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overhead
Last modified: Tuesday, March 12, 2002
Use of computer resources for performing a specific feature. Typically, the term is used to describe a function that is optional, or an enhancement to an existing application. For example, maintaining an audit trail might result in 10% overhead, meaning that the program will run 10% slower when the audit trail is turned on. Programmers often need to weigh the overhead of new features before implementing them.
