Questions: Using Figure 17.5 from the textbook explain why we have a “big mess” of our free space memory allocation
Answer:
Below figure show one example of putting the memory. Quoted: ARPACI-DUSSEAU. R., ARPACI-DUSSEAU, A. (2012, ch17-8)
In above example, assume total size is 4096, header eat 16k, each chunk total eat 108k (100 + 4 k header + 4 k chunk). In theory (assume perfect allocation), no waste space resulted. Then total 37 chunk block (108k) can be fitted. However, the splitting and coalescing mechanism made free space memory allocation become a “big mess”. If splitting without coalescing (ARPACI-DUSSEAU. R., ARPACI-DUSSEAU, A. , 2012, ch17-10) the free space between chunk block (108k) would be varied, once the free