The essential guide to computer data storage : from floppy to DVD

Essential Guide to Computer Data Storage

Essential Series

Dr. Andrei Khurshudov

The practical guide to choosing -- and using -- the right data storage technologies.

• Covers every type of storage: hard drives, DVD, CD, Zip, Jaz, tape, RAID, Web-based storage, and more.
• Includes coverage of SAN, NAS, Fibre Channel, and other advanced business storage solutions.
• Contains detailed coverage of backup and disaster recovery.

Whether youre an IT professional, manager, or a home PC user, youve got more data than ever -- and choosing reliable, cost-effective data storage has never been more important. In this book, one of the worlds leading experts in data storage explains all your options, and shows you how to make the most of them. Dr. Andrei Khurshudov introduces the features, advantages, and underlying technologies associated with every current data storage option, including hard drives, DVD, CD, removable media storage systems such as Jaz and Zip, tape backup, and RAID. He presents the pros and cons of every data storage interface, including IDE, SCSI, USB, FireWire, and Fibre Channel. Next, he explains the latest options for companies managing soaring amounts of data, including storage area networks (SAN), network attached storage (NAS), and alternative strategies such as Web-based storage. The book includes expert data storage buying tips, as well as detailed coverage of backup and recovery. For everyone concerned with data storage, from businesses planning for growth and disaster recovery, to individuals who want the best storage "bang for the buck."

Brief History of Information Storage Technology. Early Storage Technologies. Storage of Sound. Computer Data Storage. Basic Concepts. The Modern Computer. Memory and Storage. Binary System. Bits, Bytes, and Beyond. Storage Capacity Definitions. Digital and Analog Signals. Analog versus Digital. Analog-to-Digital Conversion. Data Sampling and Undersampling. Anti-Aliasing Filter Design. Data Quantization and Encoding. Data Transmission. Error Detection and Correction.

Introduction. Interface Speed Summary. Data Transmission: Serial versus Parallel. Serial Interface. Parallel Interface. IDE, EIDE, UDMA or ATA, and ATAPI. ATA-2 (or Fast ATA or EIDE Enhanced IDE). Apple-ATA. ATA-3 (or Fast ATA or EIDE Enhanced IDE). ATAPI. ATA/ATAPI-4 (Ultra ATA, UDMA, or ATA-33). ATA/ATAPI-5 (or ATA-66, Ultra ATA-66, or Ultra DMA-66). ATA/ATAPI-6 (or ATA-100 or Ultra ATA-100). The Future of ATA. PC Card Interface (former PCMCIA). Universal Serial Bus (USB). USB Hubs. Connectors and Cables. USB OS Support. USB 2.0. USB versus Serial and Parallel Interface. IEEE 1394 FireWire. Basic Architecture. Basic Design. USB 1.1 versus IEEE 1394 FireWire. Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI). Initiator and Target. SCSI-1. SCSI-2. SCSI-3. Single-Ended and Differential SCSI. Termination. SCSI versus IDE/ATA. SCSI versus USB and IEEE 1394 FireWire. Future of SCSI. Fibre Channel-Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL). Basic Terms. Topology: Point-to-Point Connection. Arbitrated Loop. Fabric. FC Architecture. Frames. Cables and Connectors. FC Summary. SSA (Serial Storage Architecture). Interface Summary.

Introduction. Basic Principles of Magnetic Recording. Magnetic Materials and Hysteresis Loop. Density of Recording. Reading Data with Inductive Heads. Data Reading: Magnetoresistive (MR) Heads. Recording or Writing Data. Data Encoding. PRML (Partial Response Maximum Likelihood). Limits of Magnetic Recording: Superparamagnetism. Hard Disk Drive. Introduction. Drive Manufacturers. HDD Technology. Basic Drive Design. Physical Drive Dimensions and Performance. Basic Drive Concepts. Formatting. File System. Drive Interface. Drive Capacity Choice. Drives RPM: The Need for Speed. Drive Installation. Understanding the HDD Specification. Removable Magnetic Storage. Floppy Disk 1.44 MB. HiFD 1.44/200 MB. Superdisk (LS-120) 1.44/120 MB. Zip Drive 100/250 MB. Jaz Drive. Orb Drive. Iomega Clik! 40 MB Drives. External Hard Disk Drives. Summary. Magnetic Storage on Tape. Introduction. Brief History of Magnetic Tape Storage. Tape Storage Technology. Tape Media Technology. Popular Tape Storage Technologies. Summary.

Introduction. The History of Optical Storage. Basic Optics for Optical Storage Systems. Lens and Light Focusing. Diffraction Grating. Light Polarization. Beam-splitter. Light Collimator. The Laser Diode. Detector Arrays. Limitations of the Optical Data Storage. Compact Disc (CD). Introduction. CD: Basic Design. Data Encoding. Making a CD. Spin Rates and Data Transfer Rate. Interfaces. TrueX Multibeam CD/DVD Technology. Recordable CD (CD-R). ReWritable CD (CD-RW). CD Performance Comparison. Understanding the CD Drives Specifications. DVD. Introduction. DVD Formats. DVD Configurations and Basic Design. DVD-R and DVD-RW or RAM. DVD-ROM. DVD-Video and DVD-Audio. Red Laser versus Blue Laser. Performance Comparison. Understanding the DVD Drive Specification.

Introduction. Basics of MO Recording. Basics of MO Reading. MO System: Basic Design. Direct Overwrite (DOW). Magnetically Induced Super Resolution (MSR). Understanding MO Drive Specifications.

Introduction. Basics of Semiconductor Memory Technology. Semiconductors. Bipolar Junction Transistor. MOSFET (Meta-Oxide-Semicond