What is Data Storage? Data Storage Types & AttributesWhat are the different types of data storage, and how can you choose the best solution for your business? Show
What is data storage going to do to improve your business operations? It's no secret that technology glitches can (and do) occur for both small businesses as well as international corporations. Protecting your users' and company's important files and historical archive of documents with storage solutions is a vital part of running a business; it will also help to ensure that your files can be recovered if a major loss does occur. Reliability, cost of the storage system and security offerings are the major considerations to keep in mind as you prepare to implement data storage, performance management and disaster recovery plans. Shop Data Storage Solutions from CDW Historically, SSDs have been designed to fit in the same I/O interface as a hard disk drive (HDD), such as the SATA and the SAS interface, to connect to the host computer. Although most SSDs today use 3D TLC NAND-based flash memory, rapid developments in Non-volatile Memory Express (NVMe), NVMe over Fabrics (NVMe-oF), and storage-class memory (SCM) technologies offer tremendous potential in the data center. NVMe is an interface protocol for accessing flash storage via a PCI Express (PCIe) bus. Unlike traditional all-flash architectures, which are limited to a single, serial command queue, NVMe supports tens of thousands of parallel queues, each with the ability to support tens of thousands of concurrent commands. NVMe-oF is a host-side interface into storage systems that extends many of the relevant NVMe capabilities over a remote direct memory access (RDMA) or Fibre Channel fabric. With NVMe-oF, it is possible to scale out to large numbers of NVMe devices, even over distances. SCM, also known as persistent memory (PMEM), is a new type of media technology that is blurring the line between memory and storage because it can be used as either. Examples of SCM include Intel’s 3D XPoint and Samsung’s Z-NAND media. When broadly deployed, NVMe and NVMe-oF, especially in combination with SCM, can dramatically accelerate a new generation of applications, delivering 10x lower latency and maximum IOPS. NetApp was the first to market with high-capacity 15TB SSDs based on 3D NAND technology. It is now leading the future of flash with a powerful vision of integrating the new flash storage systems based on NVMe, NVMe-oF, and SCM into the existing infrastructure nondisruptively.
INTRODUCTIONIn this section, you will get more detail about the purpose of storage, what the difference is between primary and secondary storage, why computers need storage and what online storage is. You will be introduced to the storage devices that do the processing in a computer, such as the motherboard, random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM) and central processing unit (CPU) and what their functions are. Storage media have come such a long way since the early days of computing, and the size of data has grown so much that it is impossible to imagine that all it took to get humans to the moon was about 600 MB of data. Something to know One gigabyte (GB) is equal to 1 024 megabytes (MB), and one terabyte (TB) is equal to 1 024 GB. PRIMARY STORAGEPrimary storage is also called the main or internal memory of the computer. This storage is accessed directly by the CPU and is where the main instructions for the computer’s operations are stored. The CPU can access these instructions and execute them as they are needed. Primary storage is most often the RAM and the ROM, which will be discussed later in this chapter. The main function of the primary storage devices is to hold data for a short period of time while the computer is running and power is going to the devices. This data is removed once the power is stopped (like when the computer is shut down). SECONDARY STORAGESecondary storage is also called external, secondary or auxiliary memory. This type of storage holds data for the long term. Data stored on secondary storage devices can only be removed by deleting it. Secondary memory is where the operating system, hardware drivers and data created by the user is kept and stored permanently. This means that, in the case of power failures, secondary storage will preserve the information that is saved to it, even if the power to the computer is lost, while the data on the primary storage devices will be lost. The most common example of secondary storage is the hard drive inside a computer. Other examples include solid-state drives (SSDs), USB flash drives and secure digital (SD) cards. Table 3.1: Comparison: Memory versus storage STORAGE MEDIA FOR BACKUPOne purpose of storage devices is to back up or archive your important data. In the business world, there is a need to store data permanently and in a way that does not get destroyed, corrupted or damaged easily. Different types of storage media can be used for backing up or archiving. Backups are records of important information that is used often. Backups are kept for a relatively short period of time. Table 3.1 lists the advantages and disadvantages of different types of storage media used for backups. BACKUP DEVICESBackup refers to the process of making copies of data or data files to use in the event the original data or data files are lost or destroyed or storing the copies in a different place from where you keep your computer. The most popular backup media to use are:
