Data storage
3.3What the syllabus asks of you
- Understand what is meant by primary storage • Primary storage is directly accessed by the CPU • Including the role of: – random access memory (RAM) – read only memory (ROM) • Including why a computer needs both RAM and ROM, and the difference between them
- Understand what is meant by secondary • Secondary storage is not directly accessed by storage the CPU and is necessary for more permanent storage of data
- Describe the operation of magnetic, optical • Magnetic storage uses platters which are and solid-state (flash memory) storage and give divided into tracks and sectors. Data is read examples of each and written using electromagnets. Including hard disk drive (HDD) • Optical storage uses lasers to create and read pits and lands. Including: CD, DVD and Blu-ray • Solid-state (flash memory) uses NAND or NOR technology. Transistors are used as control gates and floating gates. Including: solid-state drive (SSD), SD card and USB drive
- Describe what is meant by virtual memory, how • Pages of data are transferred between RAM it is created and used and why it is necessary and virtual memory when needed
- Understand what is meant by cloud storage • Cloud storage can be accessed remotely in comparison to storing data locally
- Explain the advantages and disadvantages • Physical servers and storage are needed to of storing data on the cloud in comparison to store data in cloud storage storing it locally
Read the notes first
Chapter 3: Data storage
Drill this topic
All 13 questions on Data storage, untimed — answer on paper, then mark yourself against the mark scheme.
Make a worksheet
Choose the years and how many questions, then print it with the answers on separate pages.
13 questions
These are structured questions, answered in working rather than by picking an option, so they are not listed here one by one. The drill above puts each in front of you with its mark scheme to check against.