Memory Hierarchy - Operating Systems

Memory Hierarchy

Memory is categorized into volatile and nonvolatile memories, with the former requiring constant power ON of the system to maintain data storage.

Furthermore, a typical computer system provides a hierarchy of different times of memories for data storage.

Different levels of the memory hierarchy

ü Cache (MB): Cache is the fastest accessible memory of a computer system. It's access speed is in the order of a few nanoseconds. It is volatile and expensive, so the typical cache size is in the order of megabytes.

ü Main memory (GB): Main memory is arguably the most used memory. When discussing computer algorithms such as quick sort, balanced binary sorted trees, or fast Fourier transform, one typically assumes that the algorithm operates on data stored in the main memory. The main memory is reasonably fast, with access speed around 100 nanoseconds. It also offers larger capacity at a lower cost. Typical main memory is in the order of 10 GB. However, the main memory is volatile.

ü Secondary storage (TB): Secondary storage refers to nonvolatile data storage units that are external to the computer system. Hard drives and solid state drives are examples of secondary storage. They offer very large storage capacity in the order of terabytes at very low cost. Therefore, database servers typically have an array of secondary storage devices with data stored distributed and redundantly across these devices. Despite the continuous improvements in access speed of hard drives, secondary storage devices are several magnitudes slower than main memory. Modern hard drives have access speed in the order of a few milliseconds.

ü Tertiary storage (PB): Tertiary storage refers storage designed for the purpose data backup. Examples of tertiary storage devices are tape drives are robotic driven disk arrays. They are capable of petabyte range storage, but have very slow access speed with data access latency in seconds or minutes.