Computer Component :

Device

Storage

(External Memory, Secondary Memory, Seconda

ry Storage)

Storage Types
Magnetic Types
Optical Types

Storage Types
Technology Types

Shape Types

Magnetic (Disk & Tape)

Disk (Fixed, Rem
Tape (Cartridges,
Optical (Disk)

Access Method Types

Sequential Access (Magnetic Type)

Direct Access (Magnetic & Optical Disk)

Magnetic Types
Magnetic Disk

Definition
Data Organization, Formatting and Disk Layout Meth
od
Physical Characteristic
Disk Performance Parameters

Magnetic Tape

Definition
Data Organization and Formatting

Magnetic Disk
Definition

A Disk

Circular platter constructed of metal or of plastic coated

with a magnetizable material.
Data are recorded on and retrieved from the disk via a
conducting coil, head.
To write, electricity flows through a coil produces a
magnetic field then magnetic patterns (positive or negative)
are recorded.
To read, magnetic field moves relative to a coil produces an
electrical current of the same polarity as it recorded in the
coil

Magnetic Disk

Data Organization

Tracks - the organization of data on the platter in a

concentric set of rings, each track is the same width as the h
ead.
Data are transferred to and from a disk in blocks
Sectors - data are stored in these block-size regions that
maybe either fixed or variable length.
Adjacent tracks or sectors are separated by gaps
Density - bits per inch, increases from outer track to inner
track
Clusters - groups of sectors that use to store a file
Cylinders - tracks in the same position of each side in
multiple platter

Magnetic Disk
Formatting

A process that prepare a disk for use

Create tracks and sectors on disk
Record information of disk
number of byte/sector and sector/track
File Allocation Table (FAT)

Root folder (directory)

A bit near the center of a rotating disk travels past a
fixed point (e.g.. read-write head) slower than a bit o
n the outside.

Magnetic Disk

Disk Layout Methods

Constant Angular Velocity (CAV)

increasing space between bits
bits can be scanned at the same rate
devide disk into a number of pieshaped sectors and a series of conce
ntric tracks
Pro : block can be directly address
by track and sector
Con : long outer track can store data
in the same amount as short inner
tracks

Multiple Zone Recording

devide disk into a number of

zones (~16)
within a zone, the number of bits
per track is constant
zones farther from the center
contain more bits (more sectors) t
han the closer.
the time to move a head for
reads and writes vary from one
zone to another.
Pro : increasing capacity

Magnetic Disk

Physical Characteristics

Head Motion

Platters

Disk Portability

Head Mechanisms

Fixed head (one per track)

Movable head (one per
surface)
Nonremovable disk
Removable

Sides

Single sided
Double sided

Single platter
Multiple platters

Contact (Floppy)
Fixed gap
Aerodynamic gap
(Winchester)

Magnetic Disk

Disk Performance Parameters

Average Access Time ( Ta )

Seek time ( Ts )
Latency time ( r - Rotational delay )
Transfer time ( T )

Ta = Ts + 1 + T
2r

Magnetic Disk

Disk Performance Parameters

Seek Time ( Ts )

The time required to move the head to the required

track
A movable-head system moves the head
A fixed-head system electrically selects one head

Tsdepends
= on
m thex disk
n +drive
s
m = constant
n = number of tracks traversed
s = startup time

Magnetic Disk

Disk Performance Parameters

Latency Time ( r - Rotational delay )

The time required to move the beginning of the

sector to the head
Floppy disk rotates 300-600 rpm,
average delay will be 100-200 ms
Other disks rotate 3600-15000 rpm
(1 revolution per 16.7 ms to 1 revolution per 4
ms ),
average delay will be 8.3 ms

Magnetic Disk

Disk Performance Parameters

Transfer Time ( T )

