Computer Memory and Storage

Relocation is the process of assigning load addresses for position-dependent code and data of a program. It allows a program to be moved from one memory location to another.

Dynamic relocation occurs when the mapping from virtual to physical addresses is performed at runtime, allowing programs to be moved in memory during execution.

In paging, physical memory is divided into fixed-size blocks called frames, while the logical address space is divided into blocks of the same size called pages.

Physical addresses are the actual addresses in the memory hardware (RAM) that the CPU uses to access data.

Virtual addresses are generated by the CPU and used by the process to reference memory, which are then translated into physical addresses.

Static relocation occurs when the addresses are bound to physical memory at load time, meaning the program cannot be moved once execution begins.

Paging allows a process to be stored in non-contiguous physical memory frames, eliminating the need for a single large contiguous block of memory.

A page table is the data structure used by an operating system in a virtual memory system to store the mapping between virtual addresses and physical addresses.

First-In-First-Out (FIFO) is a simple page replacement algorithm that replaces the page that has been in memory the longest.

In paging, the virtual address space is divided into fixed-size blocks called pages, which correspond to physical frames.

A file is the standard unit of storage for logically related data on secondary storage devices.

On a magnetic disk, data is organized into concentric circles known as tracks.

A cylinder is a collection of all tracks that are at the same radial distance from the center across all surfaces of a disk pack.

Fixed-head disks have a dedicated read/write head for every track, which eliminates the seek time required to move a head to a specific track.

Moving head disks, such as standard hard disk drives, use an actuator arm to position read/write heads over specific tracks. Fixed head disks use a dedicated head for every track, which is a different architecture.