BASIC CONCEPTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CBCT2203

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE

SEMESTER JANUARY / 2016

CBCT 2203

BASIC CONCEPTS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

NAME : ANITHA D/O MAGANTERAN

MATRICULATION NO : 901008146038001
IDENTITY CARD NO. : 901008146038
TELEPHONE NO. : 01126759585
E-MAIL : nitha_5858@yahoo.com
LEARNING CENTRE : NEGERI SEMBILAN LEARNING
CENTRE
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CONTENT

NO TOPIC PAGE

1.0 INTRODUCTION 2

FEATURES IN SELECTING SUITABLE

2.0 5
DEVICES

FIRST TYPE OF SECONDARY STORAGE

3.0 DEVICE THAT CAN SUPPORT ONLINE 11

BASED SM SIZED BUSINESSES

SECOND TYPE OF SECONDARY

4.0 STORAGE DEVICE THAT CAN SUPPORT 15

ONLINE BASED SM SIZED BUSINESSES

5.0 REFERENCES 18

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1.0 INTRODUCTION
Data storage systems are inevitable for modern day computing in many business
organisations. Most of the business platforms a storage system in order to store and
retrieve data files whenever necessary (Parsons & Oja, 2012). The requirement of this
assignment is to discuss the important features that need to be considered in selecting
storage devices for the online based on Small and Medium (SM) sized businesses and to
identify two types of secondary storage devices that can support this type of businesses.
Generally, storing and managing information is critical to the success of many
online based Small and Medium (SM) sized businesses (Manzoor, 2012). This is because
applications such as e-mails, documents, graphics and audio files that run and protects the
information related to online businesses require a good storage method. Therefore,
secondary storage device plays an important function in business environment by storing
and protecting the highly secured information’s.

Figure 1.0(a): Types of computer storage system. Source:

http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/s/secostor.htm

According to Christensson (2009), a data storage system consists of two types of

storage device known as primary and secondary storage as shown in figure 1.0(a).
Primary storage is known as the main storage system in which the processor able to
quickly accesses the data which is stored in the computer (Blundell, Khan, Lasebae &
Jabbar, 2007). However, the limitation in the storage capacity of primary storage as a
single type of storage promotes the use of an external storage called secondary storage.

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Secondary storage refers to the permanent data storage devices that are not directly
accessible by a computer which means the data saved is not under the control of the
central processing unit (Chauduri, 2008)
According to Sargunar (2011), secondary storage is a non-volatile storage
device which is commonly used for archival and backup purposes. It is a safe and reliable
device with adequate storage capacity compared to primary storage devices. In fact, data
saved in secondary storage remains there unless it is overwritten with new data or deleted
by the user (Bangia, 2008). Therefore, secondary storage provides an efficient database
management system of the online businesses (Menasce & Almeida, 2000). Some of the
examples of secondary storage devices are shown in figure 1.0 (b).

Figure 1.0 (b): Examples of secondary storage devices.

Source: http://www.tadakaluri.org/data-storage-types

There are two general methods of accessing data from the secondary storage
device which are known as sequential and direct access. Sequential access means the
computer must search the information in the storage device from beginning until the
desired data. Meanwhile, direct access refers to random access in which the information
can be obtained directly without going in sequence (Kindersley, 2006). The
classifications of the secondary storage devices based on their accessing methods are
shown in figure 1.0 (c) below.

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Figure 1.0 (c): Classification of secondary storage devices.

Source: Introduction to Information Technology (2005)

Since a single type of storage is not superior in data access time, speed
and capacity, most online SM businesses make use of the storage technology as shown in
figure 1.0 (d). As the need for information storage in online based on SM businesses
continues to grow due to higher demands among users to store digital information’s,
secondary storage device absolutely provides a good platform to store various digital
information’s and media such as videos, music’s and images.

