What are the differences between shared memory and message passing?

What are the differences between shared memory and message passing?

Shared memory allows multiple processes to access the same memory space, while message passing involves sending messages between processes.

Which method is more efficient for inter-process communication?

It depends on the use case. Shared memory can be faster due to direct access, but message passing is often easier to manage and safer.

Can you give an example of when to use each method?

Use shared memory for high-speed data exchange in real-time applications, and message passing for distributed systems where processes may not share memory.

What are the potential drawbacks of each method?

Shared memory can lead to synchronization issues, while message passing can introduce overhead and latency.