2.2.2. Storage Devices and RAID Configurations

💡 First Principle: The choice of storage technology (e.g., NVMe vs. SATA vs. HDD) and configuration (e.g., RAID level) is a critical trade-off between speed, capacity, cost, and data redundancy.

Scenario: A video editor complains their workstation is "stuttering" when scrubbing 4K video timelines. Their OS and applications are on a fast NVMe SSD, but their large video project files are on a single large HDD. You theorize the HDD is the bottleneck.

Storage is where the operating system, applications, and user data reside. The type and configuration of storage are critical for both performance and data safety.

• Storage Devices:
  • Hard Disk Drives (HDD): Mechanical drives with spinning platters. Offer high capacity at a low cost but are much slower than SSDs. Common form factors are 3.5-inch (desktops) and 2.5-inch (laptops).
  • Solid-State Drives (SSD): Use flash memory for much faster performance. Common interfaces include SATA (looks like a 2.5-inch HDD) and NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express), which uses the PCIe bus via an M.2 slot for the highest speeds.
  • Removable Storage: USB flash drives, memory cards.
• Drive Configurations (RAID - Redundant Array of Independent Disks):

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⚠️ Common Pitfall: Confusing RAID with a backup. RAID provides redundancy against hardware failure, but it does not protect against accidental deletion, malware, or catastrophic events like fire or theft. A separate backup is still essential.

Key Trade-Offs:

• Performance (RAID 0) vs. Redundancy (RAID 1/5/10): You must choose a RAID level that balances the need for speed with the importance of protecting the data against drive failure.

Reflection Question: For the video editor scenario, what two-part storage solution would you propose to fix the performance bottleneck for active projects while also providing a redundant solution for archiving completed work?