Solaris™ Internals: Core Kernel Components

1.7. Memory Management

The Solaris virtual memory (VM) system can be considered to be the core of the operating system—it manages the system's memory on behalf of the kernel and processes. The main task of the VM system is to manage efficient allocation of the system's physical memory to the processes and kernel subsystems running within the operating system. The VM system uses slower storage media (usually disk) to store data that does not fit within the physical memory of the system, thus accommodating programs larger than the size of physical memory. The VM system is what keeps the most frequently used portions within physical memory and the lesser-used portions on the slower secondary storage.

For processes, the VM system presents a simple ...