Memory Mapped Files
Memory Mapped Files is a technique that allows files or file-like resources to be mapped directly into a process's virtual memory space, enabling applications to access file data as if it were in-memory arrays. This bypasses traditional I/O operations like read() and write(), providing efficient random access and sharing between processes. It leverages the operating system's virtual memory management to handle paging and caching automatically.
Developers should use Memory Mapped Files for high-performance scenarios involving large files, such as database systems, video processing, or scientific computing, where low-latency random access is critical. It's also valuable for inter-process communication (IPC) by allowing multiple processes to share data efficiently without copying, and in embedded systems or real-time applications where direct memory access optimizes resource usage.