What does 'latency' refer to in the context of hybrid servers?

Latency, in the context of hybrid servers, specifically refers to the delay before data transfer begins. This is a crucial concept in networking and server performance because it quantifies the time taken between a request being made and the beginning of the response. High latency can negatively impact the user experience, especially in applications that require real-time data transfer, such as video streaming or online gaming.

Understanding latency helps in optimizing server configurations, improving user interactivity, and ensuring that users receive timely responses from the server. Bandwidth, on the other hand, refers to the maximum rate of data transfer achievable, while speed of data processing pertains to how quickly data can be handled by the server's CPU. The frequency of data packet transmission relates to how often packets are sent over the network but does not directly correlate to latency, which is primarily concerned with the delay experienced in communication.