Computer Application In Storage Control PDF

**FEDERAL UNIVERSITY DUTSIN-MA KATSINA STATE** **FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE** **DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING** **COURSE CODE: FIN 215** **COURSE TITLE: APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER IN FINANCE AND BANKING** **BY** **TITUS VERONICA D.** **MAN/2024/33472** **ADEOLA EMMANUEL IPEYEMI** **MAN/2024/322...

**FEDERAL UNIVERSITY DUTSIN-MA KATSINA STATE** **FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE** **DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING** **COURSE CODE: FIN 215** **COURSE TITLE: APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER IN FINANCE AND BANKING** **BY** **TITUS VERONICA D.** **MAN/2024/33472** **ADEOLA EMMANUEL IPEYEMI** **MAN/2024/32220** **QUESTION:** **COMPUTER APPLICATION IN STORAGE CONTROL** **OCTOBER, 2024** **COMPUTER APPLICATION IN STORAGE CONTROL** **INTRODUCTION** The purpose of computer storage technology is to preserve data for short-term reuse or long-term use. It is also known as non-volatile memory- data that continues to exist whether the power is turned on or off. The history of storage devices goes back to the use of punch cards in the 18th century when they were used in the textile industry in France. When the first personal computers emerged in 1977, however, they benefited from modern data storage technologies far more efficiently than punch cards. Which, believe it or not, had been the primary form of data storage until the 1950s. When computers started to become popular, they didn't have on-board storage.  That's where floppy discs came into play.  Without [computer storage](https://www.explainingcomputers.com/storage.html), you had to re-enter data every time you rebooted the machine. This was extremely burdensome and time-consuming, and almost completely eliminated the advantage of having a computer. The Commodore Pet, Apple II, and the TRS-80 ushered in the personal computer age in 1977. The dominant storage mediums of the day were cassette [tape drives](https://www.recordnations.com/records-storage/backup-tape-rotation/) and floppy disks. Cassette tape drives, such as the Commodore Pet's Datasette brand, wrote digital data onto, and read data from, normal consumer-grade audio cassette tapes.  This made the Datasette capable of catering to a lower-priced market. It used storage media that was highly popular and cheap. The Apple II also used a cassette drive. Later, it became capable of using a floppy disk drive as well. The first generation of floppy disk drives used 5.25-inch disk media. These were called floppy disks because of their physical flexibility. Floppy disks and cassette tapes became the dominant forms of storage media during the 1970s and 1980s. A typical 1-hour audio tape could store 200 kilobytes (Kb) of data, while a floppy diskette could store up to 360 Kb. 1. **OVERVIEW OF STORAGE CONTROL** Definition: Computer storage control refers to the management of data storage devices and systems to ensure efficient use, security, and accessibility. **Computer data storage** or **digital data storage** is a technology consisting of [computer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer) components and [recording media](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_storage) that are used to retain [digital data](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_data). It is a core function and fundamental component of computers.^ ^ The [central processing unit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_processing_unit) (CPU) of a computer is what manipulates data by performing computations. In practice, almost all computers use a [storage hierarchy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_hierarchy), ^ ^ which puts fast but expensive and small storage options close to the CPU and slower but less expensive and larger options further away. Generally, the fast technologies are referred to as \"memory\", while slower persistent technologies are referred to as \"storage\". \- Importance: Proper storage control ensures data integrity, reduces errors, and optimizes system performance. **2. TYPES OF COMPUTER APPLICATION IN STORAGE CONTROL** Primary storage (also known as main memory, internal memory, or prime memory), often referred to simply as memory, is the only one directly accessible to the CPU. The CPU continuously reads instructions stored there and executes them as required. Any data actively operated on is also stored there in a uniform manner. **2.2 Secondary Storage** **\ 3. Storage Device in Computer Application** Let's discuss the different types of storage devices that are available in the market 1. **Primary storage devices** **RAM** (Random Access Memory) RAM means random access memory which is used to access any temporary data and to get intermediate results for the usage of that information. It is also known as temporary memory because the data will be stored only till the computer system is on, if it's turned off the data will be lost. **ROM** ROM means read-only memory. This is also known as non-volatile memory as the information here is stored permanently until and unless it's deleted by the user. 2. **Secondary Storage Device** \- Hard Disk Drives (HDD) It's a hard disc drive (HDD) that uses magnetic storage to store and retrieve data. It's a non-volatile device that stores data that could be changed or deleted an infinite number of times. \- Solid-State Drives (SSD) It refers to Solid State Drive, a type of mass storage technology similar to hard disc drives. It is much more resilient than hard drives as it does not require visual discs. \- Flash Drives This is also called a USB drive since it has flash memory and a built-in USB interface. These devices can be immediately connected to our desktops and laptops, allowing us to read data into them even more quickly and efficiently. \- Optical Drives (CD, DVD, Blu-ray) Compact Disc is the name for it. It has data-storage channels and sections on its surface. It has a round form and is composed of polycarbonate plastic. **DVD** Digital Versatile Disc is the name given to it. DVDs are data storage discs that are round and flat. It is available in two distinct sizes: 4.7Gigabyte solitary discs and 8.5Gigabyte dual discs. 