Paging memory is a memory system that uses a specific structure for the data stored in it. Said data is assigned and called by the intersection of a column and row on the memory page, rather than by the physical location of that data. This means that while the data itself is stored the same way, it’s called a different way by the computer.
Technipages Explains Paging Memory
This makes it possible to store memory pages in places other than the standard. They can be stored absolutely anywhere that memory space is available, including disk drives. In other words, memory pages can be kept away from the memory they refer to. Paging memory is used to work with virtual memory, a setup that uses a computer’s hard drive to extend the RAM that’s available.
That means that a circuit or dedicated chip calls a paging memory management unit that moves pages of data in and out of memory devices. These PMMUs are mainly designed in order to translate virtual memory addresses to physical addresses. Additionally, it takes care of memory protection, cache control and even things like bus planning. The pages that are used by both PMMUs and the paging memory system in general are, as mentioned, virtual memory.
Contiguous blocks of fixed-length memory stored in a page table, to be precise, much like how data is kept in, say, an Excel table. Each element is assigned its own unique location in that table, and that’s how the computer can eventually locate the right data – by following the data stored in the table like a map of coordinates.
Common Uses of Paging Memory
- Paging memory uses a system similar to spreadsheets that keeps an index of where information is stored in RAM.
- PMMUs or Paging Memory Management Units translate virtual memory addresses to their physical counterparts.
- Especially in the use of virtual memory, paging memory systems are inevitable.
Common Misuses of Paging Memory
- Paging memory is stored in the same location the data it indexes.
