Distributed Resource Allocation in Computer Systems
In the realm of computer science, memory management plays a crucial role in ensuring efficient use of system resources. One of the strategies employed is non-contiguous allocation, a method that allows processes to utilise more memory than physically available.
This approach, fundamental to schemes like paging and segmentation, divides a process for allocation into the main memory based on the analysis of the number and size of empty spaces. Each process is divided into various parts of equal size called pages, and the main memory is divided into different parts of equal size called frames.
However, non-contiguous allocation comes with its own set of challenges. Since data is scattered in paging-based systems, it may cause page faults, leading to delays. This scattering also increases OS overhead due to complex deallocation and memory management.
To manage this complexity, non-contiguous allocation requires the use of complex data structures such as page tables, segment tables, or linked lists to keep track of allocated blocks. Additionally, it necessitates additional hardware (MMU) and OS routines for mapping logical to physical addresses.
Despite these drawbacks, non-contiguous allocation offers several advantages. It improves memory utilization by efficiently using small gaps in memory to fit parts of different processes. This method also allows for flexible allocation of processes, as they can be loaded wherever free memory is available.
Moreover, non-contiguous allocation enables multiprogramming, allowing more processes to reside in memory simultaneously. It supports dynamic loading and growth of processes that expand, allowing them to take memory from scattered free blocks.
However, non-contiguous allocation may result in external fragmentation, making it hard to allocate large memory requests due to free memory being broken into many small scattered blocks. To mitigate this issue, non-contiguous allocation reduces internal fragmentation by allocating memory blocks as per process needs, minimizing unused space inside blocks.
In terms of memory sequencing, in main memory, the sequence of storage of pages is: First page of P1 -> First page of P2 -> Second page of P1 -> Second page of P2. If frame size equals 'n', processes and (pages each) can be stored alternately across free frames in memory.
In conclusion, while non-contiguous allocation presents certain challenges, its benefits in terms of memory utilization, flexibility, and support for multiprogramming make it a valuable strategy in memory management.
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