Storage Devices Lesson 004: Removable Storage

Removable Storage

Refers to any kind of storage device that can be moved from computer to computer without having to open up the case and remove it from the inside.

What are the four main types of removable mass storage devices?

Flash drive, memory cards, tape drives, and floppy disk drives.

What does hot-swappable mean?

Capable of being removed or replaced without disruption or powering off the device.

Are hot-swappable devices safe to remove?

Yes, they are safe to remove without the risk of data loss.

What devices most commonly come with hot-swappable capability?

USB, Thunderbolt, and SATA devices.

Drive Enclosure

A storage drive case used to house an external or portable storage device.

What is a memory card?

A storage device that uses solid state storage.

What is the form factor of a memory card compared to traditional SSDs?

Smaller than traditional SSD.

What common form factors do memory cards come in?

SD, MiniSD, MicroSD, CompactFlash, MemoryStick.

Which form factor of memory card is used by Sony?

MemoryStick

What is required in order to read or write to a memory card?

A dedicated memory card reader.

What is the storage capacity of the legacy SD card?

2 GB.

What is the maximum possible storage capacity of modern SD cards?

2 TB.

What is the maximum speed of an original SD card?

25 MB/s.

What is the maximum speed of an UHS-1 SD card?

108 MB/s.

What is the maximum speed of an UHS-2 SD card?

312 MB/s.

What is the maximum speed of an UHS-3 SD card?

624 MB/s.

Tape Drive

Uses magnetic tape placed into a reader that is able to copy a backup of data from a system.

What is something that tape drives are used for in corporate environments?

As a way to have backups of data, sometimes kept off-site.

Why have tapes fallen out of popularity?

Cloud storage is becoming more popular.

What is the maximum possible storage capacity of a standard tape drive?

140 GB.

What is the maximum possible storage capacity of a LTO Ultrium Tape?

3 TB.

Floppy Disks

A legacy storage device that uses flexible, magnetic disks to store data.

What is the maximum possible capacity of a floppy disk?

1.44 MB.

Removable Mass Storage Device

Any device that can store data and can be carried.