-
Memory Isolation: Logical addresses provide memory isolation between processes. Each process operates in its own logical address space, preventing one process from directly accessing or modifying the memory of another process.
-
Abstraction and Portability: Logical addresses abstract the underlying physical memory, allowing programmers to write code that is portable and independent of the specific hardware configuration. Programs can be designed without having to worry about the actual layout of physical memory.
-
Virtual Memory: Logical addresses enable the use of virtual memory, where a portion of the program’s data and code can reside in secondary storage (such as a hard drive) when not actively in use. This allows programs to work with more data than can fit in physical memory.
-
Memory Management: Logical addresses facilitate memory management by allowing the operating system to dynamically allocate and manage physical memory resources for different processes. The OS can use techniques like paging or segmentation to map logical addresses to physical addresses efficiently.
-
Security: Logical addresses enhance security by preventing unauthorized access to physical memory locations. The operating system can enforce memory protection mechanisms to ensure that processes only access memory within their allocated logical address spaces.