Archiving, on the other hand, is the long-term storage of information that will be used in future. Archived data is data that is not actively used and is original data that has been removed from its original location. There are several different storage media that can be used for archiving. Magnetic tape has a very large storage capacity (up to 180 TB), but can be destroyed very easily and the data can be lost. Online storage is an option and online storage providers (such as Amazon AWS) have relatively inexpensive packages available for storage and archiving. The data stored in a backup is a copy of the current and active operational data in use by a business. This includes files which are currently being accessed and changed on a regular basis. The files stored on an archive are generally no longer in use, not changing frequently and not required on a regular basis. Activity 3.1 1.Multiple choice: a.Which of the following cannot be used to back up files? A.External HDD B.USB drive C.Optical disc D.RAM b.Which of the following is the most expensive storage? A.RAM B.HDD C.SSD D.iCloud c.Which of the following is secondary storage? A.RAM B.CPU C.HDD D.ROM 2.Match Column B with Column A: 3.Write True or False next to the question number. Correct the statement if it is FALSE. Change the underlined word(s) to make the statement TRUE. (You may not simply use the word NOT to change the statement.) a.Primary storage is accessed by the motherboard. b.Magnetic tape has a very large storage capacity but can be easily destroyed and the data can be lost. c.Online storage has limited space and you must pay to get more space. d.The main purpose of primary storage is to store data for a long period of time. e.Archiving is the short-term storage of information. 4.Answer the following: a.What is the main purpose of primary storage? b.Briefly describe the difference between primary and secondary storage. c.What is the difference between backing up and archiving data? d.What storage devices would you recommend to someone who needs to store data on a server and someone who wants to store copies of their digital photographs? Motivate your answer. UNIT 3.2 Processing devicesProcessing is the second stage of the information processing cycle you learned about in Chapter 1. Processing mainly uses the system components of the computer, such as the motherboard, CPU and RAM, for its tasks. In this unit, you will learn more about the role of each component of a computer system, how they work and what they do. MOTHERBOARDThe motherboard is one of the most essential parts of a computer. It holds many of the components that allow a computer to function, such as the CPU, RAM and the connectors for input and output devices. Figure 3.1: Computer motherboard with componentsThe motherboard is made of a thin piece of rigid, non-conductive material. A thin layer of copper or aluminium foil is printed onto the sheet. These circuits are called traces. They are very narrow and form the connections between the various components housed in the motherboard. The role of the motherboard is to:
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)The CPU, which is also called the processor, carries out the instructions of a computer program. It is, basically, the “brain” of the computer and does the arithmetical, logical and input/output operations of a computer program. The speed of the CPU tells you how much data it can process in a specific time. The speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz). Figure 3.2: Intel Core i7 CPUHOW A CPU WORKS All instructions, whether they have been generated by the system or the user, go through the CPU. This could be anything from the operating system executing a task to the user typing letters in a document. WHAT ARE CORES IN A CPU? A core is usually the basic computing unit of the CPU. A single core can run a single program, problem or context. A CPU may have one or more cores to perform tasks at any single time. Original CPUs had single cores, but manufacturers began adding more cores to increase the performance of the CPU. A CPU with two cores can split the task into two tasks and thereby complete it faster. This speeds up the computer because it is, essentially, able to multitask. A dual-core processor has two cores, so it looks like two CPUs to the operating system. A quad-core CPU has four cores, an octa-core CPU has eight cores, and so on. These cores also make sure that the CPU is still small enough to fit into a single socket, taking up less space on the motherboard. RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY (RAM) AND READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM)While RAM and ROM are both types of memory, they perform different functions. Table 3.2 compares and contrasts the roles and functions of RAM and ROM. Table 3.2: Roles and functions of RAM and ROM INTERPRET COMPUTER ADVERTISEMENTSWhen you want to buy a new computer or storage device, there are several key factors to consider. By using what you know about these components, you will be able to interpret the information in advertisements for computers. Figure 3.3: A computer advertisementUsing what you have learned so far in this chapter, you will be able to interpret any advertisement by looking at the following key pieces of information:
