08 CDCT2203 - Topic04

Topic X Secondary
4 Storage
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the topic, you should be able to:
1. Describe five advantages of secondary storage;
2. Explain two types of magnetic storage;
3. Recognise four types of optical storage; and
4. Identify other types of storage devices.
X INTRODUCTION
After our discussion on input and output in the previous topic, we shall now
move on to another computer component device; secondary storage. You will be
introduced to various types of secondary storage in the market, together with
their comparisons.
4.1 BASIC STORAGE

Storage in a computer holds data and information to be retrieved for future use.
Users normally store digital photos, video, audio and documents. As a student, it
is crucial that your computer has the capability to store your learning materials,
such as digital notes and assignments. Besides that, the computer itself requires
storage to store system and application software.
Primary storage holds data temporarily, while secondary storage does otherwise.
Secondary storage is the physical material on which a computer stores data,
instructions and information. A storage device is designed to store data and
instructions in a permanent form and to retrieve them back. This storage does not
Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)
64 X TOPIC 4 SECONDARY STORAGE
disappear because data is stored in magnetic, optical or optical magnetic form as

illustrated in Figure 4.1. It is also a method of storing data, information and
instructions outside the computer.
Figure 4.1: Variety of secondary storage devices

Source: http://digisupersonic.com/

TOPIC 4 SECONDARY STORAGE W 65
On the latest technological development, primary storage is moving towards a

large capacity using small microelectrical circuits, while secondary storage is
moving towards a large capacity using magnetic and optical media. An example
of secondary storage are hard disks, solid state drives, memory cards, universal
serial bus (USB) flash drives, optical disks, smart cards, magnetic stripe cards and
microfilm. Cloud storage is another option, in which the storage media is not
visible to the users.
Capacity of a storage medium refers to the number of bytes (characters) that can
be held. Figure 4.2 shows the capacity of a storage medium.
Figure 4.2: Storage capacity
The speed of storage devices is defined by access time. Access time measures the
amount of time it takes to locate the required data on a storage medium.
The five advantages of secondary storage are shown in Table 4.1.
Table 4.1: Five Advantages of Secondary Storage
Characteristics Advantages
Size Can accommodate large amounts of data.
Data stored can reach gigabyte (GB) or terabyte
(TB).
Reliability It can be considered safe.
Convenience Data can be accessed immediately.
Economic Storage costs can be reduced.
Lifetime It is permanent and can be used for archiving.
Some storage has a lifespan of up to 100 years.

ACTIVITY 4.1
Why do we need storage inside a computer? Explain.
4.2 MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES

A magnetic storage device refers to equipment which uses a magnetic head to
read and write data. It gets the data to and from a magnetisable medium. The
medium may be a plastic tape coated with fine particles of a metal. The two
magnetic storage devices are magnetic tape and hard disk.
4.2.1 Magnetic Tape

A magnetic tape is a secondary storage medium whereby its data are stored
inside the tape roll. To be specific, a magnetic tape is a thin plastic tape that has
been covered with materials, which can be magnetised. Data on the tape is
represented by magnetic particles that are digital data in discrete forms of „0‰
and „1‰. A tape contains a number of tracks or channels which are normally used
to store data. Normally, there are seven or nine tracks. Data on the tape will be
deleted before new data is written on it. The number of tracks on the tape
depends on the number of read/write heads that are present on the tape drive
unit.
As the tape is in roll form, data will be stored serially. Every tape column (seven
or nine tracks) will represent one character. For data that is stored serially, the
storage method used is serpentine, where data is stored one by one along one or
two tracks at one time. Data will be written from the beginning to the end of the
track concerned, and this will continue onto the part that has not yet been used,
as shown in Figure 4.3.

