Next Fit Algorithm in Operating System (OS)

Next fit is another version of First Fit in which memory is searched for empty spaces similar to the first fit memory allocation scheme. Unlike first-fit memory allocation, the only difference between the two is, in the case of next fit, if the search is interrupted in between, the new search is carried out from the last location.

Next fit can also be said as the modified version of the first fit as it starts searching for a free memory as following the first-fit memory allocation scheme. This memory allocation scheme uses a moving pointer which moves along the empty memory slots to search memory for the next fit. The next fit memory allocation method avoids memory allocation always from the beginning of the memory space. The operating system uses a memory allocation algorithm, also known as the scheduling algorithm for this purpose.