3. **\ Tertiary Storage Device** **Cloud and virtual storage** Digital or cloud storage systems have replaced secondary memory in recent years. We can keep our documents and other items on the cloud for just as much as we subscribe to cloud storage. Many corporations, namely amazon, google, Microsoft, and others, offer cloud services. 3. **STORAGE CONTROL TECHNIQUES** 1\. Partitioning: Divide a disk into smaller sections for better organization. 2\. Formatting: Prepare a disk for use by creating a file system. 3\. Defragmentation: Reorganize data to improve performance. 4\. Disk Cleanup: Remove unnecessary files and data. 5\. Disk Quotas: Limit disk space usage for users or applications. 2. **File System Management** 1\. File Compression: Reduce file size to conserve disk space. 2\. File Encryption: Protect sensitive data from unauthorized access. 3\. Access Control Lists (ACLs): Regulate file access based on user permissions. 4\. File System Backup: Regularly backup files to prevent data loss. 5\. File System Optimization: Improve file system performance. 3. **Storage Optimization** 1\. Thin Provisioning: Allocate storage capacity on demand. 2\. Storage Tiering: Assign data to different storage levels based on importance. 3\. Data Deduplication: Remove duplicate data to reduce storage needs. 4\. Storage Compression: Compress data to reduce storage requirements. 5\. Automatic Storage Optimization: Use software to optimize storage usage. 4. **Data Protection** 1\. Backup and Recovery: Regularly backup data and have a recovery plan. 2\. Replication: Duplicate data to ensure availability. 3\. Mirroring: Create identical copies of data for redundancy. 5. **Access Control** 1\. User Authentication: Verify user identity before granting access. 2\. Access Control Lists (ACLs): Regulate file access based on user permissions. 3\. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assign access rights based on user roles. 4\. Storage Network Security: Secure storage networks from unauthorized access. 5\. Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Monitor and prevent sensitive data leaks. 6. **Cloud Storage Control** 1\. Cloud Storage Gateways: Manage cloud storage access. 2\. Cloud Storage Backup: Backup data to cloud storage. 3\. Cloud Storage Security: Secure cloud storage with encryption and access controls. 4\. Cloud Storage Optimization: Optimize cloud storage usage. 5\. Cloud Storage Migration: Move data between cloud storage providers. 7. **Best Practices** 1\. Regularly monitor storage usage. 2\. Implement storage quotas. 3\. Use data compression and deduplication. 4\. Ensure data backup and recovery. 5\. Implement access controls and authentication. **5. STORAGE VIRTUALIZATION:** Storage virtualization is a technology that combines multiple physical storage devices into a single logical unit, making it easier to manage and utilize storage resources. **5.1 Benefits** 1\. Simplified management: Virtualization simplifies storage management by providing a single interface to manage multiple devices. 2\. Increased flexibility: Virtualization allows for easy addition or removal of storage devices without disrupting operations. 3\. Improved utilization: Virtualization optimizes storage usage by allocating resources more efficiently. 4\. Enhanced data protection: Virtualization provides advanced data protection features like snapshots, replication, and redundancy. 5\. Scalability: Virtualization enables easy scalability by adding new storage devices to the virtual pool. **5.2 Types of Storage Virtualization:** 1\. \*Block-level virtualization\*: Divides physical storage into smaller blocks, allowing multiple devices to be combined. 2\. \*File-level virtualization\*: Virtualizes file systems, enabling multiple devices to be accessed as a single file system. 3\. \*Object-level virtualization\*: Virtualizes storage at the object level, ideal for cloud and object-based storage. **5.3 Storage Virtualization Techniques:** 1\. \*Thin provisioning\*: Allocates storage capacity on demand, reducing waste. 2\. \*Striping\*: Distributes data across multiple devices for improved performance. 3\. \*Mirroring\*: Duplicates data for redundancy and data protection. 4\. \*Snapshotting\*: Creates point-in-time copies of data for easy recovery. **5.4 Storage Virtualization Software:** 1\. VMware vSphere 2\. Microsoft Hyper-V 3\. Oracle VM 4\. OpenStack 5\. EMC Storage Virtualization **\ 5.5 Hardware-based Storage Virtualization:** 1\. Storage Area Networks (SAN):  is a specialized, high-speed network that **provides block-level network access to storage**. 2\. Network-Attached Storage (NAS): is a dedicated file storage device that connects to a network, allowing multiple users and devices to access and share data. Unlike traditional storage solutions, such as external hard drives, NAS systems provide centralized data management, making it easier for users to store, retrieve, and back up files over a local network or the internet. 