Volatile

What does Volatile mean?

In computing, volatile refers to data that can change at any time and is not guaranteed to be persistent. Volatile data is stored in memory that is powered by electricity, and when the power is turned off, the data is lost. This is in contrast to non-volatile data, which is stored on a permanent storage medium such as a hard Drive or solid-State drive and is not lost when the power is turned off.

Volatile data is often used to store temporary data that is not needed after the Program that created it has finished running. For example, a program might store the current state of a game in volatile memory so that the game can be resumed if the player quits and then starts the game again. Volatile data can also be used to store data that is frequently updated, such as the current time or the position of the mouse cursor.

Volatile data is an important part of computing because it allows programs to store data that is needed quickly and easily. However, it is important to remember that volatile data is not persistent and will be lost if the power is turned off.

Applications

Volatile data is used in a wide variety of applications, including:

• Operating systems: Operating systems use volatile memory to store the current state of the system, including the running processes, the open files, and the memory usage. This data is needed to keep the system running smoothly and efficiently.
• Databases: Databases use volatile memory to store the current state of the database, including the data that has been changed but not yet committed to the database. This data is needed to ensure that the database is consistent and up-to-date.
• Web browsers: Web browsers use volatile memory to store the current state of the browser, including the open tabs, the browsing history, and the cookies. This data is needed to provide the user with a seamless browsing experience.
• Games: Games use volatile memory to store the current state of the game, including the player’s position, the level that is being played, and the score. This data is needed to keep the game running smoothly and to allow the player to resume the game if they quit and then start the game again.

History

The concept of volatile data has been around since the early days of computing. In the 1950s and 1960s, computers used magnetic Core Memory to store data. Magnetic core memory was volatile, meaning that the data stored in it was lost when the power was turned off.

In the 1970s, semiconductor memory was developed. Semiconductor memory is non-volatile, meaning that the data stored in it is not lost when the power is turned off. However, semiconductor memory is also more expensive than magnetic core memory.

Today, both volatile and Non-Volatile Memory are used in computers. Volatile memory is used to store data that is needed quickly and easily, while non-volatile memory is used to store data that is needed to be persistent.