Computing term referring to the process where data or memory becomes divided into non-contiguous pieces, often leading to performance issues.
I ran a defragmentation to resolve the fragmentation of the hard disk.
メモリの断片化が進むと、システムの動作が遅くなることがある。
As memory fragmentation progresses, system performance can slow down.
断片 means 'fragment' or 'piece', while 断片化 is the noun form meaning 'fragmentation' as a process or state.
file fragmentation
Compound of 断片 (fragment) + 化 (-ization). The word is a straightforward Sino-Japanese formation used primarily in technical contexts.