IV UNIT Memory Management

Primary Memory

• A processor or computer initially or directly

accesses primary memory while using a
computer. It enables a processor to access
programs and services that are now in use and
temporarily stored in a particular area of
memory.
• Primary storage and main memory are the
other terms which can be used as a substitute
to the term primary memory.
• The volatile storage component of a computer system
is primary memory. Although there may be data buses,
cache memory, or Random Access Memory (RAM),
RAM is the most common example for primary
memory.
• An operating system (OS), user interface, and any user-
installed and running software utilities are all loaded
into main memory as soon as a computer turns on.
When a program or application is launched from main
memory, it communicates with the system processor
to carry out all of its unique functions.
• Secondary memory is said to be slower than primary
memory.
 Secondary Memory

• Secondary memory is non-volatile, permanent computer

memory that is not directly accessible by a computer or
processor. Data that can be quickly and easily retrieved,
transmitted, and utilized by apps and services can be stored by
the user and then used in this manner.
• Secondary storage is another name which can be used as a
substitute to the word secondary memory.
• Read-only memory (ROM), flash drives, hard disk drives (HDD),
magnetic tapes, and other forms of internal and external
storage media are all considered secondary memory. Only the
major or main memory may access secondary memory during
computations, and only then is it sent to the processor.
• Even if the computer is not powered on, data
can be stored and retained in secondary
memory, which is slower than primary
memory. Additionally, it has large storage
capacity, with each memory being capable of
holding anywhere from a few megabytes (MB)
to many terabytes (TB).
• Secondary memory is said to be slower than
primary memory.
• All the mass storage media belongs to the
secondary memory.
 Difference between Primary Memory and Secondary Memory

• S. No Primary Memory Secondary Memory

• 1.) Primary Memory is also primarily known as main memory or primary storage
memory Secondary Memory is also primarily known as secondary memory storage
• 2.) They are also known as Internal Memory They are also known as Auxiliary
Memory or Backup Memory or Additional Memory.
• 3.) Primary Memory is more costlier than Secondary Memory Secondary
Memory is less costlier than Secondary Memory
• 4.) Primary memory is said to be faster than Secondary memory. Secondary
memory is said to be slower than primary memory.
• 5.) It stores information or data that the processing unit is currently using. Usually,
capacity ranges from sixteen Giga Bytes (16 GB) to Thirty Two Giga Bytes (32 GB). It
has a substantial amount of information and data storage. Typically, capacity ranges from 200
GB to terabytes.
• 6.) The Primary Memory can be divided as Volatile and Non Volatile Memories The
Secondary Memory can only be classified as Non Volatile Memory only.
• 7.) Data cannot be preserved in the event of a power outage since it is a volatile
memory. Because it has a non-volatile memory, the information may be kept even in the
event of a power outage.
 Mass Storage Structure

• Systems designed to store enormous volumes

of data are referred to as mass storage devices.
Massive storage devices are sometimes used
interchangeably with peripheral storage, which
is the management of bigger volumes of data
that are larger than the native storage
capability of a computer or device.
• The basic idea of Mass Storage is to create a
Data Backup or Data Recovery System
• The earliest and most basic mass storage
techniques date back to the era of main frame
supercomputers, according to experts.
• Punch cards, Hollerith cards, and other
relatively similar manual storage medium are
examples of this Mass Storage Media these
days.
• Today, mass storage may include several kinds
of hard disks or solid-state storage devices, as
well as tape drives and other physical data
storage devices.
• The concepts of data backup and data
recovery are frequently linked to mass storage
media. The biggest Business Companies will
make plans for recording, storing, and backing
up all accessible data, which calls for a lot
more mass storage media than what factory-
direct gear can provide.
• This suggests a method for handling
continuous mass storage that uses tape or
other media.
• The Mass Storage Structure Devices are:
• Magnetic Disks
• Solid State Disks
• Magnetic Tapes
• Magnetic Disks
• Now, we are going to know about all
whereabouts of the Magnetic Disk Mass
Storage Structure Device
• The process of magnetization is used to write,
rewrite, and access data on a magnetic disk, a
storage device. This process is known as
Magnetic Disk. It is coated magnetically and
has tracks, spots, and sectors for storing data.
• In 1956, IBM created the first magnetic hard
drive, a substantial device with 50 21-inch (53-
cm) platters.
• Basic Common Examples of Magnetic Disks
are:
• Floppy Disks
• Hard Disks
• Zip Disks
• The Magnetic Disk basically looks like:
• A mechanical arm that travels across a revolving
magnetic surface, known as the platter, makes up
the majority of a magnetic disk. They come
together to make a "comb." Both reading from
and writing to the disk are done using the
mechanical arm. A magnetization process is used
to read and write data on magnetic disks.
• One or more disk-shaped platters with magnetic
material covering them. Unlike "floppy" disks,
which are composed of more flexible plastic, hard
disk platters are built of stiff metal.
• The number of heads (or working surfaces) times the
number of tracks per surface times the number of sectors
per track times the number of bytes per sector equals the
storage capacity of a conventional disk drive. The head-
sector-cylinder number of a specific physical block of data
can be used to identify it.
• The time needed to move the heads from one cylinder to
another and for the heads to settle down after the transfer
is known as the positioning time, also known as the seek
time or random access time. This is usually the stage that
moves slowly and is the main obstacle to high transfer
rates.
• The time it takes for the requested sector to spin and enter
the read-write head is known as the rotational latency.
• This can be anything from 0 and 1 complete
revolutions, with an average of 12 revolutions.
This is a physical action that often follows seek
time as the second-slowest step. (If a disk
rotates at 7200 revolutions per minute, the
average rotational delay is 1/2 revolution / 120
revolutions per second, or just over 4
milliseconds, a long time by computer standards.
• The amount of time needed to electronically
transmit data from a disk to a computer is called
the transfer rate.
• Typically, floppy disks are removeable. Hard drives
may also be taken out and replaced with fresh
ones, and some of them can even be swapped out
while the computer is still functioning.
• The I/O Bus, a connection used to connect disk
drives to computers, is used for this purpose.
Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE),
Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA), Serial ATA
(SATA), Universal Serial Bus (USB), Fiber Channel
(FC), and Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI)
are a few of the popular interface types.