Question

For every process there is a __________.

a) Page table
b) Copy of page table
c) Pointer to page table
d) All of these

Answer 1

For every process in an operating system, there is a pointer to the page table. The pointer is used instead of a full copy to conserve resources, making it efficient for the system when multiple processes are running.

Step-by-step explanation:

For every process in an operating system, there is a pointer to page table. The page table itself is a crucial component for memory management in systems with a virtual memory system. It keeps track of the mapping from virtual addresses to physical memory locations. Each process typically has its own page table to separate its memory space from other processes, ensuring memory protection and isolation.

When a process is created, the operating system also creates a page table for that process. Instead of attaching a full copy of the page table to every process, the system generally maintains a pointer to the page table. This pointer is what is referred to in this context. This method is efficient because duplicating the entire page table for every process would be very resource-intensive, especially with many processes running simultaneously.