A reader and writer access a ring buffer without using a locking mechanism, thereby avoiding any delays attendant to using a locking mechanism when performing read operations to supply the reader with data from the ring buffer. Other measures are used to reduce delayed performance of read operations. If data requested by a reader is not available in the ring buffer, rather than waiting until the data becomes available, substitute data not from the ring buffer is provided instead. The ring buffer's size may be dynamically increased or decreased to improve performance of read and write operations and/or to conserve computer resources.