Figure 4.3: Magnetic tape
Besides that, there is also data that is stored in parallel. For the parallel type, data
will be written block by block or record by record. Every block of data will be
separated by a space, which is called inter-block gap. For record by record, the
space is called inter-record gap. The space is required because the tape cannot
stop immediately after it has been rolled. Normally, the use of tape is only
35%ă70%, depending on the blocking factor.
A magnetic tape drive is measured by how much data can be stored on the
magnetic tape and also the speed of the tape passing through the read/write
head. The combination of these two determines the rate of transfer or the number
of characters per second that can be sent to the primary storage. Tape density is
measured by character per inch or bit per inch. Data density varies from 800 bpi
to 7000 bpi. The tape length is normally 600 m, 366 m or 731 m.
Therefore, a tape of 366 m with 6,250 bpi can store up to 180 MB of data. The size
of data that can be stored is normally between 40 MB to 5 GB. The drive that can
upgrade its maximum loading is digital audio tape (DAT). A digital audio tape
drive consists of two read heads and two write heads which read/write one type
of magnetic pole only. Data on the tape will be accessed and written serially.
There are two types of magnetic tape ă magnetic tape unit for large computers
and tape cartridge unit for personal computers. Currently, most tapes are used
for safe storage and copy storage because they are portable and cheap. Storage
size of a normal magnetic tape is between 20 GBă40 GB.
The disadvantage of a magnetic tape is the slow rate of serial data access. Its
advantages are it is cheap, portable and long lasting.

SELF-CHECK 4.1
1. Give two advantages of secondary storage.
2. Various types of storage are available in the market. State three
types of magnetic storage commonly used.
4.2.2 Hard Disk

A hard disk is a storage device that contains one or more inflexible, circular, thick
and strong metallic platters that use magnetic particles to store data, instructions
and information. The disk is enclosed in an airtight, sealed case to protect it. A
hard disk that is mounted inside the system unit of a computer is called an
internal hard disk (refer Figure 4.4). It is not as portable as the external hard disc.
Figure 4.4: Internal hard disk
The hard disk can store and access data faster and has a higher capacity. The
hard disk is a very sensitive device. Its read/write head floats on the disc surface
at a distance of 0.000001 inches. This very close distance allows dusts, atoms of
smoke, human hair and fingerprints to cause destruction to the read-write head.
This damage can cause some or all the data on the hard disc to be destroyed as
well.
An external hard disk is a separate hard disk that connects with a cable to a USB
port on the system unit or communicates wirelessly. Meanwhile, a removable
hard disk is a hard disk that you insert and remove from a drive. Compared to an
internal hard disk, external and removable hard disks (Figure 4.5) are better in
terms of:
(a) Transport a large number of files;
(b) Easily store large audio and video files;

(c) Secure the data; and
(d) Add storage space to a notebook and desktop computer, without having to
open the system unit.
Figure 4.5: External and removable hard disk
ACTIVITY 4.2
How does it look like in a hard disk drive? Visit the following link to
discover the components of a hard disk drive:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdmLvl1n82U
Can you briefly explain the components?
4.2.3 Optical Storage

An optical storage device provides an alternative for the need to store a lot of
data. This device uses the principle of light, rather than the magnetic principle of
storing data. The emission of a laser beam determines the data to be written or
read.
During the writing of data onto the surface of an optical device, a high powered
laser beam is used to form microscopic holes (pits) on the disc. Each pit
represents data „0‰ while part of the disc without a pit represents data „1‰.
During the reading of the optical disc, a low powered laser beam is directed on
the disc surface. A reflection of the laser beam depends on the holes on the
surface. If there are holes, the reflection of the beam disperses and cannot be
detected by the light detector. This portrays the „0‰ state. If there is no hole or if
the surface is flat (land), a reflection of the beam focuses and can be detected by
the light detector. This portrays the „1‰ state.

