MemScope: Analyzing Memory Duplication on Android Systems

Abstract

Main memory is one of the most important and valuable resources in mobile devices. While resource efficiency, in general, is important in mobile computing where programs run on limited battery power and resources, managing main memory is especially critical because it has a significant impact on user experience. However, there is mounting evidence that Android systems do not utilize main memory efficiently, and actually cause page-level duplications in the physical memory. This paper takes the first step in accurately measuring the level of memory duplication and diagnosing the root cause of the problem. To this end, we develop a system called MemScope that automatically identifies and measures memory duplication levels for Android systems. It identifies which memory segment contains duplicate memory pages by analyzing the page table and the memory content. We present the design of MemScope and our preliminary evaluation. The results show that 10 to 20% of memory pages used by applications are redundant. We identify several possible causes of the problem.