What Is Storage Device ? | Types And Uses Of Storage Devices – Storage devices are called those that store data and information termporarily or permanently according to the need. They store the data digitally. A storage device is a computer hardware that is used to save data safely, and use it according to need. They can store the information for short-term or long-term. You can find these storage devices in or out of a computer or server. At the same time, these storage devices are also called storage medium or storage media. This is a very important part of any single computer device. At the same time, they are available in different sizes and types depending on their needs and functionalities.
What is A Storage Device ?
A storage device is a computer hardware that is used to save data safely, and use it according to need. They can store the information for short-term or long-term.
Types of Storage Devices :
There are four types of storage devices that are used in computers. Now let’s know about the different types of those storage devices.
- Primary Storage Device
- Secondary Storage Device
- Tertiary Storage Device
- Off-line Storage Device
Primary Storage Devices :
- These primary storage devices are also known as main memory.
- It is the direct memory that is accessible through the Central Processing Unit (CPU) that too via a memory bus.
- These storied devices are volatile.
- Their memory is temporary, that is, as the device is switched off or rebooted, then their memory is erased.
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Example :Â
- RAM
- ROM
- Cache
Secondary Storage Devices :
These secondary storage devices are storage devices that are not directly accessible through the central processing unit.
- It uses input and output channels to connect this type of storage devices with the computer. Because they are mainly external.
- They are non-volatile and have a higher storage capacity than primary storage devices.
- This type of storage is permanent until removed by an external factor.
- They have both internal and external memory.
Example : Hard Disk
Tertiary Storage Devices :
These tertiary storage devices are not as important and are often not even part of a personal computer.
- It has often been found that it uses a robotic mechanism that mounts or dismounts the removable mass storage media into a storage device.
- This type of storage device uses robotic functions.
- It does not require repeated human intervention and is able to do its job automatically.
- It is a comprehensive computer storage system that is very slow, so it is often used to archive data that is not accessed repeatedly.
Example:
- Magnetic Tape
- Optical Disc
Off-line Storage Devices :
- These offline storage devices are also called disconnected storage.
- It is a computer data storage that is not under the control of the processing unit.
- It has to be connected by a human being before a computer can access it again.
- This type of storage devices is also called disconnected or removable storage.
Example:
- Floppy Disk
- Zip diskette
- USB Flash drive
- Memory card