CPU and Kernel Page Faults

Nov 24, 2025
48 mins

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Episode Description

Page faults occurs when the process tries to access a memory that isn’t backed by a physical page kernel raises a fault which loads a page. It happens on first access, stack expansion, COW, swap and much more. However it comes with a cost. 


In this episode of the backend engineering show I dissect the need and the cost page faults in the kernel. 


  • 0:00 Intro 
  • 4:00 Virtual memory
    • Abstraction of physical memory
    • Memory sharing
    • Allow more processes to run , unused go to disk
    • Numa, kernel can place memory near the cpu
  • 12:00 VMA areas
    • Text/code 
    • Data 
    • BSS
    • Heap
    • Stack
  • 19:50 Kernel mode
  • 25:30 What is a Page fault?
  • 30:30 First access page fault
  • 33:00 Stack Expansion page fault
  • 34:30 CoW page fault
  • 38:00 Swap page fault
  • 39:39 File backed page fault
  • 40:29 Permission page fault 
  • 45:30 Summary



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