3 Storage Devices and media
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1-Magnetic backing storage media:
1. Magnetic tape is often used when large
amounts of data need to be backup, example
payroll , electricity bills, phone bills, gas bills
….etc processing
Advantages:
• The tape is light and compact and easy to carry.
• It stores huge amounts of data.
• The tape is relatively cheap.
Disadvantages:
• The access time is slow.
• Data can only be read from or written onto the
tape.
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2. Fixed Hard Disks are the main internal backing storage.
Hard disks are usually found inside computers. They
are rigid circular plates that have been magnetized,
and each hard drive usually contains several disks
stacked on top of each other.
Advantages:
• Hard disks have a pretty large capacity 20 gigabytes or
mare is now common in desktop, and about 8 gigabytes
or more in a laptop.
• Data can be accessed from
anywhere on a disk equally quickly
which is suitable for information retrieval.
Disadvantages:
• The hard drive is usually housed inside the computer, so
it is not easy to use it on a different machine.
• In case of any problem with the drive all the stored data
may be lost.
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Used to store operating systems, software and working data.
Any application which requires very fast access to data for
both reading and writing to. Not for applications which need
portability. Used for online and real time processes requiring
direct access. Used in file servers for computer networks.
Portable hard discs:
• Used to store very large files which need
transporting from one computer to another and
price is not an issue.
• More expensive than other forms of removable
media.
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2- Solid state backing storage:
1. Memory Sticks/ Pen drives
USB Sticks - portable disks which can be
attached to a key-ring. (They plug into a USB
socket on the computer). Can store up to many
Gb. Used to transport files and backup data from
computer to another.
2. Flash memory:
Used in digital cameras,
palmtops, mobile phones
and MP3 players
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3- Optical backing storage media
such as CDs and DVDs
a) CD—ROM/DVD—ROM can only be
used to read data (as the ROM in the
name indicates), but they hold loads
more data than a floppy disk.
Applications which require the prevention
of deletion of data, accidental or otherwise.
CDs used by software companies for
distributing software programs and data; by
Music companies for distributing music
albums and by book publishers for
distributing encyclopedias, reference books
etc. DVDs used by film distributors. IGCSE Information &
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b) CD—R/DVD—R are sold as blank CDs, but can
have data written onto them only once (but you need a
special kind of CD drive to do it). After that they work in
the same way as CD-ROMs. Both CD—ROMs and
CD-Rs are known as WORM disks – “Write Once and
Read Many times”.
Applications which require a single ‘burning’ of
data, e.g. CDs - recording of music downloads
from the Internet, recording of music from MP3
format, recording of data for archiving or backup
purposes. DVDs – recording of film movies and
television programs.
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c) CD—RW/DVD--RW are becoming increasingly
popular. RW stands for Read and Write. They are like
a CD—R that can have old data deleted and new data
written onto the disk.
Applications which require the updating of information and
ability to record over old data.
Not suitable for music recording but is very useful
for keeping generations of files. DVDs have
between five and ten times the capacity of CDs.
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* A big ‘plus’ with any kind of optical disk that direct
access to the data is possible—the laser can travel directly
to where the data is stored. This means faster access
time than with magnetic tape.
Advantages:
• CDs can store huge amounts of data (700
megabytes – 17 gigabytes)
• CDs can be carried easily and without
damage.
• Data access is very fast.
Disadvantages:
• Writing drives are very expensive
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Other Types of Optical media:
DVD RAM
• Housed in a cartridge. Used in video recorders,
camcorders and computer memory.
HD DVD
• Used in video recorders and computer memory as well
as games consoles – main rival to blu-ray.
Blu-ray
• Used in video recorders and computer memory as well
as games consoles(Playstation3). Largest storage
capacity of optical media.
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• Backup a copy of a program or data made
in case the original is lost or destroyed.
Backups are mainly stored on magnetic
tapes or floppy disks away from the
computer system.
• Why a backup is needed?
• To be restored when data is lost
deliberately or accidentally.
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The difference between main/internal
memory and backing storage:
• Main/Internal memory:
1. The store is in the CPU.
2. Data can be written and read at very high
speed.
3. Data is transferred without any mechanical
movement.
4. It is divided into locations. The computer can
access any location directly using a unique
number known as address.
5. Main store usually contains two different types
of memory:
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– Read Only Memory (ROM) is permanent.
Data and programs on it cannot be changed;
it is not volatile. If it was volatile it would lose
its data and it would not be possible to write it
back.
– Random Access Memory (RAM) is
temporary. Its contents can be changed; it is
usually volatile although some
microcomputers have RAM which is
maintained by batteries. RAM is the working
space of the computer.
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Backing storage:
1. Data is usually accessed using read/write heads. These
transfer the data while the medium rotates in the drive.
2. Access to backing store is slower than to main store.
3. The are non-volatile. The data is stored on the medium
until it is deleted.
4. Backing stores are either direct access or serial access.
– In direct access store any data item can be
accessed without reading other data first, e.g.
magnetic discs.
– In serial access store all data before the required
item has to be read first before the data can be
accessed, e.g. magnetic tape.
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