Computer Storage Control Techniques PDF

**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 t...

**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.