3\. Storage controllers: Storage controllers are hardware or software components that manage data storage devices, enabling communication between the storage devices (like hard drives or SSDs) and the computer system or network. They play a crucial role in how data is stored, retrieved, and managed, influencing performance, reliability, and storage capabilities. **5.6 Challenges and Limitations:** 1\. Complexity: Virtualization can add complexity to storage management. 2\. Cost: Virtualization software and hardware can be expensive. 3\. Performance: Virtualization can impact performance if not properly configured. **5.7 Real-world Applications:** 1\. Cloud computing 2\. Data centers 3\. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) Storage virtualization offers numerous benefits, but requires careful planning, implementation, and management to maximize its potential. **6. STORAGE SECURITY** security refers to the protection of data stored on devices, networks, and cloud storage platforms from unauthorized access, theft, corruption, or destruction. **6.1 Types of Storage Security Threats** 1\. Data breaches: A data breach is an incident where unauthorized individuals gain access to sensitive, protected, or confidential information. This can include personal data, financial information, intellectual property, or any other type of data that an organization holds. Data breaches can occur due to various reasons, such as cyberattacks, human error, system vulnerabilities, or inadequate security measures. 2\. Unauthorized access: refers to the situation where individuals gain entry to a system, network, or data without permission. This can involve bypassing security measures, exploiting vulnerabilities, or using stolen credentials to access restricted information or systems. 3\. Malware and ransomware attacks: **Malware** and **ransomware** are types of malicious software designed to harm, exploit, or otherwise compromise computer systems and data. Here\'s a breakdown of each: **Malware** (short for \"malicious software\") is a broad term that encompasses various types of harmful software designed to infiltrate, damage, or disrupt computer systems **Ransomware** is a specific type of malware that encrypts a victim\'s files or locks them out of their system, rendering their data inaccessible. The attacker then demands a ransom payment, usually in cryptocurrency, in exchange for the decryption key or access restoration. 4\. Physical theft or loss of devices: 5\. Insider threats 6\. Data corruption or deletion 2. **Storage Security Measures:** **6.2.1 Physical Security:** 1\. Secure data centers and storage facilities: are specialized environments designed to house critical data and IT infrastructure while ensuring the protection, integrity, and availability of that data. They are equipped with various security measures to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and physical threats. 2\. Access controls (biometric authentication, smart cards): are security measures that determine who can enter or use a system, application, or facility. They help protect sensitive information and resources from unauthorized access. Two common methods of access control are **biometric authentication e.g** Fingerprint Recognition, Facial Recognition, Voice Recognition and **smart cards example** Contact Smart Cards **Contactless Smart Cards.** 3\. Surveillance cameras **6.2.2 Logical Security:** 1\. Encryption (data-at-rest, data-in-transit): is the process of converting information into a coded format to prevent unauthorized access. It is a critical security measure used to protect sensitive data from threats. Encryption can be applied to data in two primary states: **data-at-rest** and **data-in-transit**. **Data-at-rest** refers to inactive data stored physically in any digital form (e.g., databases, file systems, storage devices). Encryption for data-at-rest ensures that this data is protected when it is not actively being accessed or transmitted. **Data-in-transit** refers to data actively moving from one location to another, such as during transmission over a network (e.g., through the internet or internal networks). Encrypting data-in-transit ensures that the data remains secure while it is being transmitted 2\. Access control lists (ACLs): are a key security mechanism used to manage permissions for users and groups within a system. They specify which users or systems are allowed or denied access to particular resources, such as files, directories, or network services 3\. Role-based access control (RBAC) **6.2.3 Data Protection** 1\. Backup and recovery processes: A backup is a copy of data stored separately from the original data, designed to be restored in case of data loss. 2\. Data replication and mirroring: are techniques used to ensure data availability, reliability, and redundancy. While they serve similar purposes, they have distinct characteristics and use cases. 3\. Data loss prevention (DLP) systems **6.2.3 Storage Security Standards and Regulations** 1\. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): is a comprehensive data protection law in the European Union that came into effect on May 25, 2018. Its main objectives are to enhance individuals\' control over their personal data and to simplify the regulatory environment for international business by unifying data protection regulations across the EU. 2\. PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): is a set of security standards designed to ensure that companies that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. Established by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), PCI-DSS aims to protect cardholder data from theft and fraud. **6.2.4 Storage Security Technologies** 1\. Storage area networks (SANs): is a specialized high-speed network designed to provide access to consolidated block-level data storage. SANs are used to enhance storage devices\' accessibility and performance, making them ideal for data-intensive applications such as databases, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and virtualized environments. 