Memory Allocation and Management: A Comprehensive Guide for Operating Systems

Question 1

In a paging system, what is the smallest allocated memory unit called?

Accepted Answer

Page

Answer

Segment

Answer

Frame

Answer

Block

Question 2

Which is NOT a drawback of non-contiguous memory allocation?

Accepted Answer

Enhanced security

Answer

Increased fragmentation

Answer

Slower data access

Answer

Complex implementation

Question 3

In segmentation, what does each segment feature?

Accepted Answer

Distinct protection and access rights

Answer

Sharing capability among multiple processes

Answer

Contiguous memory allocation

Answer

Minimal possible memory allocation unit

Question 4

Which technique is used to address external fragmentation?

Accepted Answer

Compaction

Answer

Swapping

Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Question 5

Which factor does NOT influence the selection of a memory allocation technique?

Accepted Answer

User preference

Answer

Memory size

Answer

Application type

Answer

Operating system design

Question 6

In a hierarchical memory system, what is the fastest memory level known as?

Accepted Answer

Cache memory

Answer

Main memory

Answer

Virtual memory

Answer

Secondary storage

Question 7

What primary benefit does virtual memory provide?

Accepted Answer

Expanded memory capacity

Answer

Enhanced performance

Answer

Increased security

Answer

Reduced fragmentation

Question 8

In contiguous memory allocation, processes must be placed in adjacent memory locations. Is this statement true or false?

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 9

The Least Recently Used (LRU) algorithm is commonly used in paging to determine which pages to remove from memory. Is this statement true or false?

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 10

What is a key distinction between paging and segmentation memory allocation techniques?

Accepted Answer

Paging allocates memory in fixed-size pages, while segmentation allocates memory in variable-size segments.

Answer

Paging is implemented in hardware, while segmentation is implemented in software.

Answer

Segmentation allows for faster memory access than paging.

Answer

Paging is only used for virtual memory management, while segmentation can be used for both physical and virtual memory management.

Question 11

Which memory allocation technique assigns memory in fixed-size blocks, enabling efficient data access and retrieval but potentially leading to internal fragmentation?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous Memory Allocation

Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Virtual Memory

Question 12

Identify the non-contiguous memory allocation technique:

Accepted Answer

Paging

Answer

First-fit

Answer

Best-fit

Answer

Worst-fit

Question 13

State the primary purpose of segmentation in memory management:

Accepted Answer

Optimizing memory usage with variable-sized segments

Answer

Enhancing memory security with access rights

Answer

Increasing performance by reducing page faults

Answer

Simplifying memory management by eliminating paging

Question 14

What is the primary function of a Memory Management Unit (MMU)?

Accepted Answer

Translating virtual addresses to physical addresses

Answer

Allocating and releasing memory to processes

Answer

Protecting memory from unauthorized access

Answer

Caching frequently accessed memory pages

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT a method for optimizing memory management?

Accepted Answer

Disk caching

Answer

Buddy allocation

Answer

Slab allocation

Answer

Compaction

Question 16

In a virtual memory system, the mapping between virtual addresses and physical addresses is typically managed by:

Accepted Answer

The memory management unit

Answer

The CPU

Answer

The operating system

Answer

The file system

Question 17

In a segmentation memory management system, the size of a segment is:

Accepted Answer

Variable

Answer

Fixed

Answer

Determined by the programmer

Answer

Determined by the operating system

Question 18

What is a key advantage of virtual memory compared to physical memory?

Accepted Answer

Allows programs larger than physical memory to run.

Answer

Increases memory access speed.

Answer

Reduces memory fragmentation.

Answer

Prevents memory swapping.

Question 19

Which memory allocation technique divides memory into fixed-size blocks of equal size called pages?

Accepted Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Non-contiguous allocation

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT a common page replacement algorithm used in operating systems?

Accepted Answer

Most Recently Used (MRU)

Answer

Least Recently Used (LRU)

Answer

Least Frequently Used (LFU)

Answer

First-In First-Out (FIFO)

Question 21

What is the purpose of segmentation in memory management?

