SECONDARY STORAGE

SECONDARY STORAGE

1. OPTICAL

   • ADVANTAGES: Mass storage capacity (on the order of gigabytes) Mountable/unmountable storage units. Low cost per bit of storage. Long media life. High data stability.
   • DISADVANTAGES: The biggest disadvantage of optical storage is disk capacity. Currently topping out at 27 GB for a 12-centimeter Blu-ray Disc, flash storage has that capacity beat handily on a per-centimeter basis. While Sony is developing a 3.3 TB Blu-ray Disc, IT administrators can currently purchase an enterprise-grade 10 TB HDD.

2. SOLID STATE

   • ADVANTAGES: They're more durable. With traditional hard drives, the continuous motion generated by small moving parts creates heat, which is a leading factor in hard drive failure. ... They're faster. ... They're easier to carry. ... They're more efficient. ... They're easy to install.
   • DISADVANTAGES: Price: The biggest disadvantage of a solid state drive is the cost. ... Recovery of Lost Data: The inability to recover old data is one of the biggest disadvantages of a SSD. ... Storage Capacity: Solid state drives are highly expensive and are sold with a hefty price tag unlike conventional HDDs.

3. MAGNETIC

   • ADVANTAGES: Persistence. The biggest advantage of magnetic disk storage over main memory is persistence of data. ... Capacity. One of the greatest things about magnetic disk storage is its ability to fit a tremendous amount of information into a small amount of space. ... Cost.
   • DISADVANTAGES: Magnetism starts to decrease (and can be permanently lost) at 80°C* Low corrosion resistance (if the plating is damaged) Brittle (may break, crack, or chip upon sudden collisions with other magnets or metals)