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Storage and Memory Handout

The document explains the concepts of storage and memory in computers, highlighting their functions, importance, and how they work. Storage provides permanent data retention, while memory (RAM) allows for quick access to data during use, with both impacting computer performance and multitasking capabilities. It also addresses the environmental impact of data storage and suggests measures for computer scientists to mitigate this, such as using renewable energy and offline storage solutions.

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5 views2 pages

Storage and Memory Handout

The document explains the concepts of storage and memory in computers, highlighting their functions, importance, and how they work. Storage provides permanent data retention, while memory (RAM) allows for quick access to data during use, with both impacting computer performance and multitasking capabilities. It also addresses the environmental impact of data storage and suggests measures for computer scientists to mitigate this, such as using renewable energy and offline storage solutions.

Uploaded by

sdfd asfe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Storage and Memory

​ What is it?
​ How does it work?
​ Why is it important?
​ How does this hardware impact the environment?
​ What can computer scientists do to ensure this technology does not negatively impact our
environment?

What is storage?
Storage is where data is permanently kept on your computer.
-​ For ex. Photos, documents, music, etc.
-​ Your storage capacity determines how many files you can save on your computer.

What is memory?
Memory ( Random Access Memory) (RAM), stores data while you're using your computer.
-​ For ex. Word document, website, the computer accesses this data quickly through the memory
-​ The more memory you have, the more files your computer can store and access at once.
-​ important to have enough memory to run resource-intensive programs or if you have a large
number of files on your computer.

Whereas memory refers to the location of short-term data, storage is the component of your computer that
allows you to store and access data on a long-term basis.

Why is Storage Important?


Provides permanent data storage, even when powered off and is able to hold higher capacities than RAM.

How does storage work?


-​ computers or terminals connect to storage devices either directly or through a network.
-​ Users instruct computers to store data on storage devices.
-​ Direct area storage
-​ also known as direct-attached storage (DAS)
-​ in the immediate area and directly connected to the computer
-​ sharing is limited
-​ For ex.
-​ diskettes, optical discs—compact discs (CDs) and digital video discs
(DVDs)—hard disk drives (HDD), flash drives and solid-state drives (SSD).

-​ Network-based storage
-​ allows multiple computers to access it through a network
-​ better for data sharing and collaboration.
-​ better suited for backups and data protection.
-​ For ex.
-​ network-attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN).

Why is Memory important


The more RAM a computer has, the more data it can usually manage at any given moment. This will
make your apps operate more smoothly and allow for better multitasking.

How Much RAM Do You Need?


The amount of RAM your computer needs depends on the usage.
For ex.
-​ to watch videos and respond to emails, 4 GB can get you by.
-​ to edit photos or play video games, you should start with at least 12 GB of RAM

How does RAM work?

-​ transistors and capacitors work together to store data, forming a memory cell.
-​ The capacitor holds a bit of information, a 0 or a 1 (basic units of digital data)
-​ The transistor acts as a switch that lets the control circuit on the memory chip read the capacitor
or change its state.
-​ For ex.
-​ capacitor = tiny bucket that holds electric charge. If the bucket is full, it represents a "1."
If it’s empty, it represents a "0."

-​ In the most common type of Ram - Dynamic Ram (DRAM), the bucket (capacitor) leaks over
time, meaning it can’t hold its charge for long. The computer must constantly refresh the memory
by recharging the capacitors thousands of times per second.
-​ Therefore, DRAM - needs continuous refreshing to keep data stored.

To relieve environmental impact:


-​ Greenhouse gases are an inevitable byproduct of energy generation and consumption and are the
major contributors to global warming and climate change.
-​ The energy used by data storage centers and associated devices contributes to 2% of global
carbon emissions
-​ Offline storage - also referred to as removable or offline backup storage - to reduce
environmental footprints.
-​ For ex.
-​ USB or external hard drives
-​ Use renewable energy, such as solar, wind or hydropower, whenever possible

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