Thrashing occurs whena)When a page fault occursb)Processes on system frequently access pages not memoryc)Processes on system are in running stated)Processes on system are in waiting stateCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?

Question

Answer

Explanation:
Thrashing is a situation in which a computer system spends most of its time in swapping pages rather than executing instructions. It occurs when the system is overcommitted with too many processes demanding too much memory. As a result, the system is constantly swapping pages in and out of memory without making any progress in executing the programs.

Causes of Thrashing:
The main cause of thrashing is an excessive demand for memory by processes that are currently running on the system. This can happen due to several reasons:

1. Insufficient Memory: When the system does not have enough physical memory to accommodate all the processes, it has to swap pages in and out of the disk to make room for new processes. This results in increased disk I/O, which slows down the system and leads to thrashing.

2. Poor Memory Management: If the memory management system is poorly designed, it may allocate too much memory to a process, leaving insufficient memory for other processes. This can cause thrashing as the system struggles to find enough memory to satisfy all the processes.

3. Overcommitment: If the system overcommits memory, it may allocate more memory to processes than it can actually provide. This can lead to thrashing as the system tries to satisfy all the memory requests.

4. Working Set Size: If the working set size of a process is too large, it may cause thrashing as the system struggles to keep all the pages in memory.

Prevention of Thrashing:
There are several techniques that can be used to prevent thrashing:

1. Virtual Memory: The use of virtual memory allows the system to create the illusion of a larger memory space, which can help to prevent thrashing.

2. Swapping: The system can swap out idle processes to free up memory for active processes. This can help to reduce the demand for memory and prevent thrashing.

3. Memory Management: Effective memory management can help to prevent thrashing by ensuring that memory is allocated efficiently and fairly to all processes.

4. Process Prioritization: Prioritizing processes can help to prevent thrashing by ensuring that critical processes have access to sufficient memory.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, thrashing is a serious problem that can significantly degrade system performance. It is caused by excessive demand for memory and can be prevented by using techniques such as virtual memory, swapping, effective memory management, and process prioritization.

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