2\. Network-attached storage (NAS) with secure access controls: is a storage solution that connects to a network, allowing multiple users and devices to access and share data over that network. Unlike traditional direct-attached storage, which connects directly to a computer, NAS systems are designed specifically to serve data to multiple clients simultaneously 3\. Data protection platforms (e.g., backup and recovery software): including backup and recovery software, are tools designed to safeguard data by creating copies (backups) and providing mechanisms to restore that data in case of loss, corruption, or disaster. These platforms are essential for ensuring data integrity and availability across organizations. **7. CLOUD STORAGE CONTROL** Cloud Storage Control refers to the management and regulation of data stored in cloud storage platforms. Here are some key aspects: **7.1 Benefits:** 1\. Scalability and flexibility: scalability refers to the ability of the network to handle increasing traffic, while flexibility relates to the network\'s ability to adapt to changes in traffic patterns or requirements. 2\. Accessibility and collaboration: Accessibility means that your web or app design can be used by people with different abilities, preferences, and devices, while collaboration means that your web or app design can facilitate communication, feedback, and co-creation among different teams, clients, and users. 3\. Automatic backups and disaster recovery 4\. Enhanced security and compliance **7.2 Cloud Storage Control Techniques:** 1\. Data Classification: Categorize data based on sensitivity and importance. 2\. Access Control: Regulate user access through permissions and authentication. 3\. Encryption: Protect data with encryption at rest and in transit. **7.3 Cloud Storage Security Measures** 1\. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): is a security measure that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a system, application, or account. This adds an extra layer of protection beyond just a password, making it harder for unauthorized users to gain access 2\. Identity and Access Management (IAM): is a framework of policies and technologies that ensures the right individuals have appropriate access to technology resources. It encompasses the processes for identifying, authenticating, and authorizing users to access systems and data within an organization. **7.3.1 Key components of IAM include:** 1. **Identity Management**: Creating and managing user identities, including user profiles and attributes. 2. **Access Control**: Defining who can access what resources and under what conditions, often through role-based access controls (RBAC) or attribute-based access controls (ABAC). 3. **Authentication**: Verifying the identity of users, which can involve passwords, multi-factor authentication, or biometric methods. 3\. Data Encryption 4\. Secure Data Transfer (SSL/TLS) 5\. Regular Security Audits **7.4 Cloud Storage Management Tools** 1\. Cloud Storage Gateways: are services or devices that act as intermediaries between on-premises data storage systems and cloud storage solutions. They enable businesses to integrate their existing infrastructure with cloud storage, making it easier to store, manage, and retrieve data in the cloud while leveraging the benefits of both environments. **Key features of Cloud Storage Gateways include** 1. **Data Transfer**: They facilitate the seamless transfer of data between on-premises storage systems and cloud storage, often supporting various protocols like NFS, SMB, or FTP. 2. **Caching**: Many gateways provide caching capabilities, storing frequently accessed data locally for quicker access while offloading less frequently used data to the cloud. 3. **Data Management**: They often include tools for managing data lifecycle, allowing organizations to define policies for moving data between on-premises storage and the cloud. 2\. Cloud Management Platforms (CMPs): are comprehensive software solutions designed to manage and optimize cloud services and resources across multiple cloud environments, including public, private, and hybrid clouds. CMPs help organizations streamline their cloud operations, improve efficiency, and ensure governance and compliance. **Key features of CMPs include:** 1. **Resource Provisioning**: Automating the deployment and scaling of cloud resources, making it easier to manage workloads across different cloud providers. 2. **Cost Management**: Providing visibility into cloud spending, helping organizations track costs, set budgets, and optimize resource usage to minimize expenses. 3. **Monitoring and Performance Management**: Offering tools to monitor cloud performance, usage metrics, and system health, enabling proactive management and troubleshooting. 3\. Storage Resource Management (SRM) tools: refers to a set of tools and practices used to monitor, manage, and optimize storage resources within an IT infrastructure. SRM helps organizations ensure efficient use of storage, improve performance, and reduce costs by providing insights into storage utilization and performance. **Key features of SRM include:** 1. **Capacity Planning**: Assessing current storage usage and forecasting future needs to avoid over-provisioning or running out of storage space. 