5.1.1. Storage Devices

Question 1

HARD DISK (HDD)

Answer 1

A thick magnetic storage device used to store computer data. Workstation computers and servers both have hard disks. A hard disk consists of several aluminum platters, each of which requires a read/write head for each side.

Question 2

SOLID STATE DRIVE (SSD)

Answer 2

A solid state drive is a flash device with a storage capacity similar to a small hard drive. Solid state drives are used as replacements for hard disk drives for storing operating system, application, and data files.

Question 3

Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe)

Answer 3

A memory storage device designed to allow access to non-volatile storage media through a PCI express (PCIe) bus.

NVM Express is designed to work well with low latency and internal parallelism of solid-state storage devices. By allowing host hardware and software to utilize the level of parallelism possible in modern SSDs, NVM Express reduces I/O overhead and improves functionality.

Question 4

Flash Devices

Answer 4

Flash memory cards store information using programmable, non-volatile flash memory. Some of the advantages of flash devices are:

Question 5

Optical Disc

Answer 5

Optical discs such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are a storage medium that uses lasers for both reading and writing information. Optical discs store information through pits in their reflective coating. As the disc spins, the optical drive sends laser optics to the disk and receives the stored information through the deflected output.

Question 6

Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE)

Answer 6

An electronic interface allows communication between a motherboard’s data paths or bus and a computer’s hard disks.

Question 7

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Advantages

Answer 7

• They have lots of storage (starting at 16 GB up to several TB).
• They are significantly faster than floppy disks.
• The cost per MB is cheap.

Question 8

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Disadvantages

Answer 8

• Many hard disks are internal devices, though you can get external enclosures.
• They are prone to failure.
• They are vulnerable to physical damage (e.g., when dropped).

Question 9

Standard Hard Drives

Answer 9

• 5400 rpm (inexpensive HDD)
• 7200 rpm (good quality HDD)
• 10,000 rpm (expensive HDD)

Question 10

Solid State Drive (SSD) Advantages

Answer 10

• They are faster than hard drives.
• They have no moving parts.
• They have lower power consumption than hard drives (good for laptops).
• They are less susceptible to physical damage (from dropping) and immune from magnetic fields.
  
  • They are smaller and lighter than hard drives

Question 11

Solid State Drive (SSD) Disavantages

Answer 11

Cost