Storage

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Storage in the context of computers usually refers to permanent data storage devices which can be read from and written to such as hard-disks, rewritable optical discs and "flash" drives. The term disk-drive is often used generically by operating systems to refer to storage that is physically present in the system, even if such storage is not disc-shaped in nature.

Storage may in some cases exist elsewhere on a server and be made available to the client-computer over a network interface. Such an arrangement is usually called "remote storage" and the remote resource may be tightly integrated into the receiving system, so that it appears to be an actual disk-drive (on operating systems that distinguish specific devices this way) or be mounted into the file-system tree on UNIX and other operating systems that do not strictly differentiate between specific devices.

Storage is where directories and user files such as documents, as well as system files such as programs, configuration files and the operating-system components such as the kernel. In order to be loaded, or otherwise accessed, these files are "read" into RAM memory, and disappear from RAM when they are closed, this distinction can be the cause of confusion.

Categories: Hardware, Workstation, Files

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