Shared Memory
Shared memory is a method of inter-process communication (IPC) where multiple processes can access the same region of physical memory, allowing them to exchange data efficiently without copying. It enables high-speed data sharing between processes running on the same system, often used in parallel computing and performance-critical applications. This approach reduces overhead compared to other IPC mechanisms like message passing or pipes.
Developers should learn shared memory when building applications that require low-latency communication between processes, such as real-time systems, high-performance computing (HPC), or multi-process architectures like database systems. It is particularly useful in scenarios where large datasets need to be shared quickly, such as in scientific simulations, video processing, or financial trading platforms, to avoid the performance penalties of data duplication.