Chapter 2: Storage Devices & Power Supplies Definitions & Questions
what are the output voltages that have been commonly produced by PC power supplies over the years?
+3.3VDC, +5VDC, -5VDC, +12VDC, -12VDC,
Hardware RAID
- A RAID system controlled by the computer's BIOS - built-in RAID controller (like system set-up)
Solid State Hybrid Drive (SSHD)
- A drive that is a combination of both a mechanical hard drive and an SSD into a single device. - known to the operating system as a single drive, and individual access to the separate components is unavailable to the user
tape backup
- A relatively simple and economical backup method in which data is copied to magnetic tapes. - In many environments, tape backups have been replaced with faster backup methods, such as copying to network or online storage.
BD-ROM
- Blu-Ray Read Only Memory - either 25BG or 50GB capacity depending on layer - high resolution - requires content protection - formats include BD video, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE
Drive Duplexing
- Duplexing is an extension of mirroring that is based on the same principle as that technique. - Like in mirroring, all data is duplicated onto two distinct physical hard drives. - Duplexing goes one step beyond mirroring, however, in that it also duplicates the hardware that controls the two hard drives (or sets of hard drives). - need at least 2 HDD
RAID
- Redundant Array of Independent Disks - combining the storage power of more than one hard disk for a special purpose, such as increase performance or fault tolerance - RAID can be implemented in software or in hardware, but hardware RAID is more efficient and offer higher performance
SATA Express (SATAe)
- The newest version of SATA that ties capable drives directly into the PCI Express bus on motherboards. - Each lane of PCIe 3.0 is capable of handling up to 8 Gbps data throughput. - A SATAe drive grabbing two lanes, therefore, could move a whopping 16 Gbps through the bus.
Flash memory cards
- USB thumb drive - CF: compact flash (cameras) - SMC: smart media card (cameras) - xD: xD picture card (cameras) - Olympus/Fujifilm cameras - SD: secure digital (computers/cameras) - format for flash memory - miniSD - microSD
DVD-ROM
- a high-capacity optical disc on which users can read but not write on or erase - purchased with data encoded
Advance Host Controller Interface (AHCI)
- a technical standard defined by Intel that specifies the operation of Serial ATA (SATA) host controllers in a non-implementation-specific manner in its motherboard chipsets. - boot options
Hard Drive - crash screen
- chkdsk - Windows repair - replace drive
RAID 1+0 (RAID 10)
- combines disk mirroring and disk striping to protect data - requires at least 4 HDD - as long as one disk in each mirrored pair is functional, data can be saved - if 2 disks in the same mirrored pair fail, all data will be lost b/c no parity in striped sets
CD-ROM
- compact disc-read-only memory - designed for long-term storage of data. - that information written at the factory can't be erased or changed
Hard disk drive controller
- controls how the drive operates and how the data is encoded onto the platters. - controls how the data sends signals to the various motors in the drive and receives signals from the sensors inside the drive - the most common and well-known of these technologies is SATA
DVD
- digital video disc or digital versatile disc - store video (most common DVD format - DVD+R) - start at 4.7 GBs
DVD-RAM
- digital video disc-random access memory - can be recorded over many times, but will only play back in a DVD-RAM drive
Hot-Swappable Devices
- disconnect/connect devices while the PC or device is on and have those devices be detected without having to reboot the PC or device
Hard Drive - drive not read error
- drive not recognized - install process mess up - check connection - data connections proper, have power? - check BIOS - check controller settings
Hard Drive - read/write errors
- error checking launched from graphic interface (drive properties; tools) - chkdsk launched from command line - chkdsk /f finds and fixes files errors
External SATA (eSATA)
- hot plug support (plug and unplug) - no power connector - same speeds as SATA - maximum cable length is 2 meters
HDD cylinders
- is a division of data in a disk drive - concentric, hollow, cylindrical slices through the physical disks (platters), collecting the respective circular tracks aligned through the stack of platters. - The number of cylinders of a disk drive exactly equals the number of tracks on a single surface in the drive.
HDD clusters (allocation units)
- is a group of sectors within a disk and is the grouping by which disk files are organized. - A cluster is larger than a sector, and most files fill many clusters of disk space. - The hard drive is able to find all the clusters on a disk because each cluster possesses its own ID.