Activity 3.2 1.Multiple choice: a.The start-up process is stored on which hardware component? A.BIOS B.RAM C.ROM D.CPU b.The speed of a CPU is measured in? A.GHz B.MHz C.Hz D.Calculations per second c.The various components of a motherboard are connected by which metal? A.Sulphur B.Copper C.Silica D.Silver 2.Match Column B with Column A: 3.Write True or False next to the question number. Correct the statement if it is FALSE. Change the underlined word(s) to make the statement TRUE. (You may not simply use the word NOT to change the statement.) a.The motherboard distributes power to the computer. b.The RAM is stored on the BIOS chip. c.The motherboard is the brain of the computing operation. d.Temporary files are stored on the CPU. e.Data stored on the RAM is permanent. 4.Answer the following: a.Briefly describe the role and function of the motherboard and CPU. b.Explain RAM. c.Describe ROM. d.Which questions should you ask yourself when looking at an advertisement for a computer? UNIT 3.3 Basic troubleshootingIt is important for you to know how to do basic troubleshooting on your storage devices, especially if those devices contain very important information. This unit will look at some basic troubleshooting for storage media. STORAGE AND PROCESSING DEVICESMost of the basic troubleshooting guidelines for external storage devices can apply to internal storage and processing devices as well, although there are some specific scenarios where advice for storage media will not solve problems with RAM or ROM modules. FORMATTINGFormatting means preparing a disk to store data. Some disks, such as flash disks or hard drives, may need to be reformatted from time to time. Formatting will erase any data that is on the disk, so you will need to back up the data up before you format. Windows 10 has a built-in disk management tool to make formatting a disk easier. FORMATTING A DISK To format a disk, you must do the following: Step 1:Click on the Search icon on the bottom left corner of your screen. Step 2: Type in format. Step 3: Select Create and format hard drive partitions. Step 4: This opens the Disk Management dialogue box. Step 5: Right-click on the disk you want to format and click on Format. Step 6: Choose NTFS (new technology file system) as the file system and select Default as the Allocation Unit Size. Step 7: Click OK to format the drive. BE VERY CAREFUL AS THIS ACTION WILL DELETE ALL DATA ON THE DRIVE. DISK SCANSDisk scans can help detect and fix errors in USB flash drives, hard drives and SSDs. There is a disk scanner built into Windows 10. USING A DISK SCANNER To use the disk scanner, do the following: Step 1: Click on the Search icon on the bottom left corner of your screen. Step 2: Type in Explorer to open Windows Explorer (or press the Windows key + E). Step 3: In the File Explorer window, click on This PC in the left navigation pane. Step 4: A list of drives will be shown in the right window. Right-click on the drive you want to scan and select Properties. Step 5: In the Properties window, click the Tools tab. Step 6: Click the Check button in the Error Checking section. Step 7: Run the scan without any interruptions. Step 8: You may need to restart your computer if the scan detects any problems. DISK DEFRAGMENTATIONOver time, the files on your computer’s hard drive become scattered, making your computer slower. This is called disk fragmentation. Defragmenting your hard drive pulls these scattered bits of data back together. Windows 10 automatically defragments your hard drive once a week. The process of defragmentation moves the data blocks on the hard drive around to bring all the parts of a file together. Defragmentation reduces file system fragmentation, increasing the efficiency of data retrieval and thereby improving the overall performance of the computer. At the same time, it cleans the storage and provides additional storage capacity. DISK CLEANUPWhile you are using your computer, you generate many types of files. These files take up space on your computer, making it slower. In Grade 10, you learned how to zip and unzip files, but this may not be enough to speed up your system. Windows 10 also has a built-in disk cleanup tool that will delete the following:
