Segmentation

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Divides memory into variable-size segments based on logical groupings (code, stack, heap, data). Each segment has a base address and limit. Provides a more natural view of memory than paging but suffers from external fragmentation. Modern systems primarily use paging, with segmentation playing a minor role.

Key Properties

  • Paging (fixed-size alternative, more commonly used)
  • Virtual Memory (segmentation is one implementation approach)

operating-systems memory segmentation