Researchers have been investigating systems in which the operating system deliberately places the most-frequently-used files on the outer tracks of a system’s hard disk to improve performance.

a) Why would this improve performance?

b) Would this approach give better performance on a system that had a variable or a fixed number of tracks per sector?

c) In a system that used a fixed number of sectors per track, does it matter whether the operating system places the most-frequently-used files on the inner or outer tracks, or is it just important that they be placed close together?

d) How does your answer to c change on a system that uses a variable number of sectors per track?