Memory Management Strategies I - Comprehensive Foundations - Operating Systems
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Memory Management Strategies I - Comprehensive Foundations

Memory Management Strategies I - Comprehensive Foundations

The chapter provides an in-depth exploration of memory management strategies utilized by operating systems, emphasizing address translation mechanisms, dynamic memory allocation techniques such as contiguous and non-contiguous memory allocation, including paging and segmentation. It highlights how these strategies optimize resource utilization, address fragmentation challenges, and improve the overall execution efficiency of processes in a computing environment.

28 sections

Sections

Navigate through the learning materials and practice exercises.

  1. 5
    Memory Management Strategies I - Comprehensive Foundations

    This section provides a comprehensive overview of memory management...

  2. 5.1
    Background - The Essential Memory Landscape

    This section explores fundamental memory management concepts, including...

  3. 5.1.1
    Basic Hardware: The Bridge Between Logical And Physical Addresses

    This section explains the critical role of address translation hardware in...

  4. 5.1.1.1
    Address Binding: The Act Of Translation

    Address binding is the process of mapping logical addresses generated by the...

  5. 5.1.1.1.1
    Compile Time Binding

    Compile time binding is a memory management technique where the physical...

  6. 5.1.1.1.2
    Load Time Binding

    Load time binding refers to the process of linking a program's logical...

  7. 5.1.1.1.3
    Execution Time (Run Time) Binding

    Execution time binding is a flexible method of translating logical addresses...

  8. 5.1.1.2
    Logical Vs. Physical Address Space

    This section explains the distinction between logical and physical address...

  9. 5.1.1.3
    Relocation Register (Base Register) And Limit Register

    The section describes the functionality of the Relocation Register and Limit...

  10. 5.1.2
    Dynamic Loading And Linking: Optimizing Program Startup And Resource Use

    Dynamic loading and linking are techniques that enhance memory utilization...

  11. 5.1.2.1
    Dynamic Loading

    Dynamic loading improves program efficiency by loading only necessary...

  12. 5.1.2.2
    Dynamic Linking

    Dynamic linking allows programs to reference library routines at runtime...

  13. 5.1.3
    Swapping: A Basic Memory Extension Technique

    Swapping is a fundamental technique in memory management that enables the...

  14. 5.2
    Contiguous Memory Allocation - Simple Structures, Complex Problems

    Contiguous memory allocation is a straightforward memory management method...

  15. 5.2.1
    Fixed-Partition Allocation (Static Partitioning)

    Fixed-partition allocation involves dividing the main memory into a fixed...

  16. 5.2.2
    Variable-Partition Allocation (Dynamic Partitioning)

    Variable-partition allocation is a dynamic memory management technique that...

  17. 5.2.2.1
    Strategies For Hole Selection (Placement Algorithms)

    This section discusses various strategies for hole selection in dynamic...

  18. 5.3
    Paging - The Non-Contiguous Revolution

    Paging is a memory management technique that allows non-contiguous...

  19. 5.3.1
    Basic Method

    The Basic Method section introduces the fundamentals of paging—a...

  20. 5.3.1.1
    Address Translation (The Core Mechanism)

    Address translation is the essential process by which logical addresses used...

  21. 5.3.2
    Hardware Support (Tlb - Translation Look-Aside Buffer)

    The section discusses the Translation Look-aside Buffer (TLB), a hardware...

  22. 5.3.3

    This section outlines how paging provides robust memory protection through...

  23. 5.3.4
    Shared Pages

    Shared pages in memory management allow multiple processes to use the same...

  24. 5.4
    Segmentation - The Logical View Of Memory

    Segmentation organizes a program's logical address space into variable-sized...

  25. 5.4.1
    Basic Method

    This section explores the foundational concept of paging, highlighting how...

  26. 5.4.1.1
    Address Translation

    Address translation is the process of converting logical addresses generated...

  27. 5.4.2
    Hardware Support

    This section explores the hardware mechanisms that support memory management...

  28. 5.4.3
    Segmentation With Paging (Segmented Paging / Paged Segmentation)

    This section outlines the hybrid memory management strategy of segmentation...

What we have learnt

  • Memory management is critical for effective resource allocation and isolation between processes.
  • Address binding methods include compile time, load time, and execution time, each with specific advantages and disadvantages.
  • Fragmentation can be internal or external, affecting memory utilization and requiring various strategies for management, such as compaction and paging.

Key Concepts

-- Address Binding
The process of mapping logical addresses generated by the CPU to physical addresses in memory, which can occur at compile time, load time, or execution time.
-- Fragmentation
The inefficient use of memory resulting from the dynamic allocation and deallocation of processes, leading to wasted unused blocks (internal and external).
-- Paging
A non-contiguous memory management technique that divides both logical and physical memory into fixed-size blocks, allowing processes to utilize memory efficiently without external fragmentation.
-- Segmentation
A memory management scheme that divides a process's address space into variable-sized segments, allowing a closer match to the logical organization of programs.
-- Swapping
A technique enabling operating systems to move a process's entire memory image between main memory and disk to manage limited physical memory more effectively.

Additional Learning Materials

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