RAID 5
- is a redundant array of independent disks configuration that uses disk striping with parity. - Because data and parity are striped evenly across all of the disks, no single disk is a bottleneck. - -- - Striping also allows users to reconstruct data in case of a disk failure. - need at least 3 HDD
M.2 SSD
- is a specification for internally mounted computer expansion cards and associated connectors. - It replaces the mSATA standard, which uses the PCI Express Mini Card physical card layout and connectors. - M.2's more flexible physical specification allows different module widths and lengths, and, paired with the availability of more advanced interfacing features, makes the M.2 more suitable than mSATA for solid-state storage applications in general and particularly for the use in small devices such as ultrabooks or tablets
IEC Binary Prefixes
- kibi(ki): 2^10 = 1024 - mebi(mi): 2^20 = 1024 ki - gibi(gi): 2^30 = 1024 mi - tebi(ti): 2^40 = 1024 gi - pebi(pi): 2^50 = 1024 ti - exbi(ei): 2^60 = 1024 pi
SI Decimal & Binary Prefixes
- kilo(k): 1000 - mega(m): 1000k (1 million) - giga(g): 1000m (1 billion) - tera(t): 1000g (1 trillion) - peta(p): 1000t (1 quadrillion) - exa(e): 1000p (1 quintillion)
RAID 1
- known as "mirroring" - method of producing fault tolerance by writing all data simultaneously to two separate drives - if one fails, the other contains all the data, and it will become the primary drive - safety but no speed
RAID 0
- known as "striping" - A RAID array in which every time data is written to disk, a portion (block) is written to each disk in turn, creating a "stripe" of data across the member disks. - uses the total disk space in the array for storage, without protecting the data from drive failure. - speed but no safety - need at least 2 HDD
Hard Drive - loud clicking noises
- no fixes = back up your device and get a new HDD
Software RAID
- performed on the internal server - data is configured in the host server CPU - relies o Windows to control the raid array
Advanced Technology Attachment
- physical interface for connecting storage devices within a computer - allows hard disks and CD ROM's to be internally connected to the mobo and perform basic input/output functions
DVD+/-RW
- purchased blank - DVD rewritable media that can be recorded, erased, and re-recorded - similar to CD-RW - can be erased and recorded over numerous times without damaging
voltage tester
- quick way to test your system (green light = power) - voltmeter can show the voltages carried by each power connector
Hard Drive - Defragmentation
- reduces the amount of fragmentation - automatic tool as a default - runs automatically on Windows Vista, 7, and 8x - physically organizing the contents of the mass storage device used to store files into the smallest number of contiguous regions - disk cleanup: deletes unnecessary files
Hard Drive - operation systems not found
- remove any unbootable media - check boot order - use Windows repair utilities - replace drive
Serial ATA (SATA)
- the newer and faster ATA technology. - computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives - up to 1 meter long - common length is 18 inches
Parallel ATA (PATA)
- the older and slower ATA standard - standard for connecting hard drives into computer systems - based on parallel signalling technology
Hard disk
- the physical storage medium - store information on small discs, also called platters, stacked together and placed in an enclosure
Host Bus Adapter (HBA)
- the translator, converting signals from the controller to signals that the computer can understand
SATA power connector
-15-pin, L-shaped connector used by SATA devices that -support the hot-swappable feature.
Power supplies
-Converts 110V or 220V alternating current (AC) into the direct current (DC) voltages that a computer needs to operate. -ATX PSUs are in watts
Choosing a power supply
1) Efficiency = measured in percentage (good PSU quote % at operating temp) - good PSU = north of 90% - bad PSU = as low as 50% 2) Rails = electrical circuits that isolate different types of power outputs - PSU should have at least 2 rails - rails are the seperate sections of the PSU that supplies power for the 3.3-, 5-, and 12 volt requirements
Troubleshooting power supplies
1) unplug PSU when it smokes/burning smell 2) Voltmeter = instrument used for measuring electrical potential difference between 2 points in an electric circuit - biggest voltage is 12 volts - pick highest range close to the voltage but above it - voltage tester = quick way to test your system (green light = power) - voltmeter can show the voltages carried by each power connector
which of the following platter spin rates is not commonly associated with conventional magnetic hard disk drives? a. 5400 rpm b. 7200 rpm c. 10,000 rpm d. 12,000 rpm
12,000 rpm
what is the largest NTFS volume size supported, assuming a 64KB cluster size as maximum?
