Cloud

Storage
Introduction to Storage Systems

What is a Storage Device?

 The storage unit is a part of the
computer system which is employed
to store the information and
instructions to be processed.
 A storage device is an integral part of the
computer hardware which stores
Information/Data to process the result of
any computational work.
Information Vs Data
Data is a collection of facts, while
information puts those facts into
context.
While data is raw and unorganized,
information is organized.
 For example
a single customer’s sale at a
restaurant is data – this becomes
information when the business is
able to identify the most popular or
least popular dish.
What if No storage device?
 A computer would not be able to run or even boot up.
Or in other words, we can say that a storage device is
hardware that is used for storing, porting, or
extracting data files. It can also store information/data
both temporarily and permanently.
Types of Computer Memory

Primary Memory
Secondary Memory
Tertiary Memory
Types of Computer Memory

Primary Memory
Secondary Memory
Tertiary Memory
 Primary Memory
It is also known as internal memory and
main memory. This is a section of the CPU
that holds program instructions, input data,
and intermediate results. It is generally
smaller in size. RAM (Random Access
Memory) and ROM (Read Only Memory)
are examples of primary storage.
 Secondary Memory
Secondary storage is a memory that is stored
external to the computer. It is mainly used
for the permanent and long-term storage of
programs and data. Hard Disks, CDs,
DVDs, Pen/Flash drives, SSD, etc, are
examples of secondary storage.
 Tertiary Memory
Tertiary storage comprises high-capacity
data archives designed to incorporate vast
numbers of removable media, such as tapes
or optical discs.
 Tertiary Memory
Examples of tertiary storage are Magnetic
tape, optical disc, and optical tapes. These
devices are composed of fixed drivers and
have their own removable media units.
 Primary Memory
RAM: It stands for Random Access Memory. It is used to store information that is
used immediately or we can say that it is a temporary memory.
Computers bring the software installed on a hard disk to RAM to process it and to be
used by the user. Once, the computer is turned off, the data is deleted. With the help
of RAM, computers can perform multiple tasks like loading applications, browsing
the web, editing a spreadsheet, experiencing the newest game, etc. It allows you to
modify quickly among these tasks, remembering where you’re in one task once you
switch to a different task.
 Primary Memory
•SRAM: It stands for Static Random Access Memory. It consists of circuits that
retain stored information as long as the power supply is on. It is also known as
volatile memory. It is used to build Cache memory. The access time of SRAM is
lower and it is much faster as compared to DRAM but in terms of cost, it is costly as
compared to DRAM.
 Primary Memory
•DRAM: It stands for Dynamic Random Access Memory. It is used to store binary
bits in the form of electrical charges that are applied to capacitors. The access time of
DRAM is slower as compared to SRAM but it is cheaper than SRAM and has a high
packaging density.
 Primary Memory
•SDRAM: It stands for Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory. It is faster
than DRAM. It is widely used in computers and others. After SDRAM was
introduced, the upgraded version of double data rate RAM, i.e., DDR1, DDR2,
DDR3, and DDR4 was entered into the market and widely used in home/office
desktops and laptops.
 Magnetic Storage Devices
Floppy Disk is also known as a floppy diskette. It is
generally used on a personal computer to store data
externally. A Floppy disk is made up of a plastic cartridge
and secured with a protective case. Nowadays floppy disk is
replaced by new and effective storage devices like USB, etc.
Hard Disk: is a storage device (HDD) that stores and
retrieves data using magnetic storage. It is a non-volatile
storage device that can be modified or deleted n number of
times without any problem. Most computers and laptops
have HDDs as their secondary storage device.
Magnetic Card: It is a card in which data is stored by
modifying or rearranging the magnetism of tiny iron-
based magnetic particles present on the band of the card.
It is also known as a swipe card. It is used like a
passcode(to enter the house or hotel room), credit card,
identity card, etc.
Tape Cassette: It is also known as a music cassette.
It is a rectangular flat container in which the data is
stored in an analog magnetic tape. It is generally
used to store audio recordings.
 Flash Memory Devices
It is a cheaper and more portable storage device. It is
the most commonly used device to store data
because is more reliable and efficient as compared
to other storage devices