2. **Performance Monitoring**: Tracking the performance of storage systems, identifying bottlenecks, and optimizing workloads to enhance efficiency. 3. **Data Management**: Implementing policies for data lifecycle management, including archiving, tiering, and deletion of outdated data to free up space. 4\. Cloud Security Gateways 5\. Data Protection Platforms **7.5 Cloud Storage Providers:** 1\. Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3: Simple Storage Service (S3) is a scalable, object storage service designed for storing and retrieving any amount of data from anywhere on the web. It's widely used for a variety of applications, including data backup, archiving, big data analytics, content distribution, and website hosting. **Key features of AWS S3 include:** 1. **Scalability**: S3 can handle virtually unlimited data storage, automatically scaling to accommodate your needs. 2. **Durability and Availability**: S3 is designed for 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability and 99.99% availability, ensuring that data is securely stored and readily accessible. 3. **Storage Classes**: S3 offers different storage classes to optimize costs based on access patterns, including Standard, Intelligent-Tiering, Standard-IA (Infrequent Access), and Glacier for archival storage. 2\. Microsoft Azure Blob Storage: is a scalable object storage solution designed for storing large amounts of unstructured data, such as text and binary data. It is part of the Azure cloud platform and is commonly used for a variety of applications, including data backup, archiving, content distribution, and big data analytics. **\ Key features of Azure Blob Storage include:** 1. **Scalability**: Azure Blob Storage can handle massive amounts of data, automatically scaling to meet your storage needs. 2. **Data Types**: It supports three types of blobs: block blobs (for storing text and binary data), append blobs (optimized for append operations), and page blobs (for virtual hard disk files). 3. **Access Tiers**: Azure Blob Storage offers different access tiers (Hot, Cool, and Archive) to optimize costs based on how frequently the data is accessed. 3\. Google Cloud Storage (GCS): is a scalable, secure, and highly durable object storage service provided by Google Cloud Platform. It is designed for storing and accessing large amounts of unstructured data, such as images, videos, backups, and data for analytics and machine learning. **Key features of Google Cloud Storage include:** 1. **Scalability**: GCS can handle virtually unlimited data storage, allowing users to scale their storage needs as required. 2. **Storage Classes**: GCS offers multiple storage classes to optimize costs based on access patterns, including Standard, Nearline (for infrequently accessed data), Coldline (for long-term archival), and Archive (for very rarely accessed data). 3. **Durability and Availability**: Google Cloud Storage is designed for 99.999999999% (11 nines) durability and high availability, ensuring data is reliably stored and accessible. 4\. Dropbox 5\. Box **7.6 Cloud Storage Standards and Regulations** 1\. GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): is a comprehensive data protection law enacted by the European Union (EU) that came into effect on May 25, 2018. It aims to enhance individuals\' control over their personal data and streamline data protection regulations across Europe. **Key aspects of GDPR include:** 1. **Personal Data Definition**: GDPR defines personal data broadly, encompassing any information that relates to an identified or identifiable person, including names, emails, IP addresses, and more. 2. **Data Subject Rights**: Individuals (data subjects) have enhanced rights under GDPR, including: - The right to access their personal data. - The right to rectify inaccurate data. - The right to erase data (the \"right to be forgotten\"). 2\. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): is a U.S. law enacted in 1996 to protect the privacy and security of individuals\' health information. It establishes national standards for the protection of certain health information and applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses that handle protected health information (PHI). **Key components of HIPAA include:** 1. **Privacy Rule**: This rule sets standards for the protection of PHI, giving individuals rights over their health information, including the right to access and request corrections to their medical records. 2. **Security Rule**: This rule establishes standards for safeguarding electronic protected health information (ePHI). It requires covered entities to implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. 3\. PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): is a set of security standards designed to ensure that organizations that accept, process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. Developed by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), which was founded by major credit card companies like Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB, PCI-DSS aims to protect cardholder data from fraud and breaches. **Key requirements of PCI-DSS include:** 1. **Build and Maintain a Secure Network**: - Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data. - Use strong, unique passwords and security measures for system access. 2. **Protect Cardholder Data**: - Protect stored cardholder data. - Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open and public networks. 4\. ISO 27001 (Information Security Management System) 5\. NIST Cybersecurity Framework **REFERENCE** 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.