Intro to Storage Media

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is NOT a primary consideration in physical storage introduction?

Aesthetic appeal (correct)
Capacity
Durability
Transfer rate

What is the general trend in the memory hierarchy regarding cost and access time?

Cost and access time are unrelated
Higher cost, slower access time
Higher cost, faster access time (correct)
Lower cost, faster access time

Which storage type would be MOST suitable for long-term data archiving due to its cost-effectiveness and high capacity?

Tertiary Storage (Tape) (correct)
Primary Storage (RAM)
Secondary Storage (SSD)
Cache Memory

What is the primary advantage of using magnetic disk storage (HDDs) in database systems?

Large, cheap, and persistent storage (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT directly contribute to the latency in accessing data on a hard disk drive (HDD)?

The color of the disk platter (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main purpose of using buffers in main memory when working with hard disks?

To manage and optimize block access, reducing I/O time (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of database management systems (DBMS), what is the significance of avoiding random I/O?

It minimizes seek time and rotational delay on HDDs, improving performance. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key consideration when writing and changing blocks on storage media, especially concerning RAM?

Changes can only be done with main memory (RAM) involvement. (D) Signup and view all the answers

When comparing algorithms in a DBMS course versus a general algorithms course, what key difference must be considered?

General algorithms courses always assume data fits in memory, while DBMS courses must consider I/O costs. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the I/O model of computation, what is the primary goal for optimizing database performance?

Minimizing the number of (read/write) block accesses (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is correct regarding the use of magnetic tapes today?

Magnetic tapes are employed by cloud providers and research institutions for cost-effective, high-capacity archiving. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT a typical advantage of magnetic tapes?

High random access speed (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why are solid-state drives (SSDs) an alternative to hard-disk drives (HDDs)?

They use microchips to retain data. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a main disadvantage of Solid State Drives (SSDs)?

Limited ability of being rewritten. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does non-volatile memory (NVM) differ from most common types of memory (e.g., DRAM)?

NVM retains information even after shutdown. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why is redundancy, such as using multiple disks, important in storage systems?

To ensure data availability and prevent data loss in case of disk failures (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key reason for hard drives aging and wearing down over time?

Contact cycles (head parking) and Spindle start-stop (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is Annualized Failure Rate (AFR) an important metric for hard drives?

Indicates the probability of a hard drive failure per year. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does RAID stand for in the context of storage systems?

Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of using RAID?

Enhance storage capacity, speed, and/or reliability (B) Signup and view all the answers

In RAID configurations, what does it mean for disks to be 'virtualized'?

The multiple physical drives appear as a single logical drive. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of RAID 0 (block-level striping)?

Double bandwidth when sequentially reading (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key benefit of RAID 1 (block-level mirroring)?

Fault tolerance through redundancy. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a RAID 0+1 configuration?

Combination of RAID 0 and RAID 1, providing both stripping and mirroring (A) Signup and view all the answers

In RAID 2, what happens if a sector on a disk is read?

Sector takes as long as 1/8th of sector (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main feature of RAID Level 3 striping?

Reading/writing requires access of all disks. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What issue arises from using a shared parity disk in RAID Level 4?

The Parity Disk creates a bottleneck. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key advantage of RAID 5 over RAID 4?

Reduced potential for bottleneck due to distributed parity (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which RAID configurations are most commonly used in practice and why?

RAID 1 and particularly RAID 5 because of their balance between redundancy and performance (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is understanding the strengths and weaknesses of storage technologies important for database management systems (DBMS)?

To enable the exploitation of strengths and avoid the weaknesses of a technology (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does disk distance between the R/W (read/write) head and platter affect data retrieval?

Increased distances typically result in increased latency (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why might a database administrator prefer sequential access over random access when retrieving data from a hard disk drive (HDD)?

Sequential access reduces seek time and rotational delay compared to random access. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How do wear leveling algorithms improve the lifespan of solid-state drives (SSDs)?

Algorithms ensure write operations are equally distributed to the pages (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why should Database systems aim at minimizing block accesses?

Because other operations are significantly larger than the cost of operation. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements is true regarding single disk access, versus SSD access?

SSD access would be better at accessing (B) Signup and view all the answers

Between Seek Time, Rotational Delay, and Block Transfer which action aims for each?

Minimize, Minimize, Maximize (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which is the best reason for having high sequential read and write speeds for magnetic tapes?

In order to ensure data can be properly put into a system that requires sequential ordering, even if tape speeds lag behinds. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Why is the choice of which RAID to employ depend on matching the needs of the application?

Each RAID level has different strengths and weaknesses regarding speed, reliability, and cost. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of hard drive reliability, what is the significance of 'contact cycles'?

They describe the number of times the read/write head parks (moves away from the platter), causing wear. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How do the roles of primary, secondary, and tertiary storage affect overall system design in a database management system?

