Module 8: Digital Storage: Preserving Content Locally and on the Cloud

- Consider uploading files that you cannot afford to lose, such as financial documents or scanned copies of insurance paperwork. - Upload files that might have sentimental value, such as photos and video. In the unlikely event of a disaster that ruins your computer, mobile device, and backups you possess, the cloud storage provider will retain these files. - Do not back up programs and apps if you have access to the installation media or files. - If your cloud storage provider offers only a limited amount of storage space, back up only the files you are sure you will need again in the future. - Routinely review the files you have stored on the cloud storage provider and remove files you no longer need.

What should you consider when determining what to upload to the cloud?

Access time

measures: 1. the amount of time it takes a storage device to locate an item on a storage medium or... 2. the time required to deliver an item from memory to the processor

USB flash drive (thumb drive)

portable flash memory storage device that you plug in a USB port.

Magnetic stripe card

A credit card, entertainment card, bank card, or other similar card with a stripe that contains information identifying you and the card.

Card reader/writer

A device that reads from and writes on memory cards.

Storage area network (SAN)

A high-speed network with the sole purpose of providing storage to other attached servers.

Tape

A magnetically coated ribbon of plastic that is capable of storing large amounts of data and information at a low cost.

Blu-ray

A more expensive DVD format that has a higher capacity and better quality than standard DVDs, specially for high-definition audio and video.

Track

A narrow recording band that forms a full circle on the surface of the disk.

Storage appliance

A network attached storage server, often called this, has its own IP address, usually does not have a keyboard or display, and contains at least one hard drive, often configured in a RAID.

Jewel case

A protective case for optical disks.

External hard drive

A separate freestanding storage device that connects with a cable to a USB port or other port on a computer or mobile device.

Network attached storage (NAS)

A server that is placed on a network with the sole purpose of providing storage to users, computers, and devices attached to the network.

Tape cartridge

A small, rectangular, plastic housing for tape.

Single-session disc

A standard CD-ROM is called this because manufacturers write all items on the disc at one time.

SAS (Serial-attached SCSI)

A type of SCSI that uses serial signals to transfer data, instructions, and information. Advantages of _____ over parallel SCSI include thinner, longer cables; reduced interference; lower cost; support for many more connected devices at once; and faster speeds. ______ interfaces support connections to hard disks, SSDs, RAID, optical disc drives, printers, scanners, digital cameras, and other devices.

Geofence

A virtual perimeter or boundary, to disable certain apps or cameras in secure areas, such as labs or meeting rooms.

Longitudinal recording

Aligns the magnetic particles horizontally around the surface of the disk.

Selective backup (partial backup)

Allows the user to choose specific files to back up, regardless of whether or not the files have changed since the last incremental backup.

Cloud storage

An Internet service that provides storage to computer or mobile device users.

Skimming

An action when thieves use a handheld device to swipe the card and then obtain and store account details.

Smart card

An alternative to a magnetic stripe card that stores data on an integrated circuit embedded in the card.

Incremental backup

An incremental backup copies only the files that have changed since the last full or last incremental backup.

Gigabyte (GB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 billion. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^30 or 1,073,741,834. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Megabyte (MB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 million. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^20 or 1,048,576. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Petabyte (TB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 quadrillion. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^50 or 1,125,899,906,842,624. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Exabyte (EB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 quintillion. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^60 or 1,152,921,504,606,846,976. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Yottabyte (YB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 septillion. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^80 or 1,208,925,819,614,629,174,706,176. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Zettabyte (ZB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 sextillion. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^70 or 1,180,591,620,717,411,303,424. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Kilobyte (KB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 thousand. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^10 or 1,024. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

Terabyte (TB)

Approximate Number of Bytes: 1 trillion. Exact Number of Bytes: 2^40 1,099,511,627,776. (Terms Used to Define Storage)

1. Read-only. 2. Recordable. 3. Re-writable.

As with CDs, DVDs are available in what three basic formats?

WORM (write once, read many)

Because a CD-R can be written on only one time, the format of these discs sometimes is called this.

1. Full backup. 2. Differential backup. 3. Incremental backup. 4. Selective backup.

Business and home users can use what 4 methods for backup?

CD-ROM

CD-read-only memory; type of optical disc that users can read but not write on (record) or erase.

