STORAGE

Storage is the place where data is saved in an electromagnetic or optical form for
access by a computer.Storage holds data, instructions, and information for future
use.
Difference between storage devices and storage media:
A storage medium is the physical material on which a computer keeps data,
instructions, and information.
A storage device is any hardware device capable of holding information.A
storage device is the computer hardware that records and/or retrieves items to
and from storage media. Reading is the process of transferring items from a
storage medium into memory. Writing is the process of transferring items from
memory to a storage medium. There are two storage devices used in computers
A primary storage device such as computer RAM and a secondary storage
device such as a computer hard drive.

Access time measures:

The amount of time it takes a storage
device to locate an item on a storage
medium
The time required to deliver an item
from memory to the processor

Types of computer Storage: External Hard Disk, Internal Hard Disk, Memory
Cards, USB Flash Drive, network storage device, Cloud Storage, Optical Disc,
Smart Card, Micro Film, strip card, Express Card

Hard Disks

A hard disk drive (HDD) is used for storing and retrieving digital information
using rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material. A hard
diskcontains one or more inflexible, circular platters that use magnetic particles
to store data, instructions, and information. Hard disks can store data using
longitudinal recording or perpendicular recording.
perpendicular
recording

longitudinal recording

An external hard disk is a separate free-standing hard disk that connects to your
computer with a cable or wireless. A removable hard disk is a hard disk that you
insert and remove from a drive. Internal and external hard disks are available in
miniature sizes (miniature hard disks)
Characteristics of a hard disk include:
1. Capacity. Capacity is specified in unit prefixes corresponding to powers of
1000: a 1-terabyte (TB) drive has a capacity of 1,000 gigabytes (GB;
where 1 gigabyte = 1 billion bytes)
2. Platters. A hard disk drive platter (or disk) is the circular disk on which
magnetic data is stored in a hard disk drive. The rigid nature of the
platters in a hard drive is what gives them their name. Hard drives
typically have several platters which are mounted on the same spindle. A
platter can store information on both sides, requiring two heads per
platter.
3. Disk read/write heads are the small parts of a disk drive, that move above
the disk platter and transform the platter's magnetic field into electrical
current (read the disk) or vice versa transform electrical current into
magnetic field (write the disk).
4. Cylinder-Head-Sector (CHS) addressing is the process of identifying
individual sectors on a disk by their position in a track, where the track is
determined by the head and cylinder numbers.
5. Sectors and Tracks.
A sector is a subdivision of a track on a magnetic disk or optical disc. Each
sector traditionally stores 512 bytes for hard disk drives (HDDs) and 2048
bytes for CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Newer HDDs use 4096-byte (4 KiB)
sectors, which are known as the Advanced Format (AF).
A track is a physical division of data in a disk drive, as used in the
Cylinder-Head-Record (CHR) addressing mode of a CKD disk. The concept
is concentric, through the physical platters, being a data circle per each
cylinder of the whole disk drive. In other words, the number of tracks on a
single surface in the drive exactly equals the number of cylinders of the
drive.

6. Revolutions per Minute. The

platters in contemporary
HDDs are spun at speeds
varying from 4,200 rpm in
energy-efficient portable
devices, to 15,000 rpm for
high-performance servers.
7. Transfer Rate. As of 2010, a
typical 7,200-rpm desktop
HDD has a sustained "disk-tobuffer" data transfer rate up
to 1,030 Mbits/sec. This rate
depends on the track
location; the rate is higher for
data on the outer tracks
(where there are more data
sectors per rotation) and lower toward the inner tracks (where there are
fewer data sectors per rotation); and is generally somewhat higher for
10,000-rpm drives
8. Access Time. The access time or response time of a rotating drive is a
measure of the time it takes before the drive can actually transfer data.
The factors that control this time on a rotating drive are mostly related to
the mechanical nature of the rotating disks and moving heads.

Formattingis the process of dividing the disk into tracks and sectors so that the
operating system can store and locate data and information on the disk.
How a Hard Disk Works:
Step 1: The circuit board controls the movement of the head actuator and a
small motor.
Step 2: A small motor spins the platters while the computer is running.
Step 3: When software requests a disk access, the read/write heads determine
the current or new location of the data.

Step 4: The head actuator positions the read/write head arms over the correct
location on the platters to read or write data.

The hard disk arms move the read/write head,

A head crash occurs when a
which reads items and writes items in the drive
Location often is referred to by its cylinder read/write head touches the
surface of a platter. Always keep a
backupof your hard disk
Hair

Read/write
head
Dus
t

Clearence
platter

Smoke

RAID(redundant array of independent disks) is a group of two or more integrated

hard disks. A network attached storage(NAS) device is a server connected to a
network with the sole purpose of providing storage.
A disk controller consists of a special-purpose chip and electronic circuits that
control the transfer of data, instructions, and information from a disk to and from
the system bus and other components of the computer.

Flash Memory Storage

Flash memory chips are a type of solid state media (contains electronic
components) and contain no moving parts. Solid state drives (SSDs) have several
advantages over magnetic hard disks:Faster access time, Faster transfer rates,
Generate less heat and consume less power, Last longer.

A memory cardis a removable flash memory device that you insert and remove
from a slot in a computer, mobile device, or card reader/writer.
USB flash driveis a data storage device that includes flash memory with an
integrated Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface.USB flash drives are typically
removable and rewritable, and physically much smaller than an optical disc.USB
flash drivesplug into a USB port on a computer or mobile device (512 MB-100
GB).
An Express Card module is a removable device that fits in an Express Card slot.
Commonly used in notebook computers. Developed by the PCMCIA.

Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is an Internet service that provides storage to computer users
(may or may not be free). Means "the storage of data online in the cloud," where
in a company's data is stored in and accessible from multiple distributed and
connected resources that comprise a cloud. Made up of many distributed
resources, but still acts as one - often referred to as federated storage clouds.

Highly fault tolerant through redundancy and distribution of data. Highly durable
through the creation of versioned copies. Typically eventually consistent with
regard to data replicas.
Cloud storage can provide the benefits of:

greater accessibility and reliability

rapid deployment
strong protection for backup, archival and disaster recovery purposes
lower overall storage costs as a result of not having to purchase, manage
and maintain expensive hardware.

Users subscribe to cloud storage for a variety of reasons:

Access files from any computerStore large files instantaneouslyAllow
others to access their files
View time-critical data and images immediately
Store offsite backups
Provide data center functions
Types of cloud storage:
Personal Cloud Storage also known as mobile cloud storage. Personal cloud
storage is a subset of public cloud storage that applies to storing an individual's
data in the cloud and providing the individual with access to the data from
anywhere. It also provides data syncing and sharing capabilities across multiple
devices. Apple's iCloud is an example of personal cloud storage.
Public cloud storage is where the enterprise and storage service provider are
separate and there aren't any cloud resources stored in the enterprise's data
center. The cloud storage provider fully manages the enterprise's public cloud
storage. Public cloud storage is where the enterprise and storage service
provider are separate and there aren't any cloud resources stored in the
enterprise's data center. The cloud storage provider fully manages the
enterprise's public cloud storage.
Private Cloud Storage is a form of cloud storage where the enterprise and cloud
storage provider are integrated in the enterprise's data center. In private cloud
storage, the storage provider has infrastructure in the enterprise's data center
that is typically managed by the storage provider. Private cloud storage helps
resolve the potential for security and performance concerns while still offering
the advantages of cloud storage.
Hybrid cloud storage is a combination of public and private cloud storage where
some critical data resides in the enterprise's private cloud while other data is
stored and accessible from a public cloud storage provider.

Optical Disk

An optical disc consists of a flat, round, portable disc made of metal, plastic, and
lacquer that is written and read by a laser. Typically store software, data, digital
photos, movies, and music. Read only vs. Rewritable.

Optical discs commonly store items in a single track that spirals from the center
of the disc to the edge. Track is divided into evenly sized sectors.
Optical Disk characteristics:

Uses laser to read and write data.

Can be used to store data with large volume.
Can read faster.

Optical Disc offers a few of advantages compared to other media storage that is
magnetic:
Optical Disc holds much more data.
Bigger control and focus can be obtained by laser lights (compared to
little magnetic heads) meaning that much more data could be written to
smaller spaces.
Storage capacity increases with every generation of optic media.
Standard come-ups, such as Blue-ray, offers until 27 gigabyte (GB) on a
one side 12cm disc. As a comparison, a diskette, for example, can hold
1,44 megabyte (MB).
Optical discs are relatively strong. By meaning, they wont break to
environment threats, like magnetic errors.
Disadvantages:
Media optical disc such as DVD has a way smaller capacity compared to a
hard disk.
if the bottom part of the DVD has a scratch, the data could not be read.
Besides that, not all DVD or CD can be written all over. Just the ones with
RW code can be written over.

Compact disc or CD is a media storage people often use. CD has a few types; CDR, CD-RW, and a CD-ROM (to show and play the data).

CD-R stands for Compact Disk Recordable. Data which is written inside is
called WORM ( Write Once Read Many ) which shows that the data can
only be written once and read many times.
CD-RW ( Compact Disk Recordable and re-Writable ) is an erasable
multisession disc. Must have a CD-RW drive
CD-ROM ( Compact Disk Read Only memory ) can be read from but not
written to. Read from a CD-ROM drive or CD-ROM player

Archive disc
Stores photos from an online photo center
Resolution usually is 7200 pixels per photo
Cost is determined by the number of photos being stored
Picture CD
Single-session CD-ROM that stores digital versions of film
Typically uses a 1024 x 1536 resolution
Many photo centers offer Picture CD services
A DVD-ROM is a high-capacity optical disc on which users can read but not
write or erase. Requires a DVD-ROM drive
A Blu-ray Disc-ROM (BD-ROM) has a storage capacity of 100 GBDVD-RW,
DVD+RW, and DVD+RAM are high-capacity rewritable DVD formats
Discovering
Other Types of Storage:
Tapeis a magnetically coated ribbon of plastic capable of storing large amounts
of data and information
A tape drivereads and writes data and information on a tape (sequential access)
A magnetic stripe cardcontains a magnetic stripe that stores information
A smart cardstores data on a thin microprocessor embedded in the card
A credit card is a payment card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows
the cardholder to pay for goods and services based on the holder's promise to
pay for them. The issuer of the card creates a revolving account and grants a line
of credit to the consumer (or the user) from which the user can borrow money for
payment to a merchant or as a cash advance to the user.
Microfilm is essentially 35mm photographic film that was used to take images of
the pages of a book, a periodical volume or a newspaper.Microfilmand
microfichestore microscopic images of documents on a roll or sheet film
Enterprise storage is the computer data storage designed for large-scale, hightechnology environments of modern enterprises. In contrast to consumer

storage, it has higher scalability, higher reliability, better fault tolerance, and a
much higher initial price.