Lesson 9: Manage File Systems and Storage Flashcards
How are disks, partitions, and volumes different from one another?
Disks are the actual storage hardware.
Partitions are logical divisions of a disk used to define the storage space.
Volumes, contained inside partitions, are used to define how the individual files and folders are saved to the storage.
What are the two primary partition schemes for disks formatted for Mac systems?
What are their differences?
GUID Partition Map (GPT) is the default partition scheme on Intel-based Mac computers.
Apple Partition Map is the default partition scheme on PowerPC-based Mac computers.
What two volume formats are supported for a macOS system volume?
The volume formats supported as system volumes for macOS are:
• Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
• Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)
How does file-system journaling work?
File-system journaling records what file operations are in process at any given moment.
This way, if a power failure or system crash occurs, after the system restarts it will be able to quickly verify the integrity of the volume by “replaying” the journal.
What is Core Storage, and what two major macOS features are implemented via Core Storage?
Core Storage is an additional file-system management layer used by macOS to provide disk encryption as used by FileVault and to combine separate disks as used by Fusion Drive.
What five methods can be used to eject a volume or disk from the Finder?
The five methods used to eject a volume or disk in the Finder are:
- Drag the disk icon to the Trash in the Dock
- In the Finder sidebar, click the small Eject button
next to the volume you want to eject - Select the volume you want to eject and then choose File > Eject
- Select the volume you want to eject and then use the Command-E keyboard shortcut
- Select the volume you want to eject and then secondary-click (or Control-click) to reveal a pop-up menu allowing you to select Eject
What is the potential side effect of improperly unmounting or ejecting a disk or volume?
Improperly unmounting or ejecting a drive or volume may cause data corruption.
The system automatically verifies and repairs an improperly unmounted or ejected volume the next time it becomes available to the Mac.
Which two built-in macOS applications can be used to gather information about storage devices?
Disk Utility and System Information can both be used to gather information about storage devices.
What are the four erase options available in Disk Utility?
How are they different?
The four erase options in Disk Utility are:
- Don’t Erase Data (fastest), which simply replaces the volume’s directory structure
- Two-Pass Erase, which writes a pass of random data followed by a second pass of zeros on the disk
- 3-Pass Erase, which writes two separate passes of random data followed by a third pass of zeros on the disk
- 7-Pass Erase (most secure), which writes seven separate passes of random and patterned data on the disk
How can you encrypt a disk without losing its contents?
From the Finder, you can encrypt a disk without losing its contents by secondary-clicking (or Control-clicking) the disk and then choosing Encrypt from the shortcut menu.
What does the Disk Utility First Aid feature do?
The Disk Utility First Aid feature is used to verify and repair the partition scheme and directory structure of a volume.
These elements contain the information used to locate files and folders on the volume.
What is target disk mode and how is it engaged?
Target disk mode is a hardware feature specific to Mac systems that, when engaged, shares the Mac computer’s internal disks through the FireWire ports.
Target disk mode can be engaged from Startup Disk preferences or by holding down the T key as you turn on the Mac.
