Selecting storage devices and storage media questions and answers
Q1. You have been asked to compare a range of storage methods for computer data. What criteria could you use to compare them?
A1. Whether they were a magnetic or an optical storage media, how fast the media can be accessed, whether data can be accessed directly or serially, how much data can be stored on the media, what the media might typically be used for, how commonly used the media is, the cost of the media and the cost of the actual device used to read from or write to it, whether the media is read-only or read-write, whether the storage medium is 'virtual' and requires an Internet connection or physical.
Q2. Write out these numbers in bytes: 2 Kilobytes, 14 Megabytes, 4 Gigabytes and 2 Terabytes.
A2. 2000 bytes, 14 000 000 bytes, 4 000 000 000 bytes and 2 000 000 000 000 bytes.
Q3. Suggest a suitable method to back-up users’ data on a large network (200 PCs) each evening, explaining why you have chosen that method.
A3. Magnetic tape, online storage, because both can store huge amounts of data.
Q4. What is the main difference in the way that a CD-ROM and a CD R/W is used?
A4. You can write to a CD-ROM only once. You can write and overwrite data on a CD R/W many times. CD R/W’s are therefore suitable as regularly used back-up devices. CR-ROMs are suitable for distributing software, because you can’t accidentally overwrite the data on them.
Q5. What is meant by ‘cloud storage’? Describe how a company would back-up their data using cloud storage.
A5. Many companies these days do not back up their work onto a physical medium such as a tape or DVD but use internet storage instead. When they want to back something up, the data is first compressed to make it smaller. It is then sent over the Internet to a company, who stores it on their computers.
Q6. What type of technology does a pen drive use?
A6. Solid state technology.
Q7. What is meant by a 'mirror' hard drive?
A7. This is a second hard disk that is an exact copy of the main hard disk.
Q8. Why are mirror hard drives used in computer systems?
A8. The main hard disk will one day fail, as all mechanical devices will. The mirror hard disk can then be used to take over the computer so that no data is lost and no time is lost while the computer is being repaired.
Q9. What is the term 'raid' used for in relation to computer storage?
A9. Raid is another term used in storage to describe when you keep exact copies of main hard drives, in case of a major failure.
Q10. What do you call a computer that is on a network but doesn't have its own hard drive?
A10. This is a 'thin client'. The files and applications are stored on the server's hard rive instead.