Mass data means large volumes of data or bulk data. Both in a standalone PC as well as in a network environment, we generally face the problem of managing data. The data grows day-by-day thereby creating problems of data handling. No doubt there are various techniques and devices that are capable of storing large amount of data like hard drives, optical disks, tapes etc. Hard drives are now available in almost all new computers. Data on a hard drive is stored on it through magnetic material. CD-ROM stores data on compact disks and it can store data up to about 600MB. Another relatively new device in competition to CD-ROM is DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) that has a capacity of 4.7 GB to 17GB and rate of data access from 600 Kbps to 1.3 Mbps. All of these devices manage and store in different ways. If you are working in network environment then these techniques are not going to help you as much as others.
Most businesses need to store data in order to make it accessible whenever required. NAS (network attached storage) is a fairly new mechanism of managing data, which use special devices that are connected directly to network equipments. These devices are accessible to clients through a server; each client has its own IP address. NAS is centralized storage technology. If you want to store more data or want to expand the storage then just add another device. Another technology that is quite popular nowadays is SAN (Storage Area Network), which is a network of storage devices. These storage devices are connected to each other and to a server with the help of some special switches. SAN takes the backup of data from your network without affecting the standard network infrastructure.
For connecting SAN storage devices, you can use fiber channel, a latest and most significant technology that interconnects storage devices and allows them to communicate at very high speeds and at greater distances than previously possible. It can cover up to 6 miles.
Two techniques that are quite popular these days for data storage are RAID and SCSI. Both are high speed and reliable techniques in data storage. These techniques can be implemented in most storage mechanisms like DAS, NAS and SAN. RAID is a series of standards that improves performance and fault tolerance by using a redundant array of inexpensive disks (hence the acronym). This type of protection is required in all data storages.
Three major factors that need consideration in any data management technique or data storage device are capacity, speed and security. Capacity means amount of data that can be stored. Speed means rate at which data can be retrieved. Some common interfaces for data storage are fiber channel, IEEE 1394, IDE, SCSI controllers and USB.
Some advanced techniques for managing data on your computer are DFS (Distributed File System) and EFS (Encrypting File System). DFS helps in locating and managing data on network. DFS bonds files on different computers and make them appear as single ?namespace?. EFS are used to store encrypted files on NTFS volumes. EFS prevent unauthorized user access.
According to your needs you can choose any of the techniques for data management and data storage.
Data Storage Back Up
Once there was a time when a person or company's files were placed in boxes, sealed with tape and placed into a warehouse. With today's movement to digital media, data storage solutions, while requiring less physical space, present additional challenges. Everyone considering where to keep their data files needs to look at a few things to determine their needs and the best method of keeping their information secure.
For personal information the data storage solutions are fairly straight forward. You can transfer all the files you want in storage onto compact disks or data tape backup systems and store them in a safe and secure location. Many choose to utilize bank safe deposit boxes for high security information such as financial data and funding information, but you will want to be sure you can access the information rather quickly.
For businesses, the data storage solutions may be a little more complex depending on the type of date you are storing. Customer information and records will need to be secure and unavailable to others. The cost of such secured storage may be high, but it will be less than the cost incurred if someone is able to obtain that information and begins using your customer's personal data to steal their identity. The cost of customer notification and your loss of reputation would far exceed the secure storage cost.
Separate Backup Server May Be The Answer
Many businesses are installing a separate server offsite for data storage solutions, allowing only limited access to the information for security reasons as well as having the ability to get to the information whenever it is needed. By having the server offsite it also provides protected space for business critical information that can be readily accessed and moved back to your mainframe in the even of a problem.
Lessons learned too late include that many of the portable storage devices have a glitch in their design that may cause the inadvertent loss of data. Using USB memory chips for data storage solutions has left some without the information available when they need it the most. Compact disks have also been found to drop information over time and are not considered the answer for most data storage solutions.
Before looking into data storage solutions available, determine how much space you will need, today and in the future, the type of information you will want to store and the length of time it needs to be stored. You can also look into companies offering online data storage solutions, if your information is not business critical.
Both Halstatt Pires & Simon Peters are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Halstatt Pires has sinced written about articles on various topics from Realestate Marketing, History and Ezines And Newsletters. Halstatt Pires is with the Internet marketing firm - - an Internet marketing company in San Diego, which offers online database solutions through. Halstatt Pires's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.
Simon Peters has sinced written about articles on various topics from Bankruptcy Law, Bankruptcy Lawyer and Sleep Disorder. Simon Peters is the owner of , it is THE best source for advice on the subject on backing up your data, nothing to sell, just information . . .. Simon Peters's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
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