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Computing > Storage > Flashcards

Storage Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two types of memory used in computers?

A
  • RAM, Random Access Memory

* ROM, Read only memory

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2
Q

What is stored in RAM?

A
  • Programs and data that are currently being used.

* Operating System

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3
Q

What does it mean for RAM to be volatile?

A

Contents are lost when the computer is switched off.

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4
Q

What is ROM used for?

A

• Holding information that needs to be permanently in memory.

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5
Q

What kind of information is stored in ROM?

A

Computing boot-up instructions.

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6
Q

What does it mean for ROM to be non volatile?

A

Contents of ROM are retained when the computer is switched off.

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7
Q

Where does the computer store running programs and data?

A

RAM

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8
Q

Where are programs and data copied from into RAM?

A

• Copied into RAM from a source of secondary storage, e.g. a hard disk drive.When do you

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9
Q

What is virtual memory?

A

A part of the hard drive used an as extension to RAM.

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10
Q

When may virtual memory be used?

A

When the computers RAM is not large enough to store all the programs simultaneously.

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11
Q

What are some disadvantages to virtual memory?

A
  • Can cause disk thrashing

* Slower than RAM memory.

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12
Q

What is primary storage?

A

Volatile storage

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13
Q

What is a computers primary storage?

A

RAM

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14
Q

What is an advantage of storing data on secondary storage?

A

It is non volatile, and it contains its contents when the computer’s power is turned off.

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15
Q

What are some disadvantages of secondary storage?

A
  • Not directly accessible to the processor

* Slower access speeds.

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16
Q

What are some advantages to solid state media?

A
  • More durable
  • Faster than hard disk drives
  • Consumes less power
  • More portable
17
Q

How do optical disks work?

A
  • Using a high powered laser to burn sections on its surface, making them less reflective.
  • A laser at a lower power is used to read the disk by shining a light onto the surface and a sensor is used to measure the amount of light that is reflected back
  • A CD ROM disk has pits in its surface, and areas without pits known as lands.
  • At the point where a pit starts or ends light is scattered and not reflected back so well.
  • Reflective and non reflective areas are read as 1s and 0s, and used by the computer.
18
Q

How do recordable disks work?

A

They use a reflective layer with a transparent dye coating that becomes less reflective where a laser burns a spot in the track.

19
Q

How do rewrite-able disks work?

A
  • Use a laser and a magnet in order to heat a spot on the disk and then set its state to become a 0 or a 1 using the magnet before it cools again.
  • A DCVD RW uses a phase change alloy that can change between amorphous and crystalline states by changing the power of the laser beam.
20
Q

What is an advantage of optical storage?

A
  • Cheap and to produce.

* Easy to send through the post for distribution purposes.

21
Q

What are some disadvantages of optical storage?

A

• Easy to become corrupted through excessive sunlight or scratches.

22
Q

How does solid state memory work?

A
  • Comprised of millions of NAND flash memory cells.
  • Feature a controller that manages pages and blocks of memory.;
  • Each cell works by delivering a current along the bit and word lines to active the flow of electrons from the source towards the drain.
  • Current on the word line is strong enough to force a few electrons across an insulated oxide layer into a floating gate.
  • Once the current is turned off, these electrons are trapped, state of the NAND cell is determined by measuring charge in the floating gate.
  • No charge is considered a 0, and charge is considered a 1.
23
Q

What are the different optical disk formats?

A
  • Ready Only
  • Recordable
  • Re writable formats.
24
Q

How does a hard disk work?

A
  • Uses rotating platters coated with magnetic material.
  • Ferrous particles on the disk are polarised to become either a north or south state, representing 0 or 1.
  • Disk is divided into tracks in concentric circles, each track is subdivided.into sectors
  • Disk spins very quickly at speeds of up to 10,000 RPM.
25
Q

How does a hard drive read data/

A
  • Disk head moves across he disk to access different tracks and sectors.
  • f data is read from or written to the disk as it passes under the drive head.
  • When the drive head is not in use, it is parked to one side of the disk to prevent damage.
26
Q

What are some advantages to hard disks?

A

Large capacity

27
Q

What are some disadvantages to hard disks?

A

Less portable.

Computing (11 decks)

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