Flux is a term used in computing, software development, and electronics to describe the rate of data flow or the process of changing the flow of data on a computer. It is a measure of how quickly and efficiently data is transferred between two locations or devices. While it may refer to the speed at which data is transferred across a network connection, its more general application is to describe data movement in general.
Information can be moved across networks, discs, hardware, or software in flux. For example, when downloading a file from the internet, the number of bytes moving across a network connection can be described as the flux. When playing a video game, the number of graphics being processed can be thought of as a type of flux. Similarly, the transfer of information between two processors or hard drives can also be thought of as a type of flux.
In software engineering, the term “flux” is used to describe the process of changing the flow of data. In this context, it may refer to rearranging the structure of a program, or altering how processing is done. In electronics, the term flux may refer to the exchange of electrical energy in an electric circuit, such as the fluctuations in the charge or current within an alternating current.
The term is also sometimes used in cloud computing, where flux refers to the movement of virtual objects (such as files) between one cloud environment to another, such as Amazon Web Services to Google Cloud Platform.
In general, flux is used to describe the rate of change or movement of information within a computer system. It can be used to describe the speed of transfer across a network or simple patterns of data movement within a single device. As more and more data is stored and exchanged digitally, the importance of understanding flux is becoming increasingly important.
