What is the Need for Page Buffering?
Data is kept in pages on secondary storage (disc) in virtual memory systems and transferred into main memory as needed. Performance issues arise because disc access is much slower than RAM access. This problem is solved by the Page Buffering Algorithm, which stores frequently used pages in a buffer or cache in the main memory. There is a very vital role of Virtual memory to make this buffer possible.
Page Buffering Algorithm in Operating System
The Page Buffering Algorithm is used in Operating systems and Database Management Systems as a key method to streamline data access and minimize disc I/O operations. It is largely used in virtual memory systems, where data is kept on secondary storage (disc) and brought into main memory as needed.
The Page Buffering Algorithm’s primary goal is to reduce the latency associated with accessing data from a disc, which is much slower than doing it from main memory. The approach optimizes system performance by intelligently buffering frequently visited pages in memory, minimizing the requirement for disc I/O operations.