured at the 99th percentile.
See also
Memory latency
Mechanical latency
Rotational latency
Seek time
References
This article incorporates public domain material from Federal Standard 1037C. General Services Administration. Archived from the original on 2022-01-22. (in support of MIL-STD-188).
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Access time” as performance measure of storage drives and storage media in computers. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as performance measure of storage drives and storage media in computers. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 29, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q46306. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 2022.
The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Access time”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Access time primary sources, Access time archive and Access research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Access time”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Access time” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.