Activity 3.3 1.Match Column B with Column A: 2.Write True or False next to the question number. Correct the statement if it is FALSE. Change the underlined word(s) to make the statement TRUE. (You may not simply use the word NOT to change the statement.) a.Microsoft Windows 10 needs disk scanning software. b.Formatting your device deletes program files. c.You must make sure Num Lock is on if your Page Up/Page Down keys are not working. 3.Answer the following questions in your own words: a.Describe how you would format a disk. b.What is the purpose of a disk scan? c.Explain how you would manually defragment your disks. d.What does the Windows 10 disk cleanup tool do? REVISION ACTIVITY QUESTION 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE 1.1Which of the following is an example of primary storage?(1) A.Motherboard B.ROM C.CPU D.USB 1.2Which of the following types of storage is volatile? (1) A.ROM B.Internal HDD C.RAM D.Internal SSD 1.3Which of the following is involved in the start-up of a computer? (1) A.CPU, ROM B.RAM, ROM C.RAM, CPU D.HDD, ROM 1.4When you look at a computer advertisement, what are the most important things to look at? (1) A.Storage, operating system, brand B.Memory, processing speed, external hardware C.Software, operating system, memory D.Processing speed, storage, memory 1.5Formatting means ______ a disk to store data. (1) A.Priming B.Preparing C.Saving D.Processing QUESTION 2: TRUE OR FALSE Write True or False next to the question number. Correct the statement if it is FALSE. Change the underlined word(s) to make the statement TRUE. (You may not simply use the word NOT to change the statement.) a.Data that is being processed is stored in memory. (1) b.The more cores a CPU has, the slower it operates. (1) c.RAM is related to storage, while the CPU is related to speed. (1) d.Before you format an SD card you must erase the information on it. (1) QUESTION 3: MATCHING ITEMS Choose a term/concept from Column B that matches a description in Column A. Write only the letter next to the question number (e.g. 1-M). (6) QUESTION 4: FILL IN THE MISSING WORD(S) Fill in the missing word(s) in the following statements. Provide only one word for each space. a.If you want to delete all the temporary files created by the operating system use i)______ ______. (1) b.Components on a motherboard are connected with ii)______. (1) c.The speed of the iii)______ ______ ______ ______, which is measured in GHz, determines how much data your computer can process in a specific time. (1) d.The CPU fetches instructions from the hardware that need to be iv)______. Then the CPU translates the instructions to v) ______ ______. (2) QUESTION 5: MEDIUM QUESTIONS Look closely at the advert below and answer the following questions. 5.1What is the speed of the CPU in the computer? (1) 5.2How big is the volatile memory? (1) 5.3How much storage capacity does the computer have? (1) 5.4Which operating system does the computer use? (1) 5.5What does the 15.6” specification in the advert refer to? (1) 5.6What does the 1366 × 768 specification refer to? (1) 5.7What does the SSD acronym stand for? (1) 5.8Give TWO reasons why users would prefer an SSD instead of an HDD? (2) 5.9Suggest ONE way you can use to transfer data from this computer. (1) QUESTION 6: SCENARIO-BASED QUESTIONS Ronaldo has recently bought a new external hard drive for his laptop computer, since his laptop has started running out of space. Ronaldo’s laptop has an SSD with a storage capacity of 500 MB, while his new external hard drive has a storage capacity of 1 GB. 6.1Which of Ronaldo’s storage devices has the longest lifespan? Give one reason for your answer. (2) 6.2When Ronaldo connects his external hard drive to his laptop, his laptop detects it but cannot read it. What should Ronaldo do to work out what is wrong with the external hard drive? (1) 6.3Ronaldo finds out that he should format his new external hard disk. Why should he do this? (1) 6.4Over the past three years, Ronaldo’s laptop has become slower. Mention three things that might be causing this. Also provide a possible solution to each problem. (6) TOTAL: [40] AT THE END OF THE CHAPTERWhich device is used for storing data in computer memory?A hard disk drive or solid state drive holds all of the data; files, photos, programs, music, and movies, that the user wants to keep. Removable, external media storage devices such as flash drives and read/writeable CDs and DVDs are also secondary storage. A computer can't function without a storage drive, however.
Is located in the memory of the computer to save information?Computer memory where you can save and change information is called RAM.
Why do computers save or write data to a storage device?Both types of storage are needed in all computers. In a personal computer, memory does not retain data when the electricity is off, but while it is on, it enables quick access to open files. A storage drive, however, allows you to permanently store data, so it's available each time you turn on the computer.
What is used to store data and information computer?Common types of backing storage devices are hard drives, SSD, external hard disk drives, optical media such as CD or DVD, and flash media such as thumbdrives and memory sticks.
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