Memory Segmentation

What this operating-systems memory segmentation question tests

This is a foundational conceptual question on virtual memory and address translation. It appears frequently in systems interviews because segmentation is a historical and still-relevant approach to isolating and protecting memory regions, and understanding it clarifies how modern operating systems manage process isolation and resource allocation.

To answer well, you need to explain how segmentation divides a process's address space into logical units (code, data, stack, heap, etc.), how the CPU and OS use segment registers or tables to map logical addresses to physical memory, and why this scheme matters for protection and relocation. Interviewers typically follow up by asking how segmentation compares to paging, what fragmentation challenges arise, or how segment faults are handled.

• Logical vs. physical address translation
• Segment tables and base-and-bounds registers
• External fragmentation and memory waste
• Comparison with paging and hybrid approaches