There are four optical disc technologies used by computers, as shown in Table 4.2.
Table 4.2: Four Types of Optical Storage
Optical Storage Description

Compact Disc-Read Only It is similar to the music compact disc (CD) in the market.
Memory (CD-ROM) Read only means it cannot be written or erased by users. A
user can only access data that have been written by the
writer. CD-ROM is also used for distributing databases,
application software packages and huge references.
Compact Disc-Recordable It is called write once, read many (WORM). CD-R means a
(CD-R) compact disc that is recordable; a disc that enables us to
record data or information. We can only write once onto
the disc. It is appropriate for use as multimedia storage
and for archival. A special drive is required for recording
data onto CD-R.
Compact Disc-Rewriteable It is also known as erasable optical disc, as can be seen in
(CD-RW) Figure 4.6. This disc is similar to the other CD-R except
that its surface is altered whenever data is recorded. Since
it can be altered, CD-RW is normally used in building and
editing multimedia presentations.
Digital Video Disk (DVD) An all-digital disc with a type of storage which is almost
the same as the CD-ROM. It has the ability to store 135
minutes of video data in digital form. It can also be used as
storage for computers. The DVD drive can read a CD-
ROM but the CD-ROM drive cannot read a DVD. Each
DVD can store as much as 17 GB of data.
Figure 4.6: Compact Disc-Rewriteable

4.2.4 Flash Memory Storage

Flash Memory Storage is a type of solid state media which consists entirely of
electronic components, such as integrated circuits; and contain no moving parts.
Flash Memory Storage is more durable and shock resistant compared to other
types of media such as magnetic hard disks or optical disks, due to lack of
moving parts.
The examples of Flash Memory Storage are solid state drives, memory cards and
USB flash drive.
Figure 4.7: Flash Memory Storage
(a) Solid state drives are a storage device that uses flash memory to store data,
instructions and information. It is used in all types of computers and
portable devices.
Solid state drives are better than a magnetic hard disk in terms of:
(i) Access time is 80 times faster than a hard disk;
(ii) Transfer rates are faster;
(iii) Generate less heat and consume less power; and
(iv) Lasts three to five years longer than a hard disk lifespan.
(b) Memory cards allow users to easily transport the digital content of their
camera, audio or video player, and other devices to a computer or vice
versa. A memory card is a removable flash memory device that you
normally insert and remove from a slot in a computer, mobile device or
card reader/writer.
(c) USB flash drives are a flash memory storage device that plugs into a USB
port on a computer or mobile device. It is one of the popular portable
storage nowadays, due to its size and weight. It is small and light, with
storage capacities ranging from 512 Mb to 64 GB.

4.2.5 Cloud Storage

Cloud storage is an Internet service that provides hard disk storage to computer
users. The types of services offered by cloud storage providers vary.
Unlike other types of storage, cloud storage is preferred to:
(a) Access files from any device that has Internet access;
(b) Share files with other users; and
(c) Store offsite backups of data.
Some of the widely used cloud storage providers are as in Figure 4.8.
Figure 4.8: Cloud storage providers
4.2.6 Other Types of Storage

Besides the types of storage we have discussed, there are other options available
for storing data, instruction and information for a specific use. These include
magnetic stripe cards and smart cards, microfilm and microfiche.

(a) A magnetic stripe card is a card with a stripe that contains information
identifying you and the card. Information stored in the stripe normally
includes your name, account number, or cardÊs expiration date. A magnetic
stripe card reader reads the information stored on the stripe. An example of
a magnetic stripe card is a membership card.
.
Figure 4.9: Magnetic stripe card and smart card
(b) A smart card, which is similar in size to an ATM or a credit card, stores data
on a thin microprocessor embedded in the card. A smart card contains a
processor and has input, process, output and storage capabilities. When a
smart card is inserted into a specialised card reader, the information on the
card is read, and if necessary, updated. An example of a smart card is
MyKad.
(c) Microfilm and microfiche store microscopic images of documents on roll or

sheet film. A computer output microfilm recorder is the device that records
the images in the film. Microfilm and microfiche are normally used in
libraries to store back issues of newspapers and magazines. The use of
microfilm and microfiche greatly reduce the number of papers. They are
inexpensive, and have the longest life of any storage media.

