# Thundering Herd Problem  URL:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundering_herd_problem Author:: wikipedia.org ## Highlights > In [computer science](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science), the **thundering herd problem** occurs when a large number of processes or threads waiting for an event are awoken when that event occurs, but only one process is able to handle the event. When the processes wake up, they will each try to handle the event, but only one will win. All processes will compete for resources, possibly freezing the computer, until the herd is calmed down again.[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundering_herd_problem) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fdjwx1vp81rbk6583ztj269b)) > In systems which rely on a backoff mechanism (e.g. [exponential backoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_backoff)), the clients will retry failed calls, by waiting a specific amount of time between consecutive retries. In order to avoid the thundering herd problem, [jitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitter) can be purposefully introduced, in order to break the synchronization across the clients thereby avoiding collisions. In this approach, randomness is added to the wait intervals between retries, so that clients are no longer synchronized. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fdjwxghm0w133m1s0tbyfnb3)) --- Title: Thundering Herd Problem Author: wikipedia.org Tags: readwise, articles date: 2024-01-30 --- # Thundering Herd Problem  URL:: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundering_herd_problem Author:: wikipedia.org ## AI-Generated Summary In computer science, the thundering herd problem occurs when a large number of processes or threads waiting for an event are awoken when that event occurs, but only one process is able to handle the event. ## Highlights > In [computer science](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science), the **thundering herd problem** occurs when a large number of processes or threads waiting for an event are awoken when that event occurs, but only one process is able to handle the event. When the processes wake up, they will each try to handle the event, but only one will win. All processes will compete for resources, possibly freezing the computer, until the herd is calmed down again.[[1]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thundering_herd_problem) ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fdjwx1vp81rbk6583ztj269b)) > In systems which rely on a backoff mechanism (e.g. [exponential backoff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_backoff)), the clients will retry failed calls, by waiting a specific amount of time between consecutive retries. In order to avoid the thundering herd problem, [jitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitter) can be purposefully introduced, in order to break the synchronization across the clients thereby avoiding collisions. In this approach, randomness is added to the wait intervals between retries, so that clients are no longer synchronized. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01fdjwxghm0w133m1s0tbyfnb3))