Memory Management and Virtual Memory

🖥️ When a process runs, it requires both CPU time and memory. Processes need space in memory (RAM) for fast access and execution. However, memory is limited compared to storage space on hard drives, so we use virtual memory to extend available memory.

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Virtual Memory

💾 Virtual memory is a combination of hard drive space and RAM that acts like additional memory for processes. This allows us to run more processes than the physical memory can accommodate.

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Pages and Swapping

📦 A program's data is divided into chunks called pages, which are stored in virtual memory. When a process needs to execute, its pages are swapped between virtual memory and RAM.

❓ Why not store everything in RAM?

• Small programs can fit in RAM, but for larger applications, it would be inefficient to load all features into memory at once.

• Only the necessary pages are loaded, like reading just the relevant pages from a recipe book.

⏱️ If you experience a slowdown when accessing an infrequently used feature, it’s because the system is loading that page from virtual memory into RAM.

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Swap Space

📁 Swap space is the area of the hard drive designated to store virtual memory. In disk partitioning, we allocate specific space for swap, which helps manage virtual memory effectively.

🔧 The kernel coordinates the swapping of pages between RAM and virtual memory, ensuring efficient memory operations.

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Keep Exploring

👏 You've made great progress! Continue learning about memory management, virtual memory algorithms, and disk partitioning techniques to deepen your understanding.