Title: Module 8 Introduction
Course: CGS 1560 Microcomputer Operating Systems > Section: Module 8 - Storage Devices

Data storage devices have come a long way since the tape recorders of the early 1970s. Tape drives shifted from being the primary data storage device to being the prime choice for backing up a system. Floppy drives, once found in every microcomputer, are no longer used or installed in new computers. Hard drives have decreased in physical size while increasing in logical size. The larger drives are no longer measured in megabytes they are now measured in terabytes. With all the advancements in Solid State Drives (SSD) the hard drive may go the way of the floppy. There have been advancements in optical drives as far as speed and data storage size.

The optical disk has remained the same size and shape with the disk drives having made some remarkable changes from the initial base speeds at which they could read and write. The amount of data they can hold has increased significantly from the CD to the Blu-Ray drives. There has been a trend established to move the data to the cloud, users are being enticed with Google Drive, Dropbox and other virtual drives with free and/or low prices.

In order to pick the appropriate storage solution for backup, short term, and long term data storage you must be aware of all of the solutions available. These solutions vary with the frequency of use, the size of the data and any expected growth rate. Once the data is on one of the storage devices you must know how to use the various storage management tools. Managing the data storage devices is a key element to maintaining the operating system performance.

Instructional Goal

The purpose of this module is to understand the different type of storage devices and management tools available for use with an OS.

Module Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

- Describe the different storage devices available today
- Understand tools used for backup
- Explain the different tools used for maintenance

Readings and Resources

- Textbook, Chapter 7

- What is network storage?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T99tW1KEMc&feature=related

- What is cloud computing, and what part does Intel play?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7pVTNqtdqg&feature=relmfu

- SAN vs. NAS: The Critical Decision
http://content.dell.com/us/en/business/d/business~smb~sb360~en/Documents~wp-san-vs-nas-storage.pdf.aspx

- Too Many Options Can Be a Problem: SAN, NAS and the Cloud
http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/community/features/articles/blog/too-many-options-can-be-a-problem-san-nas-and-the-cloud/?cs=39808