Secondary Storage

Secondary Storage
• You know that processor or primary memory is very expensive and
has limited storage capacity because of its volatile nature.

• If we need to store large amounts of data or programs permanently,

we need a cheaper and permanent memory.

• Secondary memory overcomes this limitation by providing permanent

storage of data in bulk quantity.
Secondary Storage
• A secondary storage device refers to any non-volatile storage device
that is internal or external to the computer.
• A secondary storage device is also known as an auxiliary storage
device, backup storage device, tier 2 storage, or external storage.

• These devices store virtually all programs and applications on a

computer, including the operating system, device drivers, applications
and general user data.
 Secondary Storage
• The Secondary storage media can be fixed or removable.

• Fixed Storage media is an internal storage medium like a hard disk that is fixed
inside the computer.

• A storage medium that is portable and can be taken outside the computer is
termed removable storage media.
 Secondary Storage
• In Secondary storage devices, the stored data might not be under the direct
control of the operating system.

• For example, many organizations store their archival data or critical

documents on secondary storage drives, which their main network cannot
access to ensure their preservation whenever a data breach occurs
 Why do we need Secondary Storage?
• Computers use main memory such as random access memory (RAM) and
cache to hold data that is being processed.

• However, this type of memory is volatile, and it loses its data when the
computer is switched off.

• General-purpose computers, such as personal computers and tablets, need

to store programs and data for later use.
 Why do we need Secondary Storage?
• Secondary storage is non-volatile and able to keep data as long term storage.

• They are used for various purposes such as backup data used for future
restores or disaster recovery, long-term archiving of data that is not
frequently accessed, and storage of non-critical data in lower-performing,
less expensive drives.

• Without secondary storage, all programs and data would be lost when the
computer is switched off.
Characteristics of Secondary Storage
Devices
• It is non-volatile, which means it retains data when power is switched
off.

• It allows for the storage of data ranging from a few megabytes to

petabytes.

• It is cheaper as compared to primary memory.

• Secondary storage devices like CDs and flash drives can transfer the data
from one device to another
Types of Secondary Storage Device
• Here are the two types of secondary storage devices, i.e., fixed
storage and removable storage.
1. Fixed Storage
• Fixed storage is an internal media device used by a computer system
to store data. Usually, these are referred to as the fixed disk drives or
Hard Drives.
• Fixed storage devices are not fixed.
• These can be removed from the system for repairing work,
maintenance purposes, and also for an upgrade, etc.
• But in general, this can not be done without a proper toolkit to open
up the computer system to provide physical access, which needs to be
done by an engineer.
1. Fixed Storage
• Technically, almost all data, i.e. being processed on a computer
system, is stored on some built-in fixed storage device.
• We have the following types of fixed storage:
• Internal flash memory
• SSD (solid-state disk)
• Hard disk drives (HDD)
 2. Removable Storage

• Removable storage is an external media device that is used by a

computer system to store data.

• Usually, these are referred to as the Removable Disks drives or the

External Drives.

• Removable storage is any storage device that can be removed from a

computer system while the system is running.
 2. Removable Storage

• Examples of external devices include CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray disk drives,

and diskettes and USB drives.

• Removable storage makes it easier for a user to transfer data from one
computer system to another.

• The main benefit of removable disks in storage factors is that they can
provide the fast data transfer rates associated with storage area
networks (SANs).
We have the following types of Removable
Storage:
• Optical discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray discs)
• Memory cards
• Floppy disks
• Magnetic tapes
Classification of Secondary Storage
Devices
• The following image shows the classification of commonly used
secondary storage devices.
 Sequential Access Storage Device
• It is a class of data storage devices that read stored data in a sequence.
• This is in contrast to random access memory (RAM), where data can access in
any order, and magnetic tape is the common sequential access storage device.
• CD Drive: CD stands for Compact Disk.
• CDs are circular disks that use optical rays, usually lasers, to read and write data.
• They are very cheap as you can get 700 MB of storage space for less than a
dollar.
• CDs are inserted in CD drives built into the CPU cabinet.
• They are portable as you can eject the drive, remove the CD and carry it with
you.
 Sequential Access Storage Device
• There are three types of CDs:
• CD-ROM (Compact Disk - Read Only Memory): The manufacturer recorded the data
on these CDs.
• Proprietary Software, audio or video are released on CD-ROMs.

• CD-R (Compact Disk - Recordable): The user can write data once on the CD-R. It
cannot be deleted or modified later.

• CD-RW (Compact Disk - Rewritable): Data can repeatedly be written and deleted on
these optical disks.
Sequential Access Storage Device
• DVD Drive: DVD stands for digital video display.
• DVD is an optical device that can store 15 times the data held by CDs.
• They are usually used to store rich multimedia files that need high
storage capacity.
• DVDs also come in three varieties - read-only, recordable and
rewritable.
• Blu Ray Disk: Blu Ray Disk (BD) is an optical storage media that stores
high definition (HD) video and other multimedia files.
• BDs can store up to 128 GB of data.
Sequential Access Storage Device
• 3. Memory Storage Devices: A memory device contains trillions of
interconnected memory cells that store data.

• When switched on or off, these cells hold millions of transistors

representing 1s and 0s in binary code, allowing a computer to read
and write information.

• It includes USB drives, flash memory devices, SD and memory cards,

which you'll recognize as the storage medium used in digital cameras.
Sequential Access Storage Device
• Flash Drive: A flash drive is a small, ultra-portable storage device.
• USB flash drives were essential for easily moving files from one device
to another.
• Flash drives connect to computers and other devices via a built-in USB
.
• The terms USB drive and solid-state drive (SSD) are also sometimes
used, but most of the time, those refer to larger, not-so-mobile USB-
based storage devices like external hard drives.

These days, a USB flash drive can hold up to 2 TB of storage.

Sequential Access Storage Device
• Memory card: A memory cardor is an electronic data storage device
used for storing digital information, typically using flash memory.
• These are commonly used in portable electronic devices, such as
digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, tablets, PDAs,
portable media players, video game consoles,, electronic keyboards
and digital pianos, and allow adding memory to such devices,
Difference between Primary and
Secondary Memory
• Below are some main differences between primary and secondary
memory in computer organization.
Primary Memory Secondary Memory
Primary memory is directly accessed by the Central Secondary memory is not accessed directly by the
Processing Unit (CPU). Central Processing Unit (CPU). Instead, data accessed
from a secondary memory is first loaded into Random
Access Memory (RAM) and then sent to the Processing
Unit.

RAM provides a much faster-accessing speed to data Secondary memory is slower in data accessing. Typically
than secondary memory. Computers can quickly process primary memory is six times faster than secondary
data by loading software programs and required files into memory.
primary memory (RAM).

Primary memory is volatile and gets completely erased Secondary memory provides a feature of being non-
when a computer is shut down. volatile, which means it can hold on to its data with or
without an electrical power supply.