Study notes covering File and Storage Management.

Terms and Definitions

HDD (Hard Disk Drive) – Uses spinning metal platters coated with magnetic material to store data.

SSD (Solid State Drive) – Uses flash memory, no moving parts, faster performance, and greater durability compared to HDDs.

Drive Partition – A logically separated section of a disk.

Volume – A storage unit created from one or more partitions; used to store files and data.

Partition Types

GPT (GUID Partition Table)

• Defines the layout of partitions on a disk.
• Supports volumes larger than 2 TB (up to ~9.4 zettabytes).
• Stores multiple copies of partition data for redundancy.

MBR (Master Boot Record)

• Older 32-bit partition table.
• 2 TB size limit per disk.
• Boot sector located at the beginning of the drive.
• Contains information on how logical partitions are organized.

Disk Management

• Tool used to initialize drives, create partitions, and manage volumes.

Storage Analogy:

• Hard drive = Filing cabinet
• Partition = Drawer
• Volume = Folder

Types of Volumes

• Simple Volume – A single area of storage on one disk.
• Mirrored Volume (RAID 1) – Data is duplicated across two disks for redundancy.
• Striped Volume (RAID 0) – Data is split across two or more disks for performance (no redundancy).
• Spanned Volume – Combines space from multiple disks into one volume (no redundancy).

Cloud Storage

OneDrive – Microsoft’s cloud-based storage solution.

• Compatible with Windows, macOS, tablets, iOS, and Android devices.
• Enables file syncing and remote access.

Hard Disk Speeds (RPM)

• 5,400 RPM – Standard consumer drives.
• 7,200 RPM – Faster desktops and laptops.
• 10,000 RPM – High-performance drives.
• 15,000 RPM – Enterprise-grade servers/storage.

SATA Transfer Rates

• SATA I (1.0) – 150 MB/s
• SATA II (2.0) – 300 MB/s
• SATA III (3.0) – 600 MB/s

File Management

Default File Associations – Define which applications open specific file types.

NTFS Folder Permissions

• Full Control – User can read, write, modify, delete, and change permissions/ownership.
• (Other common NTFS permissions include: Modify, Read & Execute, List Folder Contents, Read, Write).