VIRTUAL MEMORY Meaning and
Definition
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Virtual memory is a computer system's technique that allows the operating system to use secondary storage (typically a hard disk drive) as an extension of the primary memory (RAM). The concept of virtual memory enables a computer to run programs that are larger than the physical memory available by expanding the address space. It provides an illusion to the user that they have a larger contiguous space available, even though the system may have a limited amount of physical memory.
In this system, the operating system divides the virtual address space into pages, which are fixed-size blocks. These pages can be stored either in the primary memory or on the secondary storage device. When a program is running, it is loaded into memory in pages, and only the required pages are loaded into RAM, while inactive pages remain on the disk. The operating system manages the virtual memory by swapping pages in and out of RAM as necessary, ensuring that the required pages are always available when needed.
Virtual memory allows multiple processes to share the limited physical memory, as it provides an efficient allocation and deallocation of memory resources. It also enables processes to run larger programs or multiple programs concurrently, without being constrained by the physical memory capacity of the system.
Overall, virtual memory provides a flexible and efficient memory management technique that improves the system's performance by using secondary storage as an extension of primary memory.
Common Misspellings for VIRTUAL MEMORY
- cirtual memory
- birtual memory
- girtual memory
- firtual memory
- vurtual memory
- vjrtual memory
- vkrtual memory
- vortual memory
- v9rtual memory
- v8rtual memory
- vietual memory
- vidtual memory
- viftual memory
- vittual memory
- vi5tual memory
- vi4tual memory
- virrual memory
- virfual memory
- virgual memory
Etymology of VIRTUAL MEMORY
The term "virtual memory" has its roots in computer science and dates back to the mid-1960s. It is derived from the Latin word "virtus", which means "power" or "ability". In the context of virtual memory, the term "virtual" signifies that the memory used by a computer system appears or acts as if it were physically present, even though it may actually be stored on secondary storage devices like hard drives or solid-state drives.
The concept of virtual memory involves using a combination of physical RAM (Random Access Memory) and disk space to create an illusion of a larger, contiguous memory space for running programs. By utilizing virtual memory, the operating system allocates available physical memory to the most critical processes or parts of programs, and the remaining portions are temporarily stored on disk. This enables the system to efficiently utilize its resources and provide the illusion of more memory than is physically available.
Similar spelling words for VIRTUAL MEMORY
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