Figure 4.10: Microfilm and microfiche
ACTIVITY 4.3
What is the history of computer storage? Visit the following link:
http://www.zetta.net/history-of-computer-storage
Note down the main points and compare your notes with your
coursemates.
4.3 DATA ORGANISATION HIERARCHY

Data is stored in secondary storage on the basis of hierarchies. We can also see
how much capacity various storage types have, as illustrated in Table 4.3.
Table 4.3: Comparison of Storage Types
Types of Cost/Storage
Cost Per MB Lifespan Size
Storage Size
Diskette RM 1/1.44 MB RM 0.69/MB 3ă5 years 1.44 MB
Hard Disc RM 400/8 GB RM0.05/MB 3ă5 years 320ă500 GB
CD-R RM 5/650 MB RM0.0076/MB 100 years 650 MB
CD-RW RM 30/650 MB RM 0.046/MB 100 years 650 MB
Magnetic Tape ă ă 5ă10 years 10 GBă30 GB
DVD ă ă 100 years 17 GB
RAM RM 200/64MB RM 3.13/MB Volatile 64 MBă1 GB
Zip RM 60/250 MB RM 0.24/MB 5ă10 years 250ă750 MB

Data organisation hierarchy is divided into five levels, which are:
(a) Bit ă It is represented by „0‰ and „1‰ that is operated with hardware.
(b) Character/Byte ă A byte is formed by eight bits. A character is formed by a

group of bits and is not necessarily made up of eight bits; it depends on the
type of coding system, such as ASCII and EBCDIC. Examples are the
characters A, B, D, U and L.
(c) Field ă It is a unit of data that is made up of one or more characters. This is
the lowest logical level of the data unit. Examples of fields are:
(i) Name: It is usually fixed at 40 characters maximum. MOHD AKIL is
an example of data stored in such field; and
(ii) Identity Card (IC) Number: It is fixed at eight characters (old IC) and
10 digits/characters (new IC), such as 740820-03-1233.
(d) Record ă It is a collection of several related fields. It can also explain a

certain event, i.e. a number of related fields of a certain event is combined
together logically to form a record. An example of a student personal
record is made up of several fields of student personal information, such as:
(i) Registration number: 7192.
(ii) Name: Mohd Najmuddin bin Kamal.
(iii) Faculty: Faculty of Information Technology and Multimedia

Communications.
(iv) IC number: 780402-11-1438.
(v) State/Place of birth: Johor.
(vi) Current address: First College, Open University Malaysia.
(e) File ă This is a collection of several related records. An example of this is the
student personal file, containing several studentsÊ personal records.
4.4 UPGRADE PERFORMANCE

Three ways to upgrade the performance of hard disks are racking the
disk, Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks (RAID) and compressing/
de-compressing the files.

(a) Racking the Disk

This method upgrades the performance of a hard disk by predicting data
that are wanted. This is a combination of hardware and software. While the
processor is quiet, the data that is always used will be read from the hard
disk into the cache memory. When the data is required, they will be
accessed directly from this memory. The rate of transfer from memory is
faster than that of the hard disk. The result is that the system performance
normally goes up by 30%.
(b) Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks

This increases the performance by having more external storage. A
collection of cheap hard disks is arranged by using a special network and
software. This group of disks is considered like a large hard disk. However,
it performs better than a single disk of the same capacity.
Figure 4.11: RAID can make disk volumes more reliable and faster
(c) Compressing/Decompressing Files

This is required to remove excessive spaces from the computer files that
have reduced the total available storage space. This situation is important
because:
(i) It saves time while sending files through the network;
(ii) It reduces the size of file storage; and
(iii) It is for the purpose of archiving.

Data files that have been compressed need to be de-compressed before they can
be used as normal. This technique is called „data decompression‰.
Normally data that has been compressed has a special suffix, such as .zip, .tgz, .Z,
.gz, .lha, .arc, .zoo, and .rar. Compression and decompression techniques are
called „codec‰. Sometimes, this process is also called „zip‰ and „unzip‰.
The two main techniques of data compression are shown in Table 4.4.
Table 4.4: Two Main Techniques of Data Compression
Technique Details
Lossless Where data compression is done by preserving all input data. In
Technique other words, all input data will be used in the compression process.
This enables data that have been decompressed to be the same as the
input data.
This technique only re-packages the data for storage or transmission