256TB
Supplementary power connector
4 or 8 pin - VERY IMPORTANT
what concept applies only to conventional magnetic hard disk drives and not newer solid-state drives?
7200 rpm
Molex power connector
A 4-pin power connector used to provide power to a PATA hard drive, optical drive, or case fans.
Voltmeter
A device used to measure voltage, or electrical potential energy difference
Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
A disk optimization feature for SATA drives. It enables faster read and write speeds - internally optimize the order in which received read and write commands are executed
Alternating Current (AC)
A flow of electric charge that regularly reverses its direction (back and forth movement) - runs long distance very well
eMMC (embedded MMC)
A form of embedded flash memory widely seen in mobile devices.
Integrated Device Electronics (IDE)
A hard drive whose disk controller is integrated into the drive, used between a computer's mobo data paths or bus and the computer's disk storage devices
Universal Disk Format (UDF)
A removable disk formatting standard used for large capacity CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs
HDD read/write head
A sealed, magnetic coil device that moves across the surface of a disk either reading data from or writing data to the disk.
DVD-9
A single-sided, double-layer digital versatile disc (DVD) that stores 8.54 GB of data, or over four hours of video.
Solid State Drive (SSD)
A storage device that uses the same kind of memory that flash drives use but that can reach data in only a tenth of the time a flash drive requires.
what represents the input and output, respectively, of power supplies and AC adapters?
AC in, DC out
BD-R
Blu-ray Disc Recordable
BD-RE
Blu-ray Disc Recordable Erasable
CD-RW
Compact Disc - ReWritable: a CD that allows data to be erased and written again several times.
CD-R
Compact Disc Recordable (burn stuff on it)
Mini power connector
Connector used to add more USB ports to system
Region codes
Different codes in different parts of the world
Direct Current (DC)
Electric current that flows in only one direction - better for getting things done
Wattage (watts or W)
Measurement of the amps and volts needed for a particular device to function.
HDD Platter
One or more aluminum, glass, or ceramic disk that is coated in a magnetic media and is located within a hard drive to permanently store all your computer's data.
Anatomy of a Hard Drive
Platters Read/write heads Tracks Sectors Cylinders Clusters (allocation units)
P1 connector
Power connection on an ATX motherboard, which can have 20 or 24 pins. (big connector on side of mobo) - VERY IMPORTANT
which technology is based on flash memory and is intended eventually to replace conventional hard disk drives that have moving discs and other mechanisms?
SSD
a client is looking for a desktop drive technology that saves money over SSDs but offers performance increases over HDDs and can be used to house the operation system. what would be the best recommendation?
SSHD
CDDA (CD-Digital Audio)
Special format used for early CD-ROMs and all audio CDs; divides data into variable-length tracks. A good format to use for audio tracks but terrible for data because of lack of error checking.
CDFS (Compact Disc File System)
The 32-bit file system for CD discs and some CD-R and CD-RW discs.
Dual-voltage
Type of power supply that works with either 110- or 220-volt outlets. (USA is 110v, UK is 220v)
DVD+/-R
a blank DVD on which data, including music and movies, can be permanently recorded and read using the DVD+R format.
Dual Drive Solutions
a device that contains both fully accessible Solid State Drive (SSD) and Hard Disk Drive (HDD), while only requiring one SATA connection.
how to best describes a hybrid drive?
a drive that has both HDD and SSD components
NVMe
a high-performance scalable host controller interface designed enterprise, data center, and client systems that use PCIe solid-state drives
Flash Memory
a kind of memory that retains data in the absence of a power supply.