Figure 1.0 (d): Computer memory hierarchy. Source: http://www.bit-

tech.net/hardware/memory/2007/11/15/the_secrets_of_pc_memory_part_1/3
2.0 FEATURES IN SELECTING SUITABLE SECONDARY DEVICES

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According to Barnatt (2012), extra storage and backup space is crucial for online
based businesses in order to relieve the demand on any existing primary storage.
Therefore, it is important to select a good quality of secondary storage device so that it
will provide a flexible and convenient way of data storage. There are 5 components of
criteria that should be considered when selecting the best secondary storage device such
as speed & performance, storage capacity, portability of device, security level and
durability.
2.1 PERFORMANCE AND SPEED
Savage & Vogal (2009) relates the performance and speed of a secondary
storage device to the access time required to locate data from the secondary storage
device. The speed and performance of a secondary storage device can be measured
through the data transfer rate at which data moves in between primary storage and
secondary storage. This means the faster the access time and data transfer rate, the lesser
the time taken for large files to load and transferred into the secondary storage (Savage &
Vogal, 2009).
Figure 2.1 shows the comparison of some of the secondary storage devices based
on their average rate of access time. Obviously, the secondary storage device with short
average access time enables fast access to multimedia information’s such as large sound
and video files which saves a lot of time of the user.

Figure 2.1: The average speed and performances of secondary storage devices.
Source: http://pluto.ksi.edu/~cyh/cis501/ch02b.htm

2.2 CAPACITY OF DATA STORAGE

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According to Savage & Vogal (2009), storage capacity refers to the maximum
amount of digital data, measured in bytes that a secondary storage device can hold.
Online based SM businesses relatively require a large data storage capacity in order to
deal with growing amount of data and information that needs to be stored (Dasgupta,
2015). Thus, users may require a large capacity of storage device that consists of
hundreds of terabytes of storage space.

According to Shavit (2008), running too lean on storage capacity can bring
about some performance problems later. This is because as the data stored in storage
device reaches the maximum capacity, it becomes harder for the operating systems and
applications to move data within it. As a result of limited space, the storage device can be
easily crashed causing all the data’s and information’s contained inside to be lost forever
(Shavit, 2008). Therefore, planning the best storage capacity according to the requirement
of business problems enables an efficient data storage system for a longer period of time.
Figure 2.2 shows an example of different storage capacities between the secondary
storage devices.

Figure 2.2: The storage capacity of some secondary storage

devices. Source: http://slideplayer.com/slide/5843371/

2.3 PORTABILITY OF STORAGE DEVICE

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Secondary storage device for business purposes are not complete without a
means of portable device. According to Singh (2004), the ultimate goal of using a
secondary storage device in businesses is to enable people to access the device anytime
and anywhere. Data can be made portable by storing it in a removable storage device. A
removable storage device must be lightweight and have a compact size so that it can be
easily carried by users. In addition, it must be compatible with any computers so that the
other devices will be able to read data and access the information (Savage & Vogel,
2009). For instance, memory cards and memory sticks are very convenient type of
storage as they fit easily into the pocket. In fact, the flexible size of the devices makes it
simple to transport data from one location to another location. Some of the portable
secondary devices are shown in figure 2.3 below.

Figure 2.3: Portable secondary storage devices. Source:

https://nsyafinasyaacob.wordpress.com/2014/11/18/what-is-digital-storage/

2.4 SECURITY OF STORAGE DEVICE

Security plays an integral role in every aspect of online based SM businesses.

According to Stewart e.t al (2015), security becomes the main concern in data storage as
secondary storage devices are prone to theft. This is due to the fact that using an
unsecured storage device might let anyone to copy the protected business information’s
without the acknowledgement of the authorized owner.

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Therefore, one should consider buying a secondary storage device which is

highly secured in order to protect the sensitive data and critical information from being
accessed by the third party (Stair & Reynolds, 2013). According to Kiandra (2014), a
protected secondary storage device should require user name and password before
retrieving the information contained in the storage device. In addition, all the data that
moves between computers and storage devices should be secured through high-grade
encryption using Transport Layer Security (TLS). For example, WD Passport hard disk
offers a good password protection service for encrypted privacy that keeps the data’s safe
from unauthorized access as shown in figure 2.4 below.

