Buddy System Questions

What is Buddy System in Operating System ?

The Buddy System is a memory allocation and management technique used in operating systems. It divides the memory into partitions to satisfy memory allocation requests while trying to minimize fragmentation. In this method, memory is split into blocks of size equal to powers of 2.

Method to Solve Buddy System Questions

• Identify the size of the memory block required for allocation.
• Find the smallest power of 2 that can accommodate the required memory size.
• Split the available memory block iteratively into smaller blocks (buddies) until the required block size is obtained.
• Allocate the memory block to the requesting process.
• When the process releases the memory, merge it with its buddy if the buddy is free, forming a larger block.
• Repeat the process for subsequent allocation or deallocation requests.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Buddy System

Why Buddy System is Better Than Other Algorithms

The Buddy System is often preferred over other memory allocation algorithms (like First Fit, Best Fit, Next Fit and Worst Fit) due to its efficient block splitting and merging mechanism, which minimizes internal fragmentation and allows for quick allocation and deallocation. Its use of power-of-2 block sizes simplifies memory management and reduces the complexity of maintaining free memory lists. However, it still requires careful management to handle external fragmentation effectively.