Fragmentation refers to the division of data into smaller pieces or fragments. In computer science, it commonly refers to the phenomenon where files or memory become broken up and scattered across different locations, resulting in inefficient use of storage or memory space.
There are two main types of fragmentation:
1. File fragmentation: This occurs when a file is divided into non-contiguous segments and stored in different locations on a storage device. It can happen due to the gradual deletion and creation of files over time. File fragmentation can slow down file access and retrieval times because the computer must search for and retrieve the scattered fragments.
2. Memory fragmentation: This happens in computer systems where the available memory becomes divided into small, non-contiguous free blocks. It is typically a result of allocating and deallocating memory dynamically. Memory fragmentation can lead to inefficient memory usage and can cause memory allocation failures when large enough contiguous memory blocks are not available even if the total free memory is sufficient.
Fragmentation can be managed through processes like defragmentation, which reorganizes fragmented files or memory blocks to increase efficiency. Defragmentation brings together the scattered fragments into contiguous blocks, allowing for faster access and utilization of storage or memory space.
wht is fragmentation
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