Adatelosztó

Adatelosztó is a term used in information technology and telecommunications to refer to a device or software component that distributes data from a single input stream to multiple outputs. The primary function is to allow one data source to be consumed by several recipients simultaneously, which can be done through electrical, optical, or logical distribution. In hardware form, adatelosztó can take the shape of a data distribution unit, a network switch capable of multicast, a splitter or distribution amplifier in a broadcast or coaxial system, or a fiber-optic distribution frame. In software form, it can be a publish-subscribe broker, a message queue, or a data routing service that fans out messages to subscribed consumers.

Applications include local-area networks where a switch forwards frames, digital television or radio distribution where a signal is split to multiple receivers, sensor networks where a central data source broadcasts to many gateways, and data processing pipelines where a single stream is replicated to multiple processing stages. Characteristics include support for point-to-multipoint delivery, potential use of multicast, and considerations of bandwidth, latency, and synchronization. Some adatelosztók perform filtering or transformation, while others merely duplicate data.

Etymology and scope: the Hungarian term combines adat (data) and elosztó (distributor). See also multiplexer and demultiplexer, switch, router, and data distribution concepts.