CD-R

CD-recordable; optical disc on which users can write once, but not erase, their own items, such as text, graphics, and audio.

CD-RW

CD-rewritable; erasable multisession disc users can write on multiple times.

Controller (disk controller)

Consists of a special-purpose chip and electronic circuits that control the transfer of data, instructions, and information from a drive to and from the system bus and other components in the computer.

Differential backup

Copies only the files that have changed since the last full backup.

DVD-ROM

DVD-read-only memory; a high-capacity optical disc that users can read but not write on or erase.

DVD-R and DVD+R

DVD-recordable WORM formats, on which users can write once but not erase their own items, including video, audio, photos, graphics, and text.

DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD+RAM

DVD-rewritable formats that users can write on multiple times.

Serial transfers

Data is sent one bit at a time.

Fibre Channel (FC)

Enterprise storage often uses this technology as the interface that connects the devices to the network because FC technology has much faster transmission rates than SCSI and other previously discussed interfaces.

eSATA (external SATA)

External drives can use this interface, which is much faster than USB.

- Transport a large number of files. - Back up important files or an entire internal hard drive (most external hard drive models include backup software). Easily store large audio and video files. - Secure your data; for example, at the end of a work session, you can relocate or lock up an external hard drive, leaving no data in a computer. - Add storage space to a mobile computer, such as a laptop or tablet. - Add storage space to a desktop without having to open the case or connect to a network.

External hard drives do offer many advantages over internal hard drives, such as what?

SSD (solid-state drive)

Flash memory storage device that contains its own processor to manage its storage.

D: Data backup and archiving.

For what do organizations use tape drives?

Minidisc

Game consoles and mobile devices, however, may use this that has a diameter of 3 inches or less; _____ _____ also work in standard-sized optical disc drives.

Geotag

Geographical data that can pinpoint where a photo was taken.

GBps

Gigabytes per second.

Perpendicular recording

Hard disks align the magnetic particles vertically, or perpendicular to the disk's surface, making much greater storage capacities possible.

Redundancy

If one component fails or malfunctions, another can assume its tasks.

Tape library

Individual tape cartridges are mounted in a separate cabinet.

EIDE (Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics)

Is an interface that uses parallel signals to transfer data, instructions, and information. _____ interfaces provide connections for hard disks, SSDs, RAID, optical disc drives, and tape drives.

KBps

Kilobytes per second.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)

Like EIDE, this also uses parallel signals, but can support up to 8 or 15 peripheral devices. Supported devices include hard disks, SSDs, RAID, optical disc drives, tape drives, printers, scanners, network cards, and more.

Platter

Made of aluminum, glass, or ceramic and has a thin coating of alloy material that allows items to be recorded magnetically on its surface.

Direct access (random access)

Means that the device can locate a particular data item or file immediately, without having to move consecutively through items stored in front of the desired data item or file.

Solid-state media

Means they consist entirely of electronic components, such as integrated circuits, and contain no moving parts.

MBps

Megabytes per second.

Head crash

Occurs when a read/write head touches the surface of a platter, usually resulting in a loss of data or sometimes loss of the entire disk.

Outsourcing

Offloading all (or at least the backup) storage management to an outside organization or a cloud storage provider, a practice known as this.

Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Act.

Provides a myriad of financial reporting requirements and guidelines for publicly traded companies.

Full backup (archival backup)

Provides the best protection against data loss because it copies all program and data files. Generally, users should perform a full backup at regular intervals, such as at the end of each week and at the end of the month.

Tape drive

Reads from and writes on a magnetic tape. Although older computers used reel-to-reel tape drives, today's tape drives use tape cartridges.

RAID

Redundant array of independent disks; a group of two or more integrated hard drives.

Hard drive

Refers collectively to hard disks and SSDs.

Sequential access

Refers to reading or writing data consecutively.

Memory card

Removable flash memory, usually no bigger than 1.5 inches in height or width, that you insert and remove from a slot in a computer, mobile device, or card/reader writer. Common types include: SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity), SDXC (Secure Digital Expanded Capacity), miniSD, microSDHC, microSDXC, CF (CompactFlash), xD Picture Card, Memory Stick PRO Duo, and M2 (Memory Stick Micro).

