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Lecture 2.2.6 (Memory Management Hardware)

The document discusses the importance of memory management hardware in computer architecture, detailing its components such as the Memory Management Unit (MMU) and Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB). It outlines key functions like address translation, memory allocation, and protection, as well as techniques including paging, segmentation, and virtual memory. Overall, it emphasizes the role of memory management hardware in optimizing memory usage and ensuring efficient program execution.

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483 views16 pages

Lecture 2.2.6 (Memory Management Hardware)

The document discusses the importance of memory management hardware in computer architecture, detailing its components such as the Memory Management Unit (MMU) and Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB). It outlines key functions like address translation, memory allocation, and protection, as well as techniques including paging, segmentation, and virtual memory. Overall, it emphasizes the role of memory management hardware in optimizing memory usage and ensuring efficient program execution.

Uploaded by

aashishmahajan300
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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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University Institute of Engineering

Department of Computer Science & Engineering

COMPUTER ORGANIZATION & ARCHITECTURE


(23CST-204/23ITT-204)

ER. SHIKHA ATWAL


E11186

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

BE-CSE
MEMORY MANAGEMENT HARDWARE

Memory management hardware plays a crucial role in computer architecture


by efficiently allocating and managing the available memory resources. It is
responsible for managing and organizing the memory subsystem, ensuring
optimal performance, and facilitating the execution of various programs
and processes. This article explores the various aspects of memory
management hardware, including its components, functions, and techniques.
Components of Memory Management Hardware

The memory management hardware consists of several key components that work
together to ensure efficient memory usage and allocation. These components include:
 Memory Management Unit (MMU): The MMU is a critical component of
memory management hardware. It translates virtual addresses to physical
addresses, enabling the system to access the correct memory location.
 Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB): The TLB is a cache that stores
recently used virtual-to-physical address translations, speeding up the address
translation process.
 Memory Segmentation Unit: This unit divides the memory into fixed-size
segments to organize and manage memory resources efficiently.
 Memory Protection Unit (MPU): The MPU ensures the security and
protection of memory by enforcing access permissions and preventing
unauthorized access.
Memory Management Unit (MMU)
The Memory Management Unit (MMU) is a key component of memory
management hardware in computer architecture. It performs the essential
task of translating virtual addresses generated by the CPU into physical
addresses, allowing the system to access the correct memory location.
The MMU works in conjunction with the operating system's memory
management software to allocate and manage memory resources effectively.
It uses a technique called address translation, which involves converting
virtual addresses to physical addresses by utilizing page tables or translation
tables.
The MMU also plays a vital role in memory protection by implementing
memory access control and prevention mechanisms. It enforces access
permissions, ensuring that each process can only access its allocated memory
and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information.
Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB)
The Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) is a cache in the memory management
hardware that stores recently used virtual-to-physical address translations. It acts
as a high-speed memory for address translation, improving the overall
performance of the system.
When the CPU generates a virtual address, the TLB checks if the translation for
that address is available in its cache. If the translation is found, the TLB
provides the corresponding physical address, eliminating the need for a time-
consuming lookup in the page tables or translation tables.
The TLB operates on the principle of locality, which states that recently
accessed memory locations are likely to be accessed again in the near
future. By storing frequently used translations, the TLB reduces the
overhead of address translation, improving system performance.
Functions of Memory Management Hardware

The memory management hardware performs several critical functions to


ensure efficient memory usage and allocation. These functions include:
Address Translation: The memory management hardware translates virtual
addresses into physical addresses, allowing the CPU to access the correct
memory location.
Memory Allocation: It allocates and deallocates memory resources to
processes, ensuring that each process has sufficient memory to execute
efficiently.
Memory Protection: The memory management hardware enforces access
permissions and prevents unauthorized access to memory areas.
Virtual Memory Management: It manages the mapping of virtual addresses to
physical addresses, enabling the efficient use of limited physical memory by
utilizing disk-based virtual memory.
Address Translation

