MGMT 1050 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Conventional Memory
MGMT 1050 Lecture 13 Notes – The hierarchy of storage
Introduction
• You will have seen the role and the inner workings of each component that we have
discussed, and you will have seen how the different components fit together to form a
complete computer system.
• You will have a better understanding of how to select particular components to satisfy
specific system requirements and of how to determine device capacities and
capabilities.
• Computer storage is often conceptualized hierarchically, based upon the speed with
which data can be accessed.
• The table shows this hierarchy, together with some typical access times.
• At the top of the hierarchy are the CPU registers used to hold data for the short term
while processing is taking place.
• Access to registers is essentially instantaneous, since the registers are actually a part of
the CPU.
• Cache memory, if present, is the fastest memory outside the CPU.
• You recall that cache memory is a small fast memory that is used to hold current data
and instructions.
• The CPU will always attempt to access current instructions and data in cache memory
before it looks at conventional memory.
• There may be as many as three different levels of cache.
• The CPU accesses the data or instruction in conventional memory if cache memory is
not present.
• Next in the hierarchy is conventional memory.
• Both conventional and cache memory are referred to as primary memory.
• Both provide immediate access to program instructions and data by the CPU and can be
used for the execution of programs.
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