Their properties influence decisions concerning data placement, access methods, and query optimization. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What key factor primarily differentiates database system algorithm analysis from that conducted in a general algorithms course?

DBMS courses must account for the cost of I/O operations because datasets don't fit in memory, general algorithms often assume all data is in memory. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of 'locality' influence algorithm design within a DBMS, particularly concerning main memory algorithms?

It encourages algorithms to process data in a way that maximizes the number of cache hits. (C) Signup and view all the answers

When dealing with hard disk drives (HDDs) in database systems, what strategy is most effective for minimizing I/O costs associated with data retrieval?

Writing data on disk in the order it will be read and re-using buffered data to avoid accessing the disk. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What role do main memory buffers play in optimizing the process of reading and writing blocks of data on hard disk drives (HDDs)?

They store parts of files, and ideally the blocks needed are already stored in main memory when it is accessed. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does increasing 'contact cycles' impact the reliability and lifespan of a hard disk drive (HDD)?

It significantly reduces lifespan due to wear and tear from frequent head parking. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes the trade-offs between cost, speed, and capacity when considering the storage hierarchy in database management systems?

Faster storage options like RAM are generally more expensive and offer limited capacity compared to slower options like hard disks or tapes. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary factor that determines 'rotational delay' when accessing data on a hard disk drive (HDD)?

The time it takes for the desired sector to rotate under the read/write head. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of RAID configurations, what is the key difference between 'virtualized' disks and physical disks?

Virtualized disks are presented as a single logical unit, abstracting the complexity of multiple physical disks. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the major implication of using flash memory in Solid State Drives (SSDs) for writing data, compared to traditional HDDs?

Only entire blocks or pages must be rewritten in SSDs, even if only a small portion of the data has changed. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of 'Over Provisioning' in Solid State Drives (SSDs), and how does it impact the drive's performance and lifespan?

It reserves extra storage space to mitigate performance degradation and extend lifespan by wear and tear. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the architecture of Solid State Drives (SSDs) affect their suitability for different types of database workloads compared to traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)?

SSDs are generally better for random workloads due to lower latency, but HDDs remain cost-effective for large, sequential workloads. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What constitutes the 'seek time' component of latency when accessing data from a hard disk drive (HDD)?

The time it takes for the read/write head to reach the correct track. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the fundamental principle behind using RAID 3 (striping with parity) to enhance data storage?

Splitting data into bits or bytes across multiple disks, with one dedicated disk storing parity information. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant bottleneck in RAID 4 configurations due to their approach to handling fault tolerance?

The parity disk becomes a bottleneck because every write operation must access it. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does magnetic tape achieve high scalability for data storage?

Through its capability to store data across easily swappable cartridges, allowing for near-limitless archival capacity. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is 'Energy Efficiency' considered a key advantage of magnetic tapes in archival storage solutions?

Tapes consume very little electricity when idle or offline, making them cost-effective for long-term archives. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In what scenario would using magnetic tapes be most strategically advantageous compared to other storage solutions like HDDs or SSDs?

For long-term data archiving with infrequent access. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does RAID 0+1 (mirrored striping) balance performance and reliability compared to its constituent RAID levels, RAID 0 and RAID 1?

RAID 0+1 provides the increased performance of RAID 0 with the data protection of RAID 1, but at a higher cost. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How can the performance of hard disk drives (HDDs) be optimized within a database management system (DBMS)?

By minimizing random access and maximizing sequential access patterns whenever possible. (A) Signup and view all the answers

When considering cost efficiency, which type of storage is generally the most economical per gigabyte for long-term archival storage?

Magnetic Tapes. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why should database administrators prioritize sequential access over random access when retrieving data from a hard disk drive (HDD)?

HDDs have faster sequential read/write speeds due to minimized head movement, reducing latency. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a practical approach to mitigate the impact of hard drive failures in a database environment without implementing RAID?

Implementing rigorous backup and recovery strategies. (E) Signup and view all the answers

Why is there an increasing interest in Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) for database systems?

NVM offers the speed of DRAM with the persistence of disk storage, potentially revolutionizing data handling. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the impact on overall input/output (I/O) performance in a DBMS when the required data blocks are already present in main memory?

The I/O performance dramatically improves, as disk access is avoided. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main goal in optimizing database performance within the I/O model of computation?

To minimize the number of block accesses between disk and main memory. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes the general shift in data storage technologies?

Solid-state drives are increasingly favored over HDDs, though magnetic disks remain significant due to their cost-effectiveness. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Storage Media Differences

Storage media differ in random access speed, read/write speed, capacity and cost per capacity.

Storage Hierarchy

A layered arrangement of storage types where faster, more expensive storage is at the top and slower, cheaper storage is at the bottom.

Primary Storage

Fast, limited capacity, high price, usually volatile electronic storage. Used for frequently accessed and current work data.