Storage - the area where data can be left on a permanent basis while it is not needed for processing

Examples of Storage devices

ROM chips (Read-Only Memory)
magnetic disks
CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory)

magnetic tapes
Versatility: the ability of a storage device to access data from more than one type of storage media
Durability : The ability of a storage medium to withstand damage or mishandling.
Optical storage is more durable than magnetic storage

Capacity : The amount of data a storage medium can store.

Speed
Access time: The average time it takes a computer to locate data on the storage medium. (measured in milliseconds)
Random access (direct access): The ability of a storage device to jump directly to the requested data.
Sequential access devices must read from the beginning to end in order (tape drive).
Data transfer rate: The amount of data that a storage device can move from the storage medium to the computer per second.
Magnetic and Optical Technologies

Magnetic storage uses hard disk, floppy disk, and tape storage media and stores data by magnetized microscopic particles on the disk or tape surface.
A read-write head mechanism in the disk drive reads and writes the magnetized particles that represent data.
Optical storage uses CD and DVD storage media and stores data as microscopic light and dark spots on the disk surface.
The dark spots are called pits and the light spots are called lands.
Hard Disk Technology
A hard disk platter is a flat, rigid disk made of aluminum or glass and coated with a magnetic oxide.

A hard disk consists of multiple hard disk platters.

A hard drive mechanism includes a circuit board called a controller that positions the disk and read-write heads to locate data.
Direct memory access (DMA) allows a computer to transfer data directly from a drive into RAM without using the processor.

Ultra DMA (UDMA) is a faster version of DMA technology.

A head crash occurs when a read-write head physically touches a disk platter.

RAID (redundant array of independent disks) contains many disk platters, provides redundancy, achieves faster data access than standard hard disks.
Tape Storage Technology
A tape backup is a copy of the data on the hard disk that is stored on magnetic tape and used to restore lost data.

Data on a tape drive is arranged as essentially a long sequence of bits.

Tape is not practical as a computer’s main storage device. However, for backing up data, it takes about 15-20 minutes to back up 1 GB of data.
OPEN REEL TAPES – large reels with 16 mm film and access time in seconds , seen in old movies

TAPE CARTRIDGES – half-inch removable magnetic tape similar to cassette tapes

IBM 3607 2 U Rackmount LTO Tape Autoloader

80 MB/s

16-cartridge tape

3.2 TB³ of data storage in compressed mode

Tape Backup
One of the simplest and most versatile tape backup software in the world.

Compatible with any tape format (DAT, DDS, DLT, SDLT, AIT, VXA, LTO, etc...)

any tape drive interface (SCSI, IDE, USB, SAS, etc...).

Floppy Disk Technology
A floppy disk is a round piece of flexible mylar plastic covered with a thin layer of magnetic oxide and sealed inside a protective casing.
A floppy disk can hold 1.44MB of data.

A ZIP disk or a Superdisk can hold 100 to 750 MB of data (various sizes). 20 times more faster

Disk density refers to the closeness and size of the magnetic particles on the disk surface. The higher the disk density, the smaller the magnetic particles.

A floppy disk features a write-protect window which allows you to protect the data on the disk form erasing existing data or adding new data.
& CLUSTERS
To speed up the process of reading and writing of data, a disk drive handles a groups of sectors called “clusters”

Depends on the capacity and the disk technical specifications.

CD Technology
CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) contains data that has been stamped on the disk surface when it was manufactured.

Read only means that the computer can retrieve data from a CD-ROM but cannot save any new data on it or delete data from it.

A CD-ROM can store up to 680MB of data.

CD-R & CD-RW Technologies
CD-R (compact disc-recordable) .

The data on a CD-R disk cannot be erased or modified once you have recorded it, but more data can be added until it is full.
CD-RW (compact disc-rewritable) technology allows you to write data on a CD, then change that data.

DVD, DVD+RW Technologies

DVD (digital video /versatile disc) is a variation of CD technology that is designed to provide enough storage capacity for a full-length movie. (4.7 GB or
more)

A DVD-ROM disk is stamped with data and cannot be changed.

DVD+RW uses phase change technology very similar to CD-RWs.

There are already computers with one device that can read CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMS, and write DVDs.
Adding Storage Devices
The system unit case for a desktop computer contains several storage device “parking spaces” called drive bays.

If you have an empty bay of the right type and size, you can add a storage device.

Bays come in two widths:

5 ¼” and 3 ½”

HDD Form Factors and Interfaces

Solid State Storage (SSS)
A nonvolatile storage medium that employs integrated circuits (RAM or flash memory) rather than rotating magnetic or optical media. It generally offers
very high access performance compared to that of rotating magnetic disks, because it eliminates mechanical seek and rotation time. It includes all form
factors, interfaces, and technologies, including flash and RAM.

Solid State Drive (SSD)

A subset of SSS which uses the same interfaces and form factor as hard disk drives (HDDs)

SSD Technology
A Solid-State Disk (SSD) is a data storage device that emulates a hard disk drive (HDD)
NAND Flash SSD’s are essentially arrays of flash memory devices which include a controller that electrically and mechanically emulate, and are software
compatible with magnetic HDD’s
Flash memory
is a non-volatile computer storage technology that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed.

It is primarily used in memory cards, USB flash drives, and solid-state drives for general storage and transfer of data between computers and other
digital products.

It is a specific type of EEPROM (electrically-erasable programmable read-only memory) that is erased and programmed in large blocks; in early flash the
entire chip had to be erased at once.

History of the USB flash drive

The USB technology – Universal Serial Bus was created in 1996 by seven companies Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Compaq, DEC, NEC and Nortel.
USB flash drive was invented by Dov Moran in 1998.
The first USB flash drive was commercially introduced in 2000 under the name "Thumbdrive" by Trek Technology. Its capacity was 8 MB.
In 2003 was founded organization USB Flash Drive Alliance . It is group of companies (Corsair Memory, Kingston Technology, Microsoft and others)
promoting and providing support to USB flash drives.