- Faster access times (can be more than 100 times faster). - Faster transfer rates. - Quieter operation. - More durable. - Lighter weight. - Less power consumption (leads to longer battery life). - Less heat generation. - Longer life (more than 10 times longer). - Defragmentation is not required.

SSDs have several advantages over traditional (magnetic) hard disks, including what?

Parallel transfers

Send several bits at once.

Photo CD

Sometimes is used to refer to CDs that contain only photos.

Storage device

The hardware that records and/or retrieves items to and from storage media.

Read/write head

The mechanism that reads items and writes items in the drive as it barely touches the disk's recording surface.

Density

The number of bits in an area on a storage medium. A higher _____ means more storage capacity.

Capacity

The number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can hold.

Storage medium (secondary storage)

The physical material on which a computer keeps data, information, programs, and applications.

Ripping

The process of copying audio and/or video data from a purchased disc and saving it on your own media.

Formatting

The process of dividing the disk into tracks and sectors so that the operating system can store and locate data and information on the disk.

Writing

The process of transferring data, instructions, and information from memory to a storage medium.

Reading

The process of transferring these items from a storage medium into memory.

Burning

The process of writing on an optical disc.

Transfer rate

The speed with which data, instructions, and information transfer to and from a device.

NFC tag

This, similar to RFID tag, contains a chip and an antenna that contains information to be transmitted

- Never bend a disc; it may break. - Do not expose discs to extreme temperatures or humidity. The ideal temperature range for disc storage is 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. - Stacking discs, touching the underside of discs, or exposing them to any type of contaminant may scratch a disc. Place an optical disc in its jewel case, when you are finished using it, and store it in an upright (vertical) position.

Tips for proper care of optical discs include what?

E: Send to.

To copy a selected file to an external drive, right-click the file, point to __________ on the shortcut menu, and then click the drive, such as Drive E:.

Optical disc

Type of storage medium that consists of a flat, round, portable disc made of metal, plastic, and lacquer that is written and read by a laser.

Dont's for Keeping your credit card account safe

- Reveal your account number during a phone call unless you have initiated the call. - Write your PIN on the card or on the protective envelope. - Sign a blank charge slip. - Carry extra cards, especially when traveling to unfamiliar locations. - Let your card out of sight. While you may not be able to follow this advice at a restaurant when you hand the card to a server, you can be observant of employees' behaviors.

Do's for Keeping your credit card account safe

- Use a card with added security features, such as a photo. - Draw a line through blank areas on restaurant charge slips. If you have left a cash tip on the table, write the words, On Table, in the slip's tip amount section . - Cover the keypad when entering a PIN. Save charge receipts and check them against monthly statements or online postings. - Keep a record in a safe place of all your credit card numbers, expiration dates, and toll-free numbers to call if you need to report a lost or stolen card. - Purchase an RFID-proof wallet to shield smart cards from remote readers. - Shred new credit account mail solicitations. - Look for skimmers, which can capture a credit card number.

Keeping NFC Transactions Safe

- Use a strong passcode on the phone and a PIN for the NFC transaction. - Lock the phone when it has not been used for several minutes. - Install antivirus software. - Install an app that takes a photograph of a person trying to access a phone without permission and then sends a message to another mobile device when the phone has been stolen, or uses the phone's GPS to track its locations. - Turn off Bluetooth discoverable status when not using this feature.

Fixing Scratches on an Optical Disc.

1. As with any maintenance you perform, risks are associated with attempting to fix scratches on an optical disc. For this reason, if possible, you should back up the data on the disc before attempting to fix a scratch. 2. Place a very small amount of rubbing compound (available at a hardware store) on a soft, nonabrasive cloth and rub the compound on the disc from its center outward at the location of the scratch. If rubbing compound is not available, place a small amount of toothpaste (not a gel) on the scratched area and rub from the inside of the disc outward. 3. Test the disc. If you still are experiencing problems because of the scratch(es), consider having a professional remove the scratch.

Cleaning an optical disc

1. While holding the disc by its edges, use compressed air to blow excess dust off of its surface. Hold the can of compressed air upright while using it. 2. Use a soft, nonabrasive cloth to gently wipe debris off of the disc's surface. Wipe the disc from the center out to its edges. 3. If any dirt remains on the disc, dip a soft cloth or cotton ball in isopropyl alcohol (or a cleaner designed for optical discs) and then gently wipe the soiled areas. 4. Use a soft cloth to dry the disc's surface or allow it to air dry. You never should insert a wet disc in a computer.

