Non-single level stores are copy-on-demand. Typically, a process runs a program by starting with an empty address space and mapping the executable code into that space. The program is started, the first instruction fetched; the address space is empty a page fault occurs and the page is copied in. If the page is modified, that is local to the process and the disk image is unchanged. Each process has its own copy of writable pages.

With single level store, the program pages are mapped in, not copied. Writing to the page alters the disk image. All processes running the same program share the memory pages.