Figure 2.4: The security feature of WD Passport. Source:

http://www.geckoandfly.com/10154/wd-passport-smartware-backup-
and-password-protect-hard-disk-review/

2.5 DURABILITY OF STORAGE DEVICE

According to Sargunar (2011), the data and information stored in secondary

storage device are basically safe because the secondary storage device is considered as
physically reliable. However, sometimes, the device might fail to work and the drive files

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may become corrupted and unreadable. This may be due to the difference in lifespan of
storage device as shown in figure 2.5.

Due to their physical properties, some storage devices have high lifespan and
suitable for long-term storage. Meanwhile, some have short lifespan in which the devices
cease operation at some stage (Trophen e.t al, 2011). While technological shelf life
might not be a concern, physical damage that occurred will limit the data retention period
causing permanent loss of important data’s. Therefore, considering a storage technology
with high durability may help to prevent files from being accidentally deleted or become
lost.

Figure 2.5: The lifespan of secondary storage devices. Source:

http://www.apotelyt.com/photo-memory/sd-card-reliability
3.0 FIRST TYPE OF SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICE THAT CAN SUPPORT
ONLINE BASED SM SIZED BUSINESSES
The first type of secondary devices that is most suitable to support online based
SM business is optical disks. According to Richardson (2012), optical disk refers to

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optical storage media which provides a good and safe alternative to record and store huge
amount of data in digital form.

3.1 OPTICAL STORAGE DEVICE

Optical storage media is an economical and convenient way of storing and retrieving
vast amount of information’s at a high performance level. Optical media can be easily
accessed through CD and DVD drive built in any computer systems (Rein & Lorenz,
2008). Dhunna & Dixit (2010) described some characteristics of optical storage method
which includes high information storage density, low storage cost and fast access time of
the data. According to Tan (2001), optical disks are capable of storing 800 or more
megabytes of information which may include digital images, sound and texts. In addition,
Rouse (2008) stated that optical media’s can last up to seven times as long as traditional
media as they possess high durability.

Figure 3.1: The process of storing data in optical disks. Source:

http://www.srmuniv.ac.in/sites/default/files/files/MEMORY-DEVICES.pdf

Optical disk generally works by using the principle of light as shown in figure
3.1. According to Labriola (2005), the optical disk saves binary data in the pattern of dots
through the laser beamed through the disk’s polycarbonate substrate. The dot is created
using the high power laser-beam that marks the surface of the medium with tiny dents

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(pits) and flat spots (lands). The different patterns of dots created correspond to the data
stored on the disk. According to Andrews (2009), when an optical drive shines light into
a pit, the light cannot be reflected back and eventually represents a bit value of 0 (off).
Meanwhile, a land reflects light back to its source which represents a bit value of 1 (on).
This overall process is also known as ‘burning’ data onto a disk.

3.2 EXAMPLES OF OPTICAL MEDIA

According to Bergmann (2003), an optical storage device exist in few formats
which are known as Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Video Disk
Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM), CD-Recordable (CD-R) and CD-Rewritable (CD-
RW).

Figure 3.2: Optical media and optical drive. Source:

http://www.ictlounge.com/html/optical_storage_media.htm#cd-r

3.3 JUSTIFICATION ON WHY THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN CHOSEN

3.3.1 RELIABILTY OF THE DEVICE

A proper record of information is the most important source that contributes to

the development of most of the online based SM sized businesses. As some optical

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storage media consist of single layer writable optical discs, one can minimize the risk of
deleting files accidentally. According to Johansson, Lunberg & Ryberg (2012), single
layer writable optical disks are immune to computer viruses, power failures, magnetic
interruptions and water damages. Therefore, the information which was recorded
previously can still be accessed in any condition. Moreover, other users will not be able
to copy and modify the real information stored in the optical disk as the data stored are
relatively permanent and unchangeable. For instance, Some optical disks such as CD-
ROM, CD-R AND Write Once, Read Many (WORM) technologies eventually provides a
long-term of storage method by protecting the original version of document as they
cannot be deleted or revised.

