I/O management is a critical function of operating systems responsible for controlling input/output devices and ensuring efficient data exchange between the system and peripherals.

I/O Management refers to the component of the operating system responsible for managing input/output operations and facilitating communication between processes and peripheral devices. Formally, I/O management is defined as the coordination of input and output operations by the operating system, which involves buffering, scheduling, and controlling data flow between the user and I/O devices. I/O management includes providing device drivers, handling interrupts, and optimizing access to hardware resources.

The OS provides a uniform interface for device access, handles interrupts, and manages device drivers to abstract hardware complexities. Techniques such as buffering, spooling, and caching are employed to optimize I/O operations.

Effective I/O management ensures smooth interaction between hardware and software, improves system performance, and supports concurrent I/O operations.