Module 6

17. Cache memory is typically positioned between: A) the CPU and RAM B) the CPU and the hard drive C) ROM and RAM D) none of the above

Answer: A

19. Information can be retrieved fastest from: A) hard disk B) magnetic tape C) optical disk D) USB flash drive

Answer: A

20. Cache mapping is necessary because: A) the address generated by the CPU must be converted to a cache location B) cache is so small that its use requires a map C) cache is larger than main memory and mapping allows us to store multiple copies of each piece of data from main memory D) none of the above

Answer: A

6. When the requested data resides in a given level of memory, we call this a ________. A) hit B) penalty C) miss D) locality of reference

Answer: A

10. Which of the following types of memory needs to be refreshed periodically to maintain its data? A) SRAM B) DRAM C) ROM D) all of the above

Answer: B

11. If a cache access requires one clock cycle and dealing with cache misses requires an additional five clock cycles, which of the following cache hit rates results in an effective access time of 2 clock cycles? A) 70% B) 80% C) 85% D) 90% E) 95%

Answer: B

15. The main memory in a desktop personal computer is made of: A) ROM B) RAM C) cache D) none of the above

Answer: B

21. The tag field of a main memory address is used to determine: A) if the cache entry is valid B) if the cache entry is the desired block C) if the memory address is valid D) none of the above

Answer: B

23. Cache replacement policies are necessary: A) to determine which cache mapping policy to use B) to determine which block in cache should be the victim block C) to decide where to put blocks when cache is empty D) all of the above

Answer: B

3. The basic difference between RAM and ROM memory is: A) RAM is nonvolatile while ROM is volatile B) RAM is read/write while ROM Is read only C) ROM is used to store programs and data, while RAM is not D) ROM is typically specified when you buy a computer; RAM is not

Answer: B

4. The approach of using a combination of memory types to provide the best performance at the best cost is called: A) caching B) hierarchical memory C) solid state memory D) off-line memory

Answer: B

1. _______ memory allows data to be both read from and written to easily and rapidly. A) EPROM B) ROM C) RAM D) PROM

Answer: C

12. A major advantage of direct mapped cache is its simplicity and ease of implementation. The main disadvantage of direct mapped cache is: A) it is more expensive than fully associative and set associative mapping B) it has a greater access time than any other method C) its performance is degraded if two or more blocks that map to the same location are used alternately D) it does not allow the cache to store the tag that corresponds to the block currently residing in that cache location

Answer: C

14. Memory that is accessed by searching for content is called: A) read only memory B) erasable memory C) associative memory D) virtual memory

Answer: C

18. What characteristic of RAM makes it unsuitable for permanent storage? A) not reliable B) too slow C) volatile D) all of the above

Answer: C

2. ________ memory is a small, high-speed, high-cost memory that servers as a buffer for frequently accessed data. A) ROM B) RAM C) cache D) SRAM

Answer: C

22. The offset field of a main memory address is used to determine: A) if the cache entry is valid B) if the cache entry is the desired block C) the location of the desired data in the cache block D) none of these

Answer: C

5. Examples of secondary memory include: A) ROM, PROM, and EROM B) main memory and cache C) magnetic disk drives and solid state memory D) optical jukeboxes and tape libraries

Answer: C

7. "Locality of reference" refers to: A) data always being in cache B) programs always referencing data in RAM C) clustering of memory references D) the requirement that forces us to use a large amount of expensive memory

Answer: C

9. Which of the following types of memory has the longest access time? A) cache memory B) main memory C) secondary memory D) registers

Answer: C

13. The average time required to reach a memory storage location and retrieve its contents is called: A) latency B) response time C) hit time D) effective access time

Answer: D

16. Cache memory is effective because: A) it is very inexpensive B) it is very large C) it is very small D) of the principle of locality

Answer: D

24. All of the following are cache replacement algorithms except: A) LRU B) FIFO C) random D) thrashing

Answer: D

8. Which of the following types of memory has the shortest access time? A) cache memory B) main memory C) secondary memory D) registers

Answer: D