Pen Drive: It is also known as a USB flash drive
that includes flash memory with an integrated USB
interface. We can directly connect these devices to
our computers and laptops and read/write data into
them in a much faster and more efficient way. These
devices are very portable. It ranges from 1GB to
256GB generally.
SSD: It stands for Solid State Drive, a mass storage device
like HDD. It is more durable because it does not contain
optical disks inside like hard disks. It needs less power as
compared to hard disks, is lightweight, and has 10x faster read
and writes speed as compared to hard disks. But, these are
costly as well. While SSDs serve an equivalent function as
hard drives, their internal components are much different.
Unlike hard drives, SSDs don’t have any moving parts and
thus they’re called solid-state drives. Instead of storing data
on magnetic platters, SSDs store data using non-volatile
storage. Since SSDs haven’t any moving parts, they do not
need to “spin up”. It ranges from 150GB to a few more TB.
SD Card: It is known as a Secure Digital
Card. It is generally used with electronic
devices like phones, digital cameras, etc. to
store larger data. It is portable and the size of
the SD card is also small so that it can easily
fit into electronic devices. It is available in
different sizes like 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, etc.
Memory Card: It is generally used in digital
cameras. printers, game consoles, etc. It is also used
to store large amounts of data and is available in
different sizes. To run a memory card on a computer
you require a separate memory card reader.
Multimedia Card: It is also known as MMC.
It is an integrated circuit that is generally used
in-car radios, digital cameras, etc. It is an
external device to store data/information.
 Optical Storage Devices
Optical Storage Devices is also secondary storage device. It is a
removable storage device. Following are some optical storage
devices:
•CD: It is known as Compact Disc. It contains tracks and sectors on
its surface to store data. It is made up of polycarbonate plastic and is
circular in shape. CD can store data up to 700MB. It is of two types:
• CD-R: It stands for Compact Disc read-only. In this type of CD,
once the data is written can not be erased. It is read-only.
• CD-RW: It stands for Compact Disc Read Write. In this type of
CD, you can easily write or erase data multiple times.
•DVD: It is known as Digital Versatile Disc. DVDs are
circular flat optical discs used to store data. It comes in two
different sizes one is 4.7GB single-layer discs and another one
is 8.5GB double-layer discs. DVDs look like CDs but the
storage capacity of DVDs is more than as compared to CDs. It
is of two types:
• DVD-R: It stands for Digital Versatile Disc read-only. In
this type of DVD, once the data is written can not be
erased. It is read-only. It is generally used to write movies,
etc.
• DVD-RW: It stands for Digital Versatile Disc Read Write.
In this type of DVD, you can easily write or erase data
multiple times.
•Blu-ray Disc: It is just like CD and DVD but the
storage capacity of blu ray is up to 25GB. To run a
Blu-ray disc you need a separate Blu-ray reader.
This Blu-ray technology is used to read a disc from
a blue-violet laser due to which the information is
stored in greater density with a longer wavelength.
 Cloud and Virtual Storage
Nowadays, secondary memory has been upgraded to virtual or cloud storage
devices. We can store our files and other stuff in the cloud and the data is stored
for as long as we pay for the cloud storage. There are many companies that
provide cloud services largely Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. We can pay the
rent for the amount of space we need and we get multiple benefits out of it.
Though it is actually being stored in a physical device located in the data
centers of the service provider, the user doesn’t interact with the physical device
and its maintenance. For example, Amazon Web Services offers AWS S3 as a
type of storage where users can store data virtually instead of being stored in
physical hard drive devices. These sorts of innovations represent the frontier of
where storage media goes.
Characteristics of Computer Storage Devices
•Data stored in the Memory can be changed or replaced in case of a
requirement, because of the mobility of the storage devices.
•Storage Devices validate that saved data can be replaced or deleted
as per the requirements because the storage devices are easily
readable, writeable, and rewritable.
•Storage Devices are easy and convenient to access because they do
not require much skill set to handle these resources.
•The storage capacity of these devices is an extra advantage to the
system.
•Storage Devices have better performance and data can be easily
transferred from one device to another.