multiple outstanding requests

Question

I don't really understand the expression "multiple outstanding requests".

could you please give me an example?

what is an outstanding request? what is the oposite of an "outstanding request"?

Answer 1

An outstanding request is one which has not been served yet.

For instance, an application could make 30 concurrent requests to different web servers. 10 of them may come back with a response, while the other 20 have not been serviced. Therefore, those 20 are outstanding since they are waiting for a response.

The opposite would be one that is served or completed I guess.

You can use an analogy of a restaurant. If you ask a waiter for water and a spoon, and he only returns you a water, then your request for a spoon is outstanding. It isn't complete until he gives you your spoon or tells you that he doesn't have one to give you.