What is the difference between swapping and paging?

Can you explain the difference between swapping and paging in operating systems?

Sure! Swapping is a memory management technique where processes are moved between main memory and disk storage. Paging, on the other hand, divides memory into fixed-size pages and allows non-contiguous memory allocation.

Why is paging generally preferred over swapping?

Paging is preferred because it allows for more efficient use of memory and reduces fragmentation. It also enables processes to be loaded in non-contiguous memory spaces.

Are there any downsides to using paging?

Yes, one downside is the overhead of managing page tables and the potential for page faults, which can slow down performance if they occur frequently.

Can you give me an example of when swapping might be used?

Swapping might be used in systems with limited RAM where a large process needs to be temporarily moved to disk to free up memory for other processes.