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Disk Strcutre

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codingallhere
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18 views1 page

Disk Strcutre

Uploaded by

codingallhere
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as TXT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Physical Structure of Disk:

1. Components:
* A magnetic disk consists of plates or platters covered with magnetic material.
* The disk can be single-sided or double-sided, depending on whether data is stored
on one or both sides.
* A spindle motor rotates the platter at a constant speed.
2. Tracks and Sectors:
* The platter's surface is divided into tracks, concentric circles where data is
stored, and numbered from outer to inner.
* Tracks are subdivided into sectors, the smallest unit of information transfer.
* The disk has multiple platters, each with its own read/write head.
3. Head-Disk Assembly:
* All read/write heads are on an equal diameter track on different platters,
forming a cylinder.
* The assembly of disk platters and heads is known as the head-disk assembly.
4. Data Transfer:
* Data transfer between memory and disk is handled by a disk controller,
interfacing the disk drive to the computer.
* Common disk drive interfaces include SCSI, ATA, SATA, and PATA.
Logical Structure of Hard Disk:
1. Master Boot Record (MBR):
* Contains a small program to load and start the active partition from the hard
disk.
* Created by executing FDISK.EXE command and is located at absolute sector 0.
* In case of multiple partitions, there are Extended Master Boot Records for each
extended partition volume.
2. DOS Boot Record (DBR):
* Follows the partition table and contains important information about disk
geometry.
* Created by the FORMAT command of DOS.
* Contains a small program to load the operating system into the main memory and
give control to the loaded program.
3. File Allocation Table (FAT):
* Manages the disk area, keeping a map of the complete surface to indicate free and
occupied areas.
* Introduced in 1977 and modified over time.
* Manages disk area in groups of sectors called "clusters."
4. Root Directory:
* Acts as a table of contents for information stored on the hard disk.
* Keeps information about file names, creation date and time, attributes, file
size, and starting cluster.
5. Data Area or Files Area:
* The remainder of the volume after the root directory.
* Contains the actual data stored on the disk surfaces.
* Formatting the disk does not overwrite the data area, making accidental format
recovery possible.

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