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Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a technique that makes a computer's main memory appear larger than its physical size by using secondary storage. It works by dividing a program into pages that are stored in RAM or secondary storage as needed. Virtual memory allows larger programs, running multiple programs simultaneously, and improved performance by storing infrequently used pages elsewhere.

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13 views1 page

Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a technique that makes a computer's main memory appear larger than its physical size by using secondary storage. It works by dividing a program into pages that are stored in RAM or secondary storage as needed. Virtual memory allows larger programs, running multiple programs simultaneously, and improved performance by storing infrequently used pages elsewhere.

Uploaded by

Tesema Getachew
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Virtual memory is a memory management technique that creates the illusion of a

very large main memory. It does this by using secondary memory, such as a hard
disk drive or solid-state drive, to supplement the main memory. Virtual memory
allows a computer to run programs that are larger than the amount of main memory
that is physically installed.

Virtual memory works by dividing the virtual address space of a program into smaller
units called pages. The operating system maintains a mapping between virtual
pages and physical pages in RAM. When a program tries to access a virtual page
that is not currently in RAM, a page fault occurs. The operating system then retrieves
the required page from secondary memory and brings it into RAM. If there is not
enough RAM to hold the new page, the operating system may evict another page
from RAM to make room.

Virtual memory has a number of advantages:

• It allows programs to be larger than the amount of main memory that is physically
installed.
• It allows multiple programs to be running at the same time.
• It can improve performance by allowing infrequently used pages to be stored in
secondary memory.
• It can protect programs from each other by preventing them from accessing each
other's memory.

Virtual memory also has a few disadvantages:

• It can increase the complexity of the operating system.


• It can slow down the system if pages have to be frequently swapped in and out of
RAM.
• It can increase the wear and tear on secondary storage devices.

Overall, virtual memory is a valuable technique that allows computers to run more
programs and improve performance. It is a key feature of most modern operating
systems.

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