Memory and IO: Important Questions

Computer Organization and Architecture

Chapter 4: Memory and IO

Important Questions

1. Define a memory cell. Give an example.

2. Define a 'memory location' and a 'cell'.

3. Write a short note on semiconductor memories.

4. State various characteristics of memory devices and explain in brief any two.

5. Distinguish between volatile and non ‒ volatile memories.

6. Explain the key characteristics of computer memory systems

7. Explain the various characteristics of memory system.

8. Classify memories on the basic of principle of operation, physical characteristics, mode of access and fabrication technology.

9. Give the classification of semiconductor memories.

10. Which memory is called volatile? Why?

11. Explain static memory.

12. Give the classification of primary memory.

13. Explain the necessity of memory hierarchy. Write a note on memory hierarchy.

14. Draw different memory address layouts and brief about the technique used to increase the average rate of fetching words from the main memory.

15. Draw the memory hierarchy in a typical computer system.

16. What is cache memory? Why is it implemented?

17. Explain the need for cache memory.

18. Explain the block diagram of cache memory system.

19. What is program locality?

20. Define locality of reference. What are its types?

21. Define the terms: spatial locality and temporal locality.

22. Explain the concept of block fetch.

23. Discuss the various mapping techniques used in cache memories.

24. What is a mapping function? What are the ways the cache can be mapped?

25. Explain about direct mapping in cache memory.

26. Explain about associative mapping in cache memory.

27. Explain about set associative mapping in cache memory.

28. Write notes on set associative mapping of cache.

29. Explain different types of mapping functions in cache memory.

30. Explain the various mapping techniques associated with cache memories.

31. Explain the various cache replacement policies in the cache memory.

32. Explain mapping functions in cache memory to determine how memory blocks are placed in cache.

33. Explain the different mapping functions that can be applied on cache memories in detail.

34. What is virtual memory?

35. What are benefits of virtual memory?

36. Explain the virtual memory address translation and TLB with necessary diagram.

37. What is virtual memory? Explain how the logical address is translated into physical address in the virtual memory system with a neat diagram.

38. Discuss the address translation mechanism.

39. What is the function of a TLB (Translation Look‒aside Buffer)?

40. Define Translation Lookaside Buffer (TLB}. What is its use?

41. Explain a method translating virtual address to physical address.

42. Write short note on page segmentation.

43. Write a short note on demand paging.

44. What are the page replacement algorithms? Give details of LRU algorithm.

45. What are the steps involved in LRU replacement algorithm?

46. What is virtual memory? Explain in detail about how virtual memory is implemented with neat diagram?

47. Discuss the steps involved in the address translation of virtual memory with necessary block diagram.

48. Explain virtual memory address translation in detail with necessary diagrams.

49. Explain in detail the different types of memory management techniques used in computer systems.

50. Describe contiguous memory allocation and its types.

51. What is the difference between fixed partitioning and dynamic partitioning? Explain their advantages and disadvantages.

52. Discuss non‒contiguous memory allocation techniques in detail.

53. Explain the concept of paging in memory management. Describe its advantages and disadvantages.

54. What is segmentation? Explain its working, advantages and disadvantages.

55. Write a detailed comparison between various memory management techniques such as fixed partitioning, dynamic partitioning, paging, segmentation, Segmented Paging and Virtual Memory.

56. Write a short note on associative memory.

57. Explain the role of associative memory.

58. Describe by means of block diagram how multiple matched words can be read out from an associative memory.

59. What is CAM? Explain it with block diagram.

60. Explain associative memory with its hardware organization. Explain how the data is read and write in the associative memory.

61. Attempt: Content addressable memory.

62. Give the use and role of CAM.

63. What is a Virtual Machine? Why VMs became popular ?

64. Explain the components of virtualization.

65. Explain how the VMM provides isolation between multiple virtual machines.

66. What is a Hypervisor or VMM ?

67. State any two advantages of virtual machines.

68. What is virtualization overhead? Explain how CPU‒bound, I/O‒bound and I/O‒intensive programs behave under virtualization.

69. Discuss the requirements of a Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM).

70. Describe the hardware and ISA requirements necessary to support efficient virtualization.

71. Explain the protection issues related to instruction set architectures in virtual machines

72. Write a short note on

a) Keyboard

b) Mouse

c) Scanner

73. Write a short note on

a) Cathode‒Ray Tubes

b) Vector scan display

c) Raster scan display

d) Beam penetration technique

e) Shadow mask technique

74. Explain the working of direct‒view storage tubes.

75. List the advantages and disadvantages of DVST.

76. Write a short note on

a) Flat panel display b) Plasma panel display

6. List the important characteristics of video display devices.

77. Write a short note on dot matrix printer.

78. Write a short note on desk jet printer.

79. Write a short note on laser printer.

80. Write short notes on I/O devices.

81. Explain the role of the operating system in handling I/O operations. Discuss why user programs cannot directly access I/O devices.

82. Describe memory‒mapped I/O and I/O‒mapped I/O. Compare both techniques.

83. What is polling ?

84. What is interrupt ?

85. What is interrupt‒driven I/O ?

86. Compare polling and interrupt‒driven I/O and explain why interrupts are preferred in most systems.

87. Write a detailed note on vectored and non‒vectored interrupts.

88. Discuss the general steps involved in interrupt driven data transfer.

89. How does the processor handle an interrupt request?

90. Why are interrupt masks provided in any processor?

91. What is a non‒maskable interrupt? What is the action performed on receipt of a NMI?

92. What are vectored interrupts ?

93. What do you mean by interrupt nesting?

94. What is priority interrupt?

95. Explain the interrupt priority schemes.

96. Explain the different types of interrupts and the different ways of handling interrupts.

97. Explain how the operating system handles interrupt priorities. Write the steps followed by the OS during interrupt handling.

98. Explain how interrupt priority levels are handled in systems like MIPS.

99. Explain the three methods of transferring data between an I/O device and memory.

100. What is DMA operation? State its advantages.

101. Why do we need DMA ?

102. Write note on : DMA.

103. Explain in detail about Direct Memory Access methods (DMA).

104. With a neat sketch explain the working principle of DMA.

105. What are the necessary operations needed to start an I/O operation using DMA ?

106. Explain how DMA transfer is accomplished with a neat diagram.

107. Explain the steps involved in the DMA operation.

108. Explain about DMA controller, with the help of a block diagram.

109. Discuss the problems caused by DMA in virtual memory and cache systems. Explain the techniques used to solve these problems.

110. Write a note on RAID.

111. State the benefits and drawbacks of RAID.

112. Explain various RAID levels. State their benefits and drawbacks.