CompTIA A+ (220-901 HARDWARE B): Storage Devices

(SSDs) Standard disk-drives

(SSDs) Standard disk-drives are extremely fast since these devices have no moving parts, eliminating seek time and latency. SSDs can be configured within systems to replace traditional computer hardware such as disk drives, optical drives, and network security appliances that include firewall and routing functions. *Size (2.5-inch and 3.5-inch).

Which features are characteristic of SSHDs?

1. Solid state memory used to cache most-accessed data. 2. Faster data access than with magnetic disks. 3. Lower cost than pure solid state storage.

Hard Drives

A hard disk drive (HDD) is a storage device that reads data from, and writes data to, a hard disk. A hard disk consists of several metal or hard plastic platters with a magnetic surface coating. Data is stored magnetically and can be accessed directly.

Tape Drives

A tape drive is a storage device that stores data magnetically on a tape that is enclosed in a removable tape cartridge. Capacity *Data on the tape must be read sequentially. *Sizes: internal drives have a 5.25-inch form factor. *Tape drives are most commonly used to store backup copies of archived, offline data in large data centers and are almost never used with desktop computers.

Types of Hard Drives

Although you might occasionally encounter legacy hard drive technology, the most prevalent types of hard drives that you are likely to be asked to install or troubleshoot are in the SATA family. Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) drives have the following characteristics: SATA supports one device per channel. SATA supports hot swapping

embedded Multi-Media Controller (eMMC)

An embedded Multi-Media Controller (eMMC) is a storage component that contains flash memory and a flash memory controller integrated onto the same silicon die. *The eMMC solution consists of at least three components: A MMC (multimedia card) interface Flash memory A flash memory controller

Optical Discs

An optical disc is a storage device that stores data optically, rather than magnetically. Common optical discs include compact discs (CDs), digital versatile discs (DVDs), and Blu-ray discs.

Blu-ray discs (BD)

BD-ROM Blu-ray Disc-Read Only Memory. *Capacity 128 GB, depending on the number of layers. *Each layer on the disc has a capacity of 25 GB. Newer discs have the capability of holding up to four layers of storage. *Blu-ray uses UDF v2.5 file system

CD-ROM Compact Disc-Read Only Memory CD-RW CD-Rewritable

CD-ROM Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. Data is permanently burned onto the disc during its manufacture. The capacity for CD-ROMs ranges from 700 to 860 MB. CD-RW CD-Rewritable. Data can be written to the disc multiple times. CD-RW capacities also range from 700 to 860 MB. *File systems: Compact Disc File System (CDFS) or Universal Disc Format (UDF).

CompactFlash (CF) cards

CompactFlash (CF) cards Due to their compact size, they are typically used in portable devices. Use: Digital cameras, Music players, Personal computing devices, Photo printers, Digital camera recorder *They hold 100 GB or more *50-pin contact. *Transfer speeds of up to 66 MBps

DVD-R / DVD-RW

DVD *Single-sided capacity of 4.7 GB *Double-sided capacity 9.4 GB. *Dual Layer 8.5GB DVD-RW *Single-Layer / Single-sided capacity of 4.7 GB *Single-Layer / Double-sided capacity of 8.75 GB *Dual Layer 8.7GB *Dual Layer Double-sided capacity 17.08 GB. Note: DVD drives access data at speeds from 600 KBps to 1.3 MBps. DVD drives use UDF as the file system.

Disk Controllers

Hard drives require circuitry to communicate with the CPU. This circuitry is known as the disk controller. Disk controllers can be built into the drive itself, or they can be contained on an expansion card. In most modern hard drives, the controller is built into the drive.

Hot Swappable Devices

Hot swapping is a type of hardware replacement procedure where a component can be replaced while the main power is still on. Hot swap is a feature of USB and FireWire devices, enabling you to install an internal or external drive, network adapter, or other peripheral without having to power down the computer. Non-hot-swappable devices require the computer to be shut down and restarted before any device installation updates or removals are recognized by the operating system.

Memory sticks (MSs)

Memory sticks (MSs) are flash memory cards that are used extensively in Sony products such as VAIO® laptops. *can hold up to 16 GB *Data transfer rates are 2.5 MBps for read operations and 1.8 MBps for write operations.

MultiMediaCards (MMCs)

MultiMediaCards (MMCs) cards are generally also compatible with SD card readers and are used in many of the same devices. *Holds up to 8 GB *Data transfer rates can reach 52 MBps.

SmartMedia (SM) cards

SmartMedia (SM) cards are flash memory cards that are similar in size to the CF cards. *Hold up to 128 MB and can transfer data at speeds of up to 8 MBps. *Common use: Digital cameras, Digital camera recorders, Older models of personal digital assistants (PDAs)

Solid State Storage

Solid state drives (SSDs) use flash technology to retain data in special types of memory instead of on disks or tape. Solid state storage uses non-volatile memory to emulate mechanical storage devices, but solid state storage is much faster and more reliable than mechanical storage because there are no moving parts.

Solid State Hybrid Drives (SSHDs)

Solid state hybrid drives (SSHDs) combine the best features of solid state and magnetic data storage by combining the traditional rotating platters of a magnetic HDD and a small amount of high-speed flash memory on a single drive.

Which storage device records data magnetically and is most often used for backups?

Tape Drive

Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card

The Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card is commonly used in Laptops, Digital cameras, Smartphones, Handheld gaming devices, Audio players *SD Memory Cards are currently available in *capacities, up to 2 TB. *Data transfer rates range from 10 MBps to 20 MBps

Hard Drive Speeds

The speed of a hard drive is based on how fast the disk is spun to retrieve the requested data. This is referred to as revolutions per minute (rpm). Common speeds include: 5,400 rpm 7,200 rpm 10,000 rpm

Types of Solid State Storage

USB flash drives (SSDs) Standard disk-drives CompactFlash (CF) SmartMedia (SM) cards xD-Picture Cards (xD) Memory sticks (MSs) Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card MultiMediaCards (MMCs)

What is the primary benefit of using solid state storage?

portability and the speed of data access

xD-Picture Cards

xD-Picture Cards (xD) are flash memory cards that are specifically designed for use in digital cameras. *Holds up to 2 GB with plans for up to 8 GB. *Data transfer rates range from 4 to 15 MBps for read operations and from 1.3 to 9 MBps for write operations.