Files exchanged in and out of RAM are referred to as what?

Files exchanged in and out of RAM are referred to as swap files. Swap files play a crucial role in managing the system's memory resources. When the RAM becomes full, the operating system can swap data that is not immediately needed from RAM to a swap file, which is typically located on the hard drive. This process allows the system to free up RAM for active processes and applications, ensuring that the computer continues to operate smoothly even when running multiple programs simultaneously.

By using swap files, the system can effectively increase the amount of memory available beyond the physical limits of RAM, although accessing data from a swap file is slower than accessing the same data directly from RAM. This mechanism helps maintain overall system performance during high memory usage periods, making it a fundamental part of memory management in operating systems.