Address translation is one of the primary functions of memory


management hardware. It involves converting virtual addresses generated by
the CPU into physical addresses, allowing the system to access the correct
memory location.
During address translation, the memory management hardware uses page tables
or translation tables to map virtual addresses to physical addresses. This process
ensures that each process has its isolated memory space, protecting it from
interference by other processes.
Address translation is essential for enabling the efficient use of physical
memory and facilitating the execution of multiple processes concurrently. By
translating virtual addresses to physical addresses, the memory management
hardware provides each process with a unique memory address space.
Memory Allocation

Memory allocation is another crucial function of memory management


hardware. It involves assigning memory resources to processes and deallocating
them when no longer needed.
The memory management hardware tracks the available memory blocks,
allocating them to processes based on their memory requirements. It ensures that
each process has a sufficient amount of memory to execute efficiently,
preventing resource contention.
Efficient memory allocation allows for the simultaneous execution of
multiple processes, maximizing system productivity. By managing memory
resources effectively, the memory management hardware minimizes wastage
and fragmentation, optimizing overall system performance.
Techniques Used in Memory Management Hardware

The memory management hardware employs various techniques to


enhance memory utilization and performance. Some of the commonly used
techniques include:

 Paging:Paging involves dividing memory into fixed-size blocks called


pages and mapping them in a virtual address space. It allows for efficient
memory allocation and utilization by allocating pages based on demand.

 Segmentation: Segmentation involves dividing memory into logical segments


based on program structure and memory requirements. It provides a flexible
memory allocation scheme but can lead to external fragmentation.
Techniques Used in Memory Management Hardware

 Virtual Memory: Virtual memory is a technique that allows the execution of


programs larger than the available physical memory. It uses disk-based storage
to supplement the physical memory, transferring data between memory and
disk as needed.

 Memory Protection: The memory management hardware implements various


memory protection mechanisms, such as access permissions and privilege
levels, to ensure the security and integrity of memory.
Virtual Memory

Virtual memory is a memory management technique that allows the execution


of programs larger than the available physical memory. It provides an illusion
of larger memory space by utilizing disk-based storage as an extension of the
physical memory.
In virtual memory, the memory management hardware transparently transfers
data between the physical memory and disk storage as needed. It uses
techniques like demand paging or demand segmentation to efficiently manage
memory resources.
Virtual memory significantly improves system performance by allowing the
execution of larger programs without requiring an equivalent amount of
physical memory. By utilizing disk storage as a supplement to physical
memory, virtual memory enables the efficient execution of memory-intensive
applications.
Role of Memory Management Hardware in Computer Architecture

The memory management hardware plays a critical role in computer


architecture by ensuring efficient memory usage, allocation, and protection.
It facilitates the execution of various programs and processes by managing
the memory subsystem effectively.
Memory management hardware components such as the MMU and TLB
enable address translation, allowing the CPU to access the correct
memory location. They also optimize memory access by caching
frequently used translations, reducing the overhead of address translation.
By allocating memory resources to processes, the memory management
hardware enables the simultaneous execution of multiple programs, maximizing
system productivity. It also enforces memory protection mechanisms to ensure
the security and integrity of memory, preventing unauthorized access and
interference.
Furthermore, memory management hardware techniques like paging,
segmentation, and virtual memory enhance memory utilization and
performance. They allow for efficient memory allocation, utilization, and
the execution of programs larger than the available physical memory.

In conclusion, memory management hardware is a crucial component of


computer architecture. It plays a vital role in managing memory resources,
optimizing performance, and ensuring the smooth execution of programs and
processes.
References

Reference Books:
 J.P. Hayes, “Computer Architecture and
Organization”, Third Edition.
 Mano, M., “Computer System Architecture”, Third
Edition, Prentice Hall.
 Stallings, W., “Computer Organization and Architecture”, Eighth
Edition, Pearson Education.

Text Books:
 Carpinelli J.D,” Computer systems organization &Architecture”, Fourth
Edition, Addison Wesley.
 Patterson and Hennessy, “Computer Architecture”, Fifth Edition Morgaon
Kauffman.
Other References

 https://www.ques10.com/p/10067/what-is-virtual-memory-explain-the-role-o
f-pagin- 1/
 https://www.enterprisestorageforum.com/storage-hardware/paging-and-
segmentation.html
 https://www.cmpe.boun.edu.tr/~uskudarli/courses/cmpe235/Virtua
l%20Memory.pdf

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