3.3.2 HIGH VOLUME CAPACITY

Optical media relatively possess large storage capacity which allows one to store
data or information in the form of multimedia, graphics and video files. Unlike magnetic
tapes and floppy disks, optical media are capable to store more data in less amount of
space using the compression mode (Sargunar, 2011). In fact, Kindersley (2011) added
that an optical disk can hold the equivalent of 500 books and 1500 floppy disks. This can
be an advantage for online based SM business users since they need to store a lot of
supporting data in the form of statistics and charts which will require hundreds of
megabytes.

3.4 EXAMPLES ON HOW THIS DEVICE SUPPORTS ONLINE SM BUSINESS

Optical disk is one of the most common types of storage used in online
software businesses. Optical media are used for the purpose of software distribution and
archiving data. As optical disk is suitable for multimedia applications, they make an ideal
choice for the software developers in software releases and presentations. For example,
most of the software companies use CD-ROM for mass production and distribution of
multimedia games and videos. In addition, CD-ROM is used for archiving files that
cannot be changed or modified as per legal requirements to keep the data for a number of
years (Manolopoulus, Theodoridis & Tsotras, 2012).

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4.0 SECOND TYPE OF SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICE THAT CAN

SUPPORT ONLINE BASED SM SIZED BUSINESSES

4.1 CLOUD STORAGE

Cloud storage refers to a model of storage in the form of web-based

applications in which the data is remotely stored, managed and backed up (Susmit, 2015).

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These kinds of storage are generally hosted by third parties such as the server of storage
service provider as shown in figure 4.1. Cloud service allows users to store important
data’s or files online to be accessed from any computer or mobile devices via the use of
internet connection (Vermaat, 2013). According to Chandrasekaran (2014), cloud storage
supports the storage of various kinds of data such as, MP3, digital photos, 3D high-
definition imaging, video streaming, appointments, schedule, contacts and email
messages. Cloud storage method is highly preferred among online SM business users as
they have the most security concerns and allows easy file sharing (Kyriazis &
Dimosthenis, 2013).

Figure 4.1: A typical cloud storage system architecture.

Source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-
4.2 computing/cloud-storage.htm
EXAMPLES OF CLOUD STORAGE

There are hundreds of cloud storage providers available in the web to provide
storage for online SM business clients. According to Marcus (2014), the most popular
cloud storage options among SM business user are Dropbox, Google Drive & Sky Drive.
Some other examples are shown in figure 4.2 below.

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Figure 4.2: Examples of cloud storage service providers. Source:

http://gaul.org/talks/cloud-storage-with-apache-jclouds/#1.
4.3 JUSTIFICATION ON WHY THIS DEVICE HAS BEEN CHOSEN

4.3.1 COST EFFECTIVENESS

According to Nepal & Pathan (2013), cloud storage has the ability to deliver for
storage in cost-effective manner. Perhaps this is the most important aspect in the minds of
many small and medium sized business owners. As a matter of fact, backing up data can
be extremely expensive especially with the use of equipment and hardware (Campbell,
2014). Obviously, using the cloud services in businesses will eliminate the cost of
hardware and maintenance. Cloud storage reduces much of the cost associated with
traditional backup methods by allowing business users to only pay for the amount of
storage necessary for their business. Therefore, using cloud storage can be cost-saving to
the online business users.

4.3.2 EASY ACCESSIBILITY OF DATA

According to Hutton (2012), cloud storage enables online business users to access
data virtually from multiple platforms such as laptop at home, workstation at work,
smartphones and tablets. Hence, users are able to access the stored data from anywhere
and share it with other users in the presence of good internet connectivity. This can be
advantageous to online based SM businesses as people are able to manage files at remote

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locations and work in collaboration (Jamsa, 2012). For instance, Dropbox storage service
allows one to drag and drop files using web services which are shared among the remote
users who are able to log into the account (Sosinsky, 2010).

4.4 EXAMPLES ON HOW THIS DEVICE SUPPORTS ONLINE SM BUSINESS

One of the notable online based small and medium sized businesses that use the
cloud and virtual data storage networking is the online home-based bookstore (Weber,
2005). According to Chang & Victor (2015), cloud storage providers such as Amazon
Web Services eventually supports small and medium sized online bookstore by collecting
online books