Sectors

The disk's storage locations consist of wedge-shaped sections, which break the tracks into small arcs called this.

Striping

Splits data, instructions, and information across multiple drives in the array

Hard disk (Hard disk drive / HDD)

Storage device that includes one or more inflexible, circular platters that use magnetic particles to store data, instructions, and information.

RFID tag

Tag that includes an antenna and a memory chip that contains the information to be transmitted via radio waves.

Personal cloud

That is, the networked hard drive connects directly to your router, creating a _____ that allows you to access its files over the Internet.

D: 15 GB.

The amount of storage on OneDrive for a basic Microsoft account is ____________.

- To access files on the Internet from any computer or device that has Internet access. - To store large audio, video, and graphics files on the Internet instantaneously, instead of spending time downloading to a local hard drive or other media. - To allow others to access their files on the Internet so that others can listen to an audio file, watch a video clip, or view a photo — instead of sending the file to them via an email message. - To view time-critical data and images immediately while away from the main office or location; for example, doctors can view X-ray images from another hospital, home, or office, or while on vacation. - To store off-site backups of data To provide data center functions, relieving enterprises of this task.

Users subscribe to cloud storage for a variety of reasons, what are they?

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA)

Uses serial signals to transfer data, instructions, and information. The primary advantage of ______ interfaces is that their cables are thinner, longer, more flexible, and less susceptible to interference than cables that use parallel signals. _____ interfaces support connections to hard disks, SSDs, RAID, and optical disc drives.

1. Synchronize files. 2. Write documents. 3. Back up files. 4. Stream music. 5. Post photos. 6. Play games.

What are some of the services offered by cloud storage providers?

A: Click the OS (C:) drive and then click the Optimize button.

What do you do to optimize the OS (C:) hard drive in the following dialog box?

D: Laser beam.

What does a computer use to read the data on an optical disc?

1. Playlists. 2. Compatibility. 3. Features. 4. Titles.

What features are found on music sharing sites?

1. Video creation. 2. Audience interaction. 3. Features. 4. Genre.

What features are found on popular video sharing sites?

- Verify the company is reputable and has been in business for an extended period of time. - Choose a provider that encrypts your files. - Make sure the company has not fallen victim to major security breaches. - Determine whether the provider's service is compatible with your computer(s) and mobile device(s). - Compare the price of various storage plans and choose a provider that offers competitive pricing. - Verify the cloud storage provider will support the types of files you want to back up. For example, some cloud storage providers might allow you only to back up photos, so they would not be a good choice to back up your personal files, such as documents and spreadsheets. - If desired, choose a cloud storage provider that allows you to share selected files with others. - Consider whether the provider offers a mobile app that you can use to access your files using a mobile device.

What should you consider when selecting a cloud storage provider?

1. Services. 2. Tools. 3. Features. 4. Storage space.

When deciding which websites to use for photos, consider the following factors:

1. Where do my original files need to reside? 2. What is the cost? 3. How do I access and share the files safely? 4. What privacy rights are available? 5. Can I annotate my media? 6. Are online reviews of the services available? 7. What help and website support are available?

When researching locations to share media files, ask yourself the following questions...

Smart cards (Chip cards)

When you insert a contact _____ _____ in a specialized card reader, the information on the smart card is read and, if necessary, updated.

D: In the left pane below Computer.

Where is the flash drive listed in a Windows 7 Save As dialog box?

D: Data on an SSD cannot be corrupted.

Which of the following is not a characteristic of solid state drives (SSDs)?

A: Check your email.

Which of the following is not an example of NFC technology?

D: 1 TB.

Which of the following measurements represents the most data?

A: External hard drive.

Which storage device is the best option for backing up files?

Revolutions per minute (rpm)

While the computer is running, the platters in the hard disk rotate at a high rate of speed. This spinning, which usually is 5,400 to 15,000 _____ _____ _____, allows nearly instant access to all tracks and sectors on the platters.

E: To access the files on any device connected to the Internet.

Why do most people store files in the cloud?

Level 1 (mirroring)

Wites data on two drives at the same time to duplicate the data.

Multisession

You can write on part of the disc at one time and another part at a later time — if the disc has free space.