A hard drive is a computer component that holds data. Every computer needs a hard drive to store its operating system, programs and user information. The drive is usually internal. But the evolution and advance of technology coupled with increasing data has led to the gradual development of the external hard drive.
Definition
The hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile device. It stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. A modern HDD is a sealed unit with fixed media. Hard drives were primarily developed for large-scale independent and reliable storage.
HDDs were developed in the 21st century. Applications for hard disk drives include digital video recorders, digital audio players, personal digital assistants, digital cameras, and video game consoles. In 2005 Samsung and Nokia introduced HDDs in mobile phones. The need for large-scale, reliable storage, independent of a particular device, also contributed to the growth of HDD.
Features:
- Hard drives use configurations of RAID arrays, network attached storage (NAS) systems and storage area network (SAN) systems.
- Capacity of a hard drive is calculated in gigabytes.
- The data transfer rate of a hard drive is measured at two levels i.e. the inner and outer zone level. The data transfer rate at the inner zone ranges from 44.2 MB/s to 74.5 MB/s. The transfer rate at the outer zone ranges from 74.0 MB/s to 111.4 MB/s.
- The random access time of a hard drive ranges from 5 ms to 15 ms.
- The physical size of a hard drive is in inches. Usually desktops use hard disk drives sized 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide. Hard drives used in laptops range in sizes of 2.5 inches (6 cm) wide. Today, servers and desktops used hard drives of 2.5 inches.
Advantages
Portable and Reliable: The hard drive is portable operating on a plug-and-play basis. Any computer with USB or Firewire capability has the capacity to recognize the external hard drive as a storage device assigning it a letter for designation and location purposes. This enables a user to access the HDD from home.
In addition, the external hard drive also provides for easy data transference. A user is able to transfer huge data files back and forth from work to home, to a friend's house or from the desktop to laptop. The structural portability of the drive enables program portability. The user merely has to plug in the interface cable to reconstruct a working environment.
Data Security and Backup: The hard disk drive enables the user to back up data without fearing data loss. The drive is external and so can be easily removed and secured away from the computer. Data privacy is maintained. The hard drive also allows the user to encrypt the data. This further secures data.
There is also a facility of modifying and saving additional data even when the computer is on. This enables the user to save and modify stored data when working on the data file. The external hard drive keeps financial information and other sensitive documents secure. When you are ready to use the computer, you can plug in the external drive and have all your data and programs available. When finished, simply unplug the drive and lock in a drawer or other secure location.
It allows the user to back up or store important information separate from the main internal hard drive. Sensitive documents, large music files, DVD images, movies, disk images including a backup of data saved on internal hard drive can be kept securely and safely on an external hard drive.
The mass production of external hard drives makes it possible to buy them on a mass scale. A user can assign one hard disk drive to each family member. This allows for data security and privacy. The user can assign each drive for a different purpose. One can be used for imaging, the other for multimedia storage and one for backup.
Disadvantages
Data Loss: External hard drives are prone to data loss. These can be in the form of:
- Virus attacks
- Head crashes
- Manufacturing defects
The former two are under user control. Hard disk drives use high-speed Internet access for data storage and transference. This means that the interface cable is connected to the network. This allows for different kinds of viruses to pass into the computer and corrupt the entire system. External hard drives are particularly vulnerable to those viruses which attack the Internet and penetrate into the inner zone.
On the other hand, a user has to time the usage of the HDD. Excessive usage can build up heat. This heat can corrupt the magnetic platters of the hard drive. This causes it to crash leading to data loss. The third cause is manufacturing defects accounting for more than 25% of data loss disasters. A user has to ensure that the HDD is sealed at the time of purchase and that the manufacturing company is reputable and affords a warranty.
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