What is an Interrupt Request (IRQ)?

An Interrupt Request (IRQ) is a hardware signal sent to a processor. This signal is essential for managing how the processor responds to various hardware events. When a peripheral device, such as a keyboard, mouse, or network card, needs the processor's attention, it sends an IRQ to interrupt the current processing cycle. By doing so, the processor can pause its current tasks, handle the request from the device, and then continue with its prior operations.

Understanding the role of IRQs helps in grasping how operating systems efficiently manage multiple hardware devices and resources concurrently. Each device is assigned a specific IRQ number to differentiate between the various signals sent to the processor. This mechanism is crucial for real-time processing and ensuring that devices receive timely responses, thereby enhancing the overall performance and responsiveness of the system.

The other options mentioned do not accurately describe IRQs. Networking signals, software resource requests, and command executions relate to different aspects of computing and do not encapsulate the hardware nature of IRQs.