What is virtual memory?

• Because your computer has a finite amount of RAM, it is possible to run out of memory when too many programs are running at one time. This is where virtual memory comes in. Virtual memory increases the available memory your computer has by enlarging the "address space," or places in memory where data can be stored. It does this by using hard disk space for additional memory allocation. However, since the hard drive is much slower than the RAM, data stored in virtual memory must be mapped back to real memory in order to be used.
  Virtual memory is commonly implemented by demand paging. It can also be implemented in a segmentation system. Demand segmentation can also be used to provide virtual memory.
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• memory that appears to exist as main storage although most of it is supported by data held in secondary storage, transfer between the two being made automatically as required.
  
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• Virtual memory is a memory management capability of an OS through which we can compensate the need and requirement of a physical memory shortages by transferring it to the disk.
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