Accepted Answer

To divide memory into logical units based on different types or purposes, improving memory organization

Answer

To speed up memory access by reducing page faults

Answer

To improve security by isolating processes from each other

Answer

To reduce fragmentation by compacting memory

Question 22

What is the distinction between internal and external fragmentation?

Accepted Answer

Internal fragmentation occurs within memory blocks, while external fragmentation occurs between memory blocks

Answer

External fragmentation occurs within memory blocks, while internal fragmentation occurs between memory blocks

Answer

Both internal and external fragmentation occur within memory blocks

Answer

Both internal and external fragmentation occur between memory blocks

Question 23

In operating systems, which memory allocation technique assigns physical memory to a process in a continuous block?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous Allocation

Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Question 24

What is the fundamental distinction between paging and segmentation memory management?

Accepted Answer

Paging allocates memory in fixed-size blocks, while segmentation allocates memory in varying-size blocks.

Answer

Paging is a logical memory management technique, whereas segmentation is a physical memory management technique.

Answer

Paging is utilized in virtual memory systems, while segmentation is employed in real memory systems.

Answer

Paging allows for swifter memory access compared to segmentation.

Question 25

Which of the following is not a benefit of implementing virtual memory?

Accepted Answer

Minimized memory overhead

Answer

Increased memory capacity

Answer

Enhanced memory protection

Answer

Improved application performance

Question 26

What is the difference between internal and external fragmentation in memory management?

Accepted Answer

Internal fragmentation occurs within allocated blocks, while external fragmentation occurs in unallocated blocks.

Answer

External fragmentation occurs within allocated blocks, while internal fragmentation occurs in unallocated blocks.

Answer

Internal fragmentation is caused by memory allocation algorithms, while external fragmentation is caused by application memory usage patterns.

Answer

Internal fragmentation is always present, while external fragmentation can be eliminated.

Question 27

What is the primary objective of a memory allocator?

Accepted Answer

To allocate memory efficiently to processes while minimizing fragmentation

Answer

To manage the system's physical memory resources

Answer

To translate virtual memory addresses into physical memory addresses

Answer

To protect memory from unauthorized access

Question 28

What is the primary purpose of memory protection mechanisms in an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To prevent unauthorized access to memory locations, ensuring system security.

Answer

To optimize memory allocation and minimize fragmentation.

Answer

To allocate and deallocate memory to processes.

Answer

To make memory protection mechanisms obsolete in modern operating systems.

Question 29

Which memory allocation technique allocates contiguous blocks of memory to processes?

Accepted Answer

Contiguous allocation

Answer

Paging

Answer

Non-contiguous allocation

Answer

Segmentation

Question 30

What is the primary function of a page table in paging?

Accepted Answer

To map virtual addresses to corresponding physical addresses

Answer

To keep track of which pages are currently in memory

Answer

To handle page faults

Answer

To improve cache performance

Question 31

Which hardware component is typically responsible for carrying out memory management functions?

Accepted Answer

Memory management unit (MMU)

Answer

CPU

Answer

Cache

Answer

Hard disk drive

Question 32

In paging, a page fault occurs when:

Accepted Answer

The requested page is not present in physical memory

Answer

The requested page is in physical memory but corrupted

Answer

The requested page is in physical memory but too small

Answer

The requested page is in physical memory but locked by another process

Question 33

The algorithm used to determine the order in which pages are replaced in memory when a page fault occurs is called a:

Accepted Answer

Page replacement algorithm

Answer

Memory allocation algorithm

Answer

Paging algorithm

Answer

Scheduling algorithm

Question 34

Buddy allocation is a memory allocation technique that:

Accepted Answer

Divides memory into blocks of fixed sizes following a binary tree structure

Answer

Assigns memory in variable-sized chunks based on process requirements

Answer

Uses a linked list to keep track of allocated blocks

Question 35

Which of the following factors does NOT impact the performance of memory management algorithms?

