¶ 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.
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.
- Tool used to initialize drives, create partitions, and manage volumes.
Storage Analogy:
- Hard drive = Filing cabinet
- Partition = Drawer
- Volume = Folder
- 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).
OneDrive – Microsoft’s cloud-based storage solution.
- Compatible with Windows, macOS, tablets, iOS, and Android devices.
- Enables file syncing and remote access.
- 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 I (1.0) – 150 MB/s
- SATA II (2.0) – 300 MB/s
- SATA III (3.0) – 600 MB/s
Default File Associations – Define which applications open specific file types.
- 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).