RAM and Virtual Memory Flashcards
What does a virtual memory manager (VMM) do?
Creates extra space in RAM by looking at RAM to see what sections aren’t currently needed and putting those sections in the swap file on the hard drive.
Why does swapping cause a delay?
Because the hard disk is relatively slow at reading and writing compared to RAM, and the technology of a hard drive is not geared toward accessing small pieces of data at a time.
What is the area of the hard disk that stores the RAM image?
A page file
What would happen if there were no such thing as virtual memory?
You would only be able to run a limited number of programs at once before you would have to free up space manually by closing programs you are not using.
What causes “thrashing”?
If enough processes are started and if the operating system hasn’t been carefully designed, the system can begin to use the majority of its available CPU cycles to swap between processes rather than run processes.
What is loaded into RAM when you run a program?
The executable file
Shared Dynamic Link Libraries (DLLs)
Data files