purpose. Examples of software products that uses this technique are
WinZip, Stacker, Superstor and DriveSpace. Graphic images in gif
format is in the form of lossless compression.
Lossy Technique This is a compression technique that removes data permanently
during the compression process but users will not feel any loss. Data
lost is not important and can be re-generated by using special
functions. Examples are like removing some colours or small sounds
that are not perceived by users.
These colours and sounds are over-shadowed by a clearer colour or

sound. Data in the jpeg,.mp3, mpeg formats are in the lossy format.
SELF-CHECK 4.2
1. Data organisation hierarchy is divided into five levels. State these

levels.
2. Name three types of flash memory storage.
3. Explain two data compression techniques.

Ć Secondary storage is a storage device that has been designed to store data
and instructions in a permanent form.
Ć The secondary storage has five advantages which are size, reliability,
comfort, economic and lifetime.
Ć There are two types of magnetic storage: magnetic tape and hard disk.
Ć A magnetic tape is a secondary storage medium whereby its data are stored
inside the tape roll.
Ć The hard disk uses a thick and strong metallic plate. It can store and access
data faster and has a higher capacity.
Ć An optical storage device provides an alternative for the need to store a lot of
data. This device uses the principle of light rather than the magnetic principle
of storing data.
Ć There are four types of optical storage, which are CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
and DVD.
Ć The three ways to upgrade the performances of hard disks are racking the
disk, Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks and compressing/
decompressing the files.
Bit Lossless
Compressing/decompressing Lossy
Compact disc-read only memory Magnetic storage
(CD-ROM) Optical storage
Compact disc-recordable (CD-R) Racking the disc
Compact disc-rewriteable (CD-RW) Record
Digital video disk (DVD) Redundant arrays of independent
Field disks (RAID)
File Secondary storage
Hard disk Write once, read many (WORM)

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Topic X Secondary

4.1 BASIC STORAGE

disappear because data is stored in magnetic, optical or optical magnetic form as

Figure 4.1: Variety of secondary storage devices

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

On the latest technological development, primary storage is moving towards a

Figure 4.2: Storage capacity

The five advantages of secondary storage are shown in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1: Five Advantages of Secondary Storage

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Why do we need storage inside a computer? Explain.

4.2 MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES

4.2.1 Magnetic Tape

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Figure 4.3: Magnetic tape

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

4.2.2 Hard Disk

Figure 4.4: Internal hard disk

(a) Transport a large number of files;

(b) Easily store large audio and video files;

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

(c) Secure the data; and

Figure 4.5: External and removable hard disk

Can you briefly explain the components?

4.2.3 Optical Storage

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Table 4.2: Four Types of Optical Storage

Optical Storage Description

Figure 4.6: Compact Disc-Rewriteable

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

4.2.4 Flash Memory Storage

Figure 4.7: Flash Memory Storage

(i) Access time is 80 times faster than a hard disk;

(ii) Transfer rates are faster;

(iii) Generate less heat and consume less power; and

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

4.2.5 Cloud Storage

Unlike other types of storage, cloud storage is preferred to:

(b) Share files with other users; and

(c) Store offsite backups of data.

Figure 4.8: Cloud storage providers

4.2.6 Other Types of Storage

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

(c) Microfilm and microfiche store microscopic images of documents on roll or

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Figure 4.10: Microfilm and microfiche

4.3 DATA ORGANISATION HIERARCHY

Table 4.3: Comparison of Storage Types

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

Data organisation hierarchy is divided into five levels, which are:

(b) Character/Byte ă A byte is formed by eight bits. A character is formed by a

(d) Record ă It is a collection of several related fields. It can also explain a

(i) Registration number: 7192.

(ii) Name: Mohd Najmuddin bin Kamal.

(iii) Faculty: Faculty of Information Technology and Multimedia

(iv) IC number: 780402-11-1438.

(v) State/Place of birth: Johor.

(vi) Current address: First College, Open University Malaysia.

4.4 UPGRADE PERFORMANCE