Final answer:
To handle processes larger than the main memory, virtual memory is used with methods such as paging and segmentation. Paging involves managing fixed-size pages with a page table, while segmentation uses variable-sized segments tracked by a segment table. Swapping and demand paging are also methods used to manage memory more efficiently.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a process is larger than the available main memory, operating systems use a technique called virtual memory to manage the available space. Virtual memory allows the system to use hard disk space to simulate extra memory. The method commonly used for swapping between the process in memory and the process on the disk is called paging or segmentation.
In paging, the process is divided into fixed-size pages, which are then swapped in and out of physical memory as needed. The system's page table is used to keep track of where each page is stored, whether in main memory or on disk. On the other hand, segmentation involves dividing the process into variable-sized segments. A segment table is used similarly to the page table.
Additional methods include swapping, where entire processes are moved from main memory to a backing store and then brought back into memory when needed. Demand paging is another approach where only parts of a process that are needed are loaded into memory, which reduces the amount of memory used and can increase performance.