The time to transfer data to or from the disk

Depend on the rotation speed of the disk

T
=
b
number of bytes rN
to be transferred

b =
N = number of bytes on a track
r = rotation speed, in revolutions per second

Magnetic Disk

A Timing Comparison

Ts = 20 ms, transfer rate = 1 MB/s, 512

bytes/sector,
sectors/track,
a file consists
256 sectors
A32
sequential
organization
A randomoforganization
for 128 KB
(8 adjacent tracks x 32 sector)
Average seek
20.0
Average seek
20.0
ms
Rotational delay
8.3 ms
Read 32 sectors
16.7 ms
45
ms
Read 1 track 8.3+16.7= 25
ms
Ta = 45 + 7 x 25 = 220 ms

ms
Rotational delay
ms
Read 1 sector
ms
28.8 ms

8.3
0.5

Ta = 256 x 28.8 = 7373

ms

Magnetic Tape
Definition

The medium is flexible polyester tape coated with

magnetizable material.
The tape and tape drive are analogous to a home tape
recorder system.
Use the same reading and recording techniques as
disk system.
Tapes used to be packaged as open reels that have to
be threaded through a second spindle for use.
Today all tapes are housed in cartridge

Magnetic Tape

Data Organization & Formatting

Structured as a number of parallel tracks running lengthwise.

Serial recording - data are laid out as a sequence of bits
along each track.
Data are read and written in contiguous blocks, physical
records.
Block are separated by interrecord gaps.
The tape is formatted to assist in locating physical records.
Data are recorded serially along individual tracks.
Blocks in sequence are stored on adjacent tracks.

Magnetic Tape

Characteristics

A tape drive is a sequential-access device.

Read all of the front records sequentially to
get the desired one.
Tape is in motion only during read or write
operation.
It is the first kind of secondary memory.
Usually use for backup data from the system.
Lowest-cost, slowest-speed memory

Optical Types
Compact Disk (CD)
CD-ROM
CD Recordable
CD Rewritable

Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)

Compact Disk
CD-ROM

CD digital audio system was introduced in 1983 as a

nonerasable disk that can store more than 60 mins of audio in
formation.
Audio CD and CD-ROM share a similar technology.
CD-ROM player are more rugged and have error correction
device.
The disk is formed form a resin.
Digitally recorded information is imprinted as a series of
microscopic pits on the surface and then coated with a highly
reflective surface (aluminum or goal) and then coated with acr
ylic.

Compact Disk

CD-ROM Layout Method

CD and CD-ROM contain a single spiral track, begin near

the center and spiraling out to the outer edge of the disk.
Sectors near the outside are the same length as those near
the inside.
The information is packed in segments of the same size
and these are scanned at the same rate by rotating disk at
a variable speed, known as Constant Linear Velocity (CL
V).
The capacity of a track and the rotational delay increase
for positions nearer the outer edge of disk.

Compact Disk

CD-ROM data Organization

Data are organized as a sequence of block

A typical block consists of

Sync : identifies the beginning of a block (12 bytes).

Header : contain block address and mode byte (4 bytes).

Mode 0 - a blank data field

Mode 1 - the use of an error-correcting code and 2048 byte of
data
Mode 2 - 2336 bytes of data with no error-correcting code

Data : User data

Auxiliary : Additional user data in mode 2. In mode 1,
288-byte error-correcting code (ECC).

Compact Disk

CD-ROM Pros & Cons

Pros:
The optical disk can be mass replicated
inexpensively.
The optical disk is removable, allowing the disk
itself to be used for archival storage.
Cons:
It is read-only and cannot be updated.
It has an access time much longer than that of a
magnetic disk.

Compact Disk

CD Recordable (CD-R)

A disk is prepared in the way that it can be

subsequently written once with a laser beam with a more
expensive disk controller than for CD-ROM
The medium is similar to (not identical) that of CD or
CD-ROM.
Information is recorded by the the pitting of the surface,
which changes reflectivity.
The disk can be read on a CD-R or CD-ROM drive.
It provides a permanent record of large volumes of user
data.

Compact Disk

CD Rewritable (CD-RW)

The disk can be repeatedly written and

overwritten.
Current materials can be used for
500,000-1,000,000 erase cycles.
It can be rewritten and used as a true
secondary storage.
It is higher reliability and longer life than
magnetic disks.

Digital Versatile Disk

The industry has a found an acceptable replacement for the
analog VHS video tape and replace the CD-ROM in PCs and
servers.
It can be randomly accessed like audio CDs.
It can store data with vivid quality, currently 7 times of CDROM.
The greater capacity is due to :
Bits are packed more closely on a DVD (4.7 GB).
It employs a dual-layer (8.5 GB), double sided disk (17 GB).

DVDs come in recordable, rewritable as well as read-only

version.