Q3Computer Architecture
Question
Q.3. Define segmentation.
Answer
Segmentation divides a program's logical address space into variable-sized, logically meaningful segments (code, data, stack), each independently addressed via a segment number and offset.
Segmentation is a memory management technique that partitions a program into variable-length logical units called segments (such as the code segment, data segment, and stack segment), each treated as a separate independent entity with its own base address and length maintained in a segment table. An address in a segmented system consists of a segment number and an offset within that segment, allowing modular program organization, independent protection and sharing of segments, and better correspondence to the logical structure of a program compared to fixed-size paging.