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YOUR NOTES
IGCSE Computer Science CIE 

3.3 Data Storage

CONTENTS
Primary Storage
Secondary Storage
Virtual Memory
Cloud Storage

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Primary Storage YOUR NOTES


Primary Storage
Primary storage is directly accessible by the CPU , it includes RAM, Cache, and ROM
The purpose of Random Access Memory (RAM) is to store data, instructions and software
(including parts of the OS) currently in use
RAM is also called main memory
RAM has faster read/write speeds than secondary storage
RAM is volatile which means it is temporary memory and all data will be lost when the
computer is switched off
The larger the main memory, the more data the computer access quickly, which can
improve the computer's performance
A standard desktop computer has between 4GB and 16GB of RAM
The parts of the operating system currently in use will be stored in RAM
The purpose of cache is to store frequently/recently used instructions and data
Cache has faster read/write speeds than RAM
There are different levels of cache
Level 1 cache is situated within the CPU
Level 2 and 3 cache are situated on the motherboard
If you increase the amount of cache you can store more frequently used data and
increase the performance of your computer
If you have too much cache it will decrease the data access speeds because the
data requested will take longer to find
Cache is volatile and all data will be lost when the computer is switched off

A diagram showing the parts of a computer system which are classed as primary storage
The role of Read-only memory (ROM) is to store the computer’s boot-up sequence
The boot-up sequence is a set of instructions the computer executes when then
computer is initially switched on
This sequence will run a series of checks to ensure all of the system hardware is
working
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It will then load the operating system which will move from secondary storage to RAM YOUR NOTES
ROM is non-volatile which means data will be stored when the computer is switched off 
ROM is read-only which means data cannot be written to ROM
The difference between ROM and RAM

RAM ROM

Volatile Non-volatile
Can read and write data to RAM Read-only

 Exam Tip
Make sure you're specific about which component you're referring to in exam
questions and give the proper name e.g. RAM rather than memory unit

 Worked Example
Describe what is meant by main memory and how it is used in the Von Neumann
model for a computer system
[3]
Any 3 of:
Memory is RAM [1]
It is primary storage [1]
It is volatile memory [1]
It holds currently in use data/instructions [1]
It is directly accessed by the CPU [1]

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Secondary Storage YOUR NOTES


Secondary Storage
Secondary storage is not directly accessed by the CPU
It is used for permanent storage of data
Secondary storage is non-volatile. This means data is stored even when power is lost to
the device
Secondary storage is needed as primary storage (such as RAM ) is volatile and will not retain
data when the computer is turned off
Unlike ROM, secondary storage can be read from and written to. ROM is read only
Common examples of secondary storage include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state
drives (SSDs), external hard drives, USB flash drives, CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray
discs. These can be used to store data to transfer it to another computer
Data access speeds for secondary storage devices are typically slower than primary
storage (such as RAM)
Secondary storage devices often have large capacity (can store large amounts of data)
Software such as the operating system is saved permanently on secondary storage. The
instructions and data that makes up the software then moves to RAM when it is in use
Secondary storage devices can be internal (inside the computer) and external (outside the
computer)

Diagram showing different internal and external secondary storage devices

Comparison of primary and secondary storage

Primary storage Secondary storage

Volatile / temporary Non-volatile /permanent

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RAM and cache can be read from and written to Secondary storage can be read from and YOUR NOTES
ROM is read-only written to 

Can be directly accessed by the CPU Cannot be directly accessed by the CPU
Smaller capacity Larger capacity
Data access speeds faster than secondary Data access speeds slower than primary
storage storage
Stores data and instructions Stores data and instructions

 Worked Example
Which of the following is an example of secondary storage?
A Random access memory
B Read only memory
C Solid State Drive
D Blu-ray disc

C and D [1]
Random access memory and read only memory are both primary storage and
can be accessed directly by the CPU. Solid-state drives and blu-ray discs are
classed as secondary storage. Data can be permanently stored on them but
they cannot be accessed directly by the CPU

 Exam Tip
When referring to a USB memory stick, don't refer to it as USB as this could be
anything that is plugged in with USB and not necessarily a storage device

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Types of secondary storage YOUR NOTES

There are three types of secondary storage - magnetic, solid state and optical 

 Exam Tip
You need to be able describe the operation of each type of secondary storage.
You may also need to recommend a type of storage for a given scenario and
justify your choice

Magnetic
Magnetic hard disk drives have been the main type of internal secondary storage in
personal computers for many years however solid state drives are increasingly popular due
to their durability, low power consumption and high read/write speeds
A magnetic hard disk is made up of several metal discs coated with a magnetic material
These are called platters
Iron particles on each platter are magnetised to represent a 0 or 1

A diagram showing the structure of a magnetic hard disk

Each platter is divided by concentric circles creating several tracks and wedge shaped
sectors. Where they intersect is a track sector

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YOUR NOTES


A diagram showing how each platter is divided by tracks and sectors

The hard drive spins the metal disk(s) at a high speed (typically around 5400-7200 RPM)
using a motor
A read/write arm, controlled by an actuator, moves the head over the surface of the disc to
the location of the data
The data is read/written using electromagnets

Solid State
Solid State secondary storage is made of transistors that are arranged in a grid layout
It uses NAND and NOR gates in electrical circuits to persistently control the flow of
electrons
Current flowing is 1, no current is 0 - which is how electrical flow can represent binary
values
A NAND gate will take in two inputs and produce an output (1/electrical current) as long as
both inputs are not 1
The truth table truth table for a NAND gate

InputA InputB Output

0 0 1

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0 1 1 YOUR NOTES

1 0 1
1 1 0

A NOR gate will produce an output (1) only when both inputs are 0
The truth table for a NOR gate

