Storage

What is storage?
Holds data, instructions, and information for future use Storage medium is physical material used for storage

Also called secondary storage

Learning Outcome

Distinguish between memory and storage. Explain how data is organized in a hard disk and floppy disk. Discuss optical disc technology. Other various storage

Capacity
What is capacity?

Number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can hold

Volatility
How does volatility compare?
Storage medium is nonvolatilecontents retained when power is off Memory is volatileholds data and instructions temporarily
ON
Volatile
Screen Display

OFF
Display disappears Data and instructions erased Contents retained

Display appears Data and instructions available to user Contents available to user

Nonvolatile

Memory (most RAM) (chips on motherboard) Storage Medium (floppy disks, Zip disks, hard disks, CDs)

Storage Device
What is a storage device?
Hardware that records and retrieves items to and from storage media

Reading
Process of transferring items from storage media to memory

Writing
Process of transferring items from memory to storage media

Functions as source of input

Creates output

Access Time
What is access time?
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

Magnetic Disks
What are tracks and sectors?

Track is narrow recording band that forms full circle on disk

Sector stores up to 512 bytes of data

Formatting prepares disk for use and marks bad sectors as unusable

Magnetic Disks
What is a hard disk?
hard disk installed in system unit

High-capacity storage Consists of several inflexible, circular platters that store items electronically Components enclosed in airtight, sealed case for protection

Magnetic Disks
What are characteristics of a hard disk?
Sample Hard Disk Characteristics
Advertised capacity Platters Read/write heads Cylinders Bytes per second Sectors per track Sectors per drive Revolutions per minute Transfer rate Access time 120 GB 3 6 16,383 512 63 234,441,648 7,200 133 MB per second 8.9 ms

actual disk capacity

Magnetic Disks
How does a hard disk work?
Step 3.
When software requests a disk access, read/write heads determine current or new location of data.

Step 2.
Small motor spins platters while computer is running.

Step 4.

Step 1.
Circuit board controls movement of head actuator and a small motor.

Head actuator positions read/write head arms over correct location on platters to read or write data.

Magnetic Disks
platter

What is a cylinder?

Vertical section of track through all platters

track sector

Single movement of read/write head arms accesses all platters in cylinder

read/write head

platter

sides
cylinder

Magnetic Disks
What is a head crash?

Occurs when read/write head touches platter surface Spinning creates cushion of air that floats read/write head above platter
Clearance between head and platter is approximately two-millionths of an inch A smoke particle, dust particle, or human hair could render drive unusable

hair read/write head

clearance platter

dust
smoke

Magnetic Disks
What is a disk controller?

Chip and circuits that control transfer of items from disk

SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) controller uses serial signals to transfer data, instructions, and information

SCSI EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive (Small Computer System Interface) controller supports up to fifteen Electronics) controller supports four devices including hard disks, CD hard disks, provides connections for and DVD drives, tape drives, printers, CD and DVD drives scanners, network cards

Flash Memory Storage

Flash memory chips are a type of solid state media 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

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Flash Memory Storage

Page 363 Figure 7-17

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Flash Memory Storage

A memory card is a removable flash memory device that you insert and remove from a slot in a computer, mobile device, or card reader/writer
Secure Digital (SD)
Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)

CompactFlash (CF)

microSD

microSDHC

xD Picture Card

Memory Stick

Memory Stick Micro (M2)

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Flash Memory Storage

Pages 364 365 Figures 7-18 7-19

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Cloud Storage

Cloud storage is an Internet service that provides storage to computer users

Page 368 Figure 7-23

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Cloud Storage

Page 368 Figure 7-24

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Optical Discs
How does a laser read data on an optical disc?
disc label

lens

pit 0 prism Step 2.

land
If light strikes a pit, it scatters. If light strikes a land, it is reflected back toward diode.

lens Step 3. 1 prism lightsensing diode

Reflected light is deflected to a light-sensing diode, which sends digital signals of 1 to computer. Absence of reflected light is read as digital signal of 0.

Step 1.
Laser diode shines a light beam toward disc.

laser diode

lightsensing diode

laser diode

Optical Discs
How is data stored on an optical disc?

Typically stored in single track Track divided into evenly sized sectors that store items
single track spirals to edge of disc disc sectors

Optical Discs
What are CD-Rs and CD-RWs?
Must have CD recorder or CD-R drive

CD-R (compact disc-recordable) disc you can write on once

c

Cannot erase discs contents CD-RW (compact disc-rewritable) erasable disc you can write on multiple times
ce

Must have CD-RW software and CD-RW drive

Optical Discs
How does a DVD-ROM store data?

Two layers of pits are used, lower layer is semitransparent so laser can read through Some are double-sided Blu-Ray discs currently have a storage capacity of up to 100 GB

Other Types of Storage

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Tape
What is tape?

Magnetically coated plastic ribbon capable of storing large amounts of data at low cost Primarily used for backup

Tape
How is data stored on a tape?

Sequential access
Reads and writes data consecutively, like music tape Unlike direct access used on floppy disks, Zip disks, hard disks, CDs, and DVDs which can locate particular item immediately