ITteoric7.pdf

Week 7: Storage: Storing data 1-Primary storage: Temporory 2-Secondary storage: Permanent 1 Storage: Primary (temporary) Computer circuitry that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed. RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read Only Memory) Cache Memory Buffe...

Week 7: Storage: Storing data 1-Primary storage: Temporory 2-Secondary storage: Permanent 1 Storage: Primary (temporary) Computer circuitry that temporarily holds data waiting to be processed. RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read Only Memory) Cache Memory Buffers 2 Storage: Primary (temporary) : RAM RAM stores volatile data that is constantly cycled in and out and disappears after power is removed. 3 Storage: Primary (temporary) : RAM, Performance RAM directly affects the performance of a given computer A computer’s CPU accesses RAM, which acts like a middleman between the CPU and non-volatile storage devices. Any data stored in RAM is available to the CPU in quick fashion. Otherwise, a computer would operate too slow for comfort by relying on non-volatile storage alone. 4 Storage: Primary (temporary) : RAM, Capacity, and cost Most computers need 8 GB of RAM in order to function fast and smooth. Sometimes, 16 GB or more is required for intensive use cases. RAM is quite expensive compared to other storage types but serves an invaluable purpose. 5 Storage: Primary (temporary) : ROM It can only be read from the computer but you can’t write any data to it. 6 Storage: Primary (temporary) : ROM Another important characteristic is that ROM does not lose its data when the power is off (i.e it is non-volatile data). ROM is usually used to store critical and essential data that helps to power-up a computer system and to perform an initial hardware test and setup. After the computer powers up, it starts using other types of storage such as hard disk, RAM etc. 7 Storage: Primary (temporary) : ROM An example of ROM is the BIOS of the computer (Basic Input Output System) which initializes the hardware and helps to start-up the whole computer system. 8 Storage: Primary (temporary) : Cache Memory, Buffers It is faster than RAM but features much smaller storage capacity. Once the data is stored in the cache, future use can be done by accessing the cached copy rather than re-fetching the original data. CPU can access similar data immediately. Buffers, temporarily store data while it's being moved from one place to another. 9 Storage: Primary (temporary) 10