SATA/AHCI & PCIe/NVMe
are interfaces and protocols used by SSD
which is not one of the three major components of a hard disk drive system? a. drive interface b. controller c. hard disk d. host adapter
drive interface
which of the following statements about dual-rail power supplies is LEAST true? a. dual-rail power supplies have electronically separate 12VDC connections b. dual-rail power supplies typically support more cumulative amperage than single-rail supplies c. dual-rail power supplies are less likely to be overdrawn by connected components d. dual-rail power supplies feature most of the same connections as a single-rail supply
dual-rail power supplies are less likely to be overdrawn by connected components
Which of the following is not a consideration when installing an internal storage device? a. you should match the form factor of the drive or adapt it to an available drive bay or slot. b. you should secure the drive with at least two screws on one side and preferably two on each side. c. due to the high revolutions at which hard drives spin, you must secure an external power source because the internal power supplies do not have the capacity. d. you need to be sure that the routing of the drive's ribbon cable, if applicable, does not obstruct the engineered flow of air across internal components
due to the high revolutions at which hard drives spin, you must secure an external power source because the internal power supplies do not have the capacity.
what does the e stand for in eMMC?
embedded
ISO 9660
file system for optical disc media
Small form factor power supplies
for smaller systems and home theaters -run at 250 watts - still has P1, molex, SATA, auxiliary connectors
What measurement are DVDs measured in?
gigabytes
HDD sectors
holds 512 bytes of data, this is usually the minimum quantity of information which is independently addressable for storage on a hard drive disk.
HDD track
is a circular path on the surface of a disk or diskette on which information is magnetically recorded and from which recorded information is read.
Logical Block Addressing (LBA)
is a common scheme used for specifying the location of blocks of data stored on computer storage devices, generally secondary storage systems such as hard disks. (like the dry cleaners)
Hard Drive/Disk
is an electromechanical data storage device that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve digital information using one or more rigid rapidly rotating disks (platters) coated with magnetic material.
SI prefixes & IEC prefixes: all very similar
kilo: 1000 kibi: 1024 mega: 1,000,000 mebi: 1,048,576 giga: 1,000,000,000 gibi: 1,073,741,824
Micro SATA (mSATA)
laptops, mounted hard drives
SATA1
maximum speed of 1.5 Gbps; maximum length of 1 meter
SATA2
maximum speed of 3 Gbps; maximum length of 1 meter
SATA3
maximum speed of 6 Gbps; maximum length of 1 meter
Soft power
no physical switch, signal from mobo telling PSU what to do
Where is data stored on SSD?
pages (4096 bytes)
what does the red stripe on a ribbon cable indicate?
pin 1
what is the physical component where data is stored in a HDD?
platter
how to best describe the concept of hot-swappable devices?
power does not need to be turned off before the device is inserted or removed
which of the following statements about power supplies is true? a. you must make sure that the voltage selector switch on the back of the power supply is switched to the lower setting if the computer is going to be used in Europe b. SATA hard drives most often use the same type of power connector that PATA hard drives use. c. power supplies supply power to ATX based motherboards with connectors know commonly as P8 and P9. d. power supplies convery AC input to DC output
power supplies convery AC input to DC output
High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP)
prevents piracy
Modular power supply
provides connectors at the power supply end, allowing unused cables to be detached from the power supply, producing less clutter, a neater appearance and less interference with airflow.
Where is data stored on HDD?
sectors (4096 bytes)
what optical disc format supports a data capacity of 25GB?
single-sided, single-layer Blu-ray disc
S.M.A.R.T.
system monitoring and reporting technology - detect and report various indicators of drive reliability with the intent of anticipating hardware failures - Windows has no s.m.a.r.t. support - some BIOS have built-in s.m.a.r.t. - OX X has built-in s.m.a.r.t. support - back up and replace drive
what kind of media is most commonly used when large amounts of data need to be archived on a regular basis?
tape
Amps
unit for current - current flow is measured when amps are calculated (volumetric flow/how much?)
Volts
unit for voltage - electric pressure
How to calculate watts?
volts x amps = watts
when replacing a power supply, what tends to vary among power supplies and must be chosen properly to support all connected devices?
wattage
which of the following is not a consideration when upgrading power supplies? a. you might find that you do not have a matching motherboard connector on your new power supply b. you might find that your case has a nonremovable power supply c. you might find that your power rating is not adequate on the new power supply d. you might find that you do not have enough of the appropriate connectors coming from the power supply for the devices that you have installed
you might find that your case has a nonremovable power supply