InputA InputB Output

0 0 1
0 1 0
1 0 0
1 1 0

Optical
Optical devices include CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays
Blu-rays have the largest capacity
CDs have the lowest capacity
CD-R are read-only (you cannot save data on to them)
CD-RW can be written to and read from
DVD-RW can be written to and read from
All optical devices work by shining a laser at the disk and processing the reflection
An arm moves the laser across the surface of the disk
In CD-Rs a laser burns the data, permanently on to the disk, by creating pits and lands
The laser is also used to read the data from the pits and lands
When the laser light hits the point where the pit changes into a land or vice versa the light
scatters and is not reflected back as well. This is captured by a sensor and can be
interpreted as a change in the binary value

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A diagram showing how data is burnt on to optical discs to create lands and pits which can YOUR NOTES
then be used 

In CD-RW the chemical composition of the disk is changed to represent 0s and 1s. This
change can be overwritten

 Exam Tip
Make sure you have a greater understanding of the operation of the different
types of storage

 Worked Example
Describe how a magnetic storage device stores data
[6]
Any 6 of:
Storage device has platters [1]
Platters/disk divided into tracks [1]
Storage platter/disk is spun [1]
Has a read/write arm that moves across storage media [1]
Read/writes data using electromagnets [1]
Uses magnetic fields to control magnetic dots of data [1]
Magnetic field determines binary value [1]

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Virtual Memory YOUR NOTES


Virtual Memory
The purpose of RAM is to store current data and program instructions in use
The amount of physical RAM available is limited. The average modern desktop computer
has between 4GB and 16GB of RAM. Some programs are larger than this
Virtual memory is part of secondary storage which acts as RAM when RAM is full
It prevents the computer system crashing when RAM is full
Data that needs to be accessed by the CPU directly is switched by the operating system
from virtual memory into RAM and an inactive page from RAM replaces it in virtual memory.
This is called page switching

A diagram showing page switching between RAM and virtual memory

The table describes the steps that are taken when a program is opened on a computer

Step Description

1 The memory manager software built into the Operating

System checks to see if there is sufficient space in RAM to
move the new program’s instructions into RAM, so that they
can be directly accessed by the CPU

2 If RAM is full, the memory manager will move out the most
inactive pages of data and put them in virtual memory until
needed

3 The new program instructions are moved into RAM

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YOUR NOTES
 Worked Example

Sandy is playing an open world role playing computer game set in a large 3D
environment. This requires the use of virtual memory. Explain why
[3]
To extend the RAM capacity [1]
To stop the computer game from crashing when the physical RAM is full [1]
To allow the computer to process the large amount of data required [1]

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Cloud Storage YOUR NOTES


Cloud Storage
Cloud storage is the concept of storing data on remote servers, that can be accessed via
the internet, instead of on a local storage device (such as an SSD or HDD)
The physical servers, where the data is stored, are owned and managed by a hosting
company
Cloud storage warehouses often have thousands of servers containing harddrives
The hosting company provides services such backing up the data, managing access
to the data as well as general security
The data can be accessed at any time, on any device, as long as there is an internet
connection
The data is accessible using a web browser or dedicated software that connects to the
cloud storage service
There is potentially limitless storage, although it does need to be paid for
Online storage means it is easy to share data and collaborate with others
If the internet connection is slow/lost the access to your data is affected

A diagram showing different devices connecting to remote servers

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Advantages of cloud storage YOUR NOTES

Cloud storage offers several advantages over storing data on a local secondary storage 
device

Benefit Explanation

Accessibility Data can be accessed from anywhere

Data can be accessed by anyone with the relevant
permissions, making it quick to share files and
collaborate with others
Data can be accessed on any device with an internet
connection

Scalability Cloud storage providers allow customers to increase or

decrease their storage capacity as needed

Reliability Cloud storage providers often use multiple servers to

store and backup data, reducing the risk of data loss
due to hardware failure

Security Cloud storage providers offer advanced security

features, such as data encryption and multi-factor
authentication multi-factor authentication, to protect
user data from unauthorised access
There is no need to hire specialist staff as IT services
being provided by the cloud storage provider

You also do not need to purchase local secondary storage devices

One cloud storage centre is more environmentally friendly than millions of individual
servers
There are some drawbacks to using cloud storage
If the user has a slow or unreliable internet connection they would have problems
accessing their files
If you are storing a lot of data it can be expensive
You have to pay the cloud storage provider
You may need to commit to an annual subscription
You may have to pay for high download and upload data transfer limits
Data being sent over the internet has the potential to be intercepted
Security is managed by the cloud storage provider which means the user does not
have complete control over it but is still legally responsible for ensuring any personal
and sensitive data is secure

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YOUR NOTES
 Worked Example

A school currently stores all of their data on local servers. They are considering
upgrading their system to utilise cloud storage.
Explain two disadvantages to the school of storing their data in the cloud.
[4]
You need a constant internet connection [1]
if the internet connection failed, teachers would not be able to access lesson
files [1]
if the internet connection failed, teachers would not be able to access student
data/take electronic registers [1]
if the internet connection failed, students would not be able to access their
work/coursework [1]
Reliant on third party to carry out security procedures [1]
but the school is still legally responsible if data is accessed by unauthorised
people [1]
Data stored on the cloud could be hacked or intercepted [1]

Explain two advantages to the school of storing their data in the cloud.
[4]
Additional storage can be purchased if needed [1]
The cloud hosting company provides back up [1]
The cloud hosting company provides security [1]
Data can be accessed from anywhere and from any device provided there is
an internet connection [1]
So teachers would be able to access data from home [1]
So students would be able to access work from home [1]

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