Muistisiirto

Muistisiirto is a Finnish term that translates to "memory transfer" or "memory migration." In computing, it refers to the process of moving data from one memory location to another. This can occur within the same physical memory module, between different types of memory (such as RAM and persistent storage), or even between different devices. The primary goal of memory transfer is to optimize system performance, manage memory resources efficiently, or enable data persistence.

One common context for memory transfer is in virtual memory systems. Here, less frequently used pages of data from RAM are moved to slower, secondary storage like a hard drive or SSD. This frees up RAM for actively used programs, allowing the system to run more applications concurrently than its physical memory would otherwise permit. When the data is needed again, it is transferred back into RAM.

Another application is in data backup and recovery. Essential data might be periodically transferred from volatile memory to non-volatile storage to prevent loss in case of power failure or system malfunction. Techniques like direct memory access (DMA) allow for efficient memory transfer between peripherals and main memory without significant CPU intervention, further enhancing system responsiveness. The efficiency and speed of memory transfer are crucial factors in overall system performance.