Accepted Answer

Cache size

Answer

Average process size

Answer

Memory access time

Answer

Number of active processes in the system

Question 36

The primary purpose of a Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB) in memory management is to:

Accepted Answer

Accelerate the translation of virtual addresses to physical addresses

Answer

Reduce the occurrence of page faults

Answer

Manage memory allocation and deallocation requests

Answer

Implement memory protection and access control mechanisms

Question 37

What is a significant advantage of using segmentation over contiguous memory allocation?

Accepted Answer

Segmentation allows different protection levels for different memory segments.

Answer

Segmentation improves memory utilization.

Answer

Segmentation eliminates external fragmentation.

Answer

Segmentation simplifies memory management.

Question 38

Which memory allocation technique divides memory into fixed-size units called pages?

Accepted Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Buddy allocation

Answer

Contiguous allocation

Question 39

In a non-contiguous allocation scheme, allocated memory is:

Accepted Answer

Scattered across the address space in non-adjacent blocks

Answer

Managed by the operating system using a page table

Answer

Stored in a single, contiguous block of memory

Question 40

Upon encountering a page fault, the operating system:

Accepted Answer

Fetches the missing page into memory and updates the page table

Answer

Ignores the page fault and continues execution

Answer

Terminates the process that caused the page fault

Question 41

In a virtual memory system, the page table serves as a:

Accepted Answer

Data structure mapping virtual addresses to physical addresses

Answer

Hardware component that handles page faults

Answer

Software program managing physical memory allocation

Question 42

Which memory allocation policy allocates the smallest available block that can accommodate the request?

Accepted Answer

Best-fit allocation

Answer

Buddy allocation

Answer

First-fit allocation

Answer

Worst-fit allocation

Question 43

The primary function of a memory management unit (MMU) in a computer system is to:

Accepted Answer

Translate virtual addresses to physical addresses

Answer

Manage the allocation and deallocation of physical memory

Answer

Provide security by isolating processes

Answer

Detect and handle page faults

Question 44

Which memory allocation technique enables dynamic adjustment of memory block sizes during program execution?

Accepted Answer

Dynamic Partitioning

Answer

Paging

Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Fixed Partitioning

Question 45

What is the primary advantage of using a page table in memory management?

Accepted Answer

Allows processes to be allocated non-contiguous memory blocks.

Answer

Reduces the amount of memory fragmentation.

Answer

Provides faster access to memory than contiguous allocation.

Question 46

In a segmented memory system, what is the function of a segment table?

Accepted Answer

It stores the starting address and size of each segment in memory.

Answer

It translates logical addresses to physical addresses.

Answer

It manages the allocation of physical memory to processes.

Question 47

What type of memory fragmentation occurs when fixed-size memory blocks are allocated, resulting in unused spaces between allocated blocks?

Accepted Answer

Internal Fragmentation

Answer

External Fragmentation

Answer

Memory Leak

Answer

Paging Fragmentation

Question 48

What is the primary role of a memory manager within an operating system?

Accepted Answer

To manage and allocate memory resources efficiently.

Answer

To ensure system security and stability.

Answer

To manage input and output devices.

Answer

To execute programs and handle system calls.

Question 49

What is the primary purpose of a TLB (Translation Lookaside Buffer) in memory management?

Accepted Answer

To accelerate the conversion of virtual addresses to physical addresses.

Answer

To handle page faults and exceptions.

Answer

To manage the allocation of physical memory.

Question 50

Which memory management technique enables a process to be divided into smaller logical units, offering greater flexibility in memory allocation?

Accepted Answer

Segmentation

Answer

Fixed Partitioning

Answer

Dynamic Partitioning

Answer

Paging

Question 51

What is the primary challenge associated with using a purely demand-paging approach for memory management?

Accepted Answer

Frequent page faults can significantly slow down program execution.

Answer

Increased memory fragmentation.

Answer

Complexity in managing page tables.