Storage (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE ICT)
Revision Note
Storage Devices
What is a storage device?
A storage device is the hardware that reads from and writes to different storage medias
Storage devices are non-volatile secondary storage, that retain digital data within a computer system
They provide a means of storing, accessing, and retrieving data, which can include software applications, documents, images, videos, and more
There are 3 types of storage device:
Magnetic
Solid State
Optical
Magnetic storage
Magnetic storage is a type of non-volatile media that uses magnets (polarity) to store binary 0s and 1s
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Capacity - High storage | Durability - Moving parts can get damaged if dropped |
Cost - Low per gigabyte | Portability - Heavy & bulky making them less convenient for transport |
Speed - Moderate read/write access | Reliability - Prone to mechanical failure |
| Noise - Loud (spinning disks) |
Solid state storage
Solid state storage is a type of non-volatile media that uses electronic circuits to store binary 0s and 1s
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Capacity - Medium/high storage | Cost - Very high per gigabyte |
Speed - Very fast read/write access | Reliability - Limited read/write cycles |
Durability - No moving parts |
|
Portability - Small and no moving parts |
|
Noise - Silent |
|
Optical storage
Optical storage is a type of non-volatile media that uses lasers to burn the surface of a disk, creating pits and lands suitable for storing binary 0s and 1s
Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
Cost - Very low per gigabyte | Capacity - Very low |
Durability - No moving parts | Speed - Very slow read/write access |
Portability - Small and no moving parts | Reliability - Prone to scratches |
Noise - Silent |
|
Storage Media
What is storage media?
Storage media is the physical media that holds non-volatile data
Storage devices have a specific read/write mechanism built in to interact with a particular storage media
For example, magnetic tape media is read by a magnetic storage device
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Try not to get confused between storage devices and storage media.
Think of storage devices as large pieces of furniture in your home e.g. bookshelf, chest of drawers etc.
Storage media is what you store in the furniture e.g. books on the shelf or clothes in the drawers
Storage media all hold data, but the way it stores/accesses it can be very different, so just like you wouldn't store clothes on a bookshelf, you need to pair the correct storage device and storage media
Example storage media
Media | Use | Advantages | Disadvantages | Storage Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Hard disk drive (HDD) | General-purpose storage in computers and servers | Large storage capacity (5TB), relatively fast | Moving parts, vulnerable to physical damage | Magnetic |
Portable hard disk drive | External storage for data transfer and backup | Portable (5TB), large storage capacity | Slower than SSDs, vulnerable to physical damage | Magnetic |
Magnetic tape | Backup and archiving, especially for large volumes of data | High storage capacity (10TB), low cost | Slow access time, sequential access | Magnetic |
CD | Audio and data storage, software distribution | Affordable, widely compatible | Low capacity (700MB), susceptible to scratches | Optical |
DVD | Higher capacity storage for data, video, and software distribution | Higher capacity than CD (8.5GB), affordable | Susceptible to scratches, lower capacity than Blu-ray | Optical |
Blu-ray | High-definition video and high capacity data storage | High capacity (50GB), high-resolution video storage | More expensive, and requires specific hardware | Optical |
Solid state drive (SSD) | Fast internal storage for modern computers | Fast access time, no moving parts, high capacity (30TB) | More expensive, limited write cycles | Solid state |
Portable solid state drive | External storage for fast data transfer and backup | Fast access time, portable, no moving parts, high capacity (2TB) | More expensive, limited write cycles | Solid state |
USB memory stick | Portable data storage and transfer for various devices | Small size, fast read/write speeds, high capacity (1TB) | Limited capacity compared to other storage devices | Solid state |
Flash memory (SD/XD) | Removable memory cards used in smartphones/digital cameras | Very small, durable, large capacities | Easy to lose due to size, expensive per GB compared to HDD | Solid state |
Worked Example
A program collects a large amount of data and this could be stored using either a fixed solid-state drive (SSD) or cloud storage.
a. Describe four advantages to the school of using cloud storage rather than using the SSD
[4]
Answer
Four of:
The cloud has greater storage capacity [1]
The data could be sent directly to/from the cloud from any computer/device [1]
Storage capacity can be increased without adding additional physical devices [1]
Many people can share the data [1]
The school would only pay for the storage used [1]
There is an automatic backup of data [1]
b. Describe three disadvantages to the school of using cloud storage rather than using the SSD
[3]
Answer
Three of:
More security issues as multiple copies of the data are stored [1]
The school loses control over the storage of the data [1]
Cloud storage has an ongoing cost [1]
Users must have a reliable internet connection to store data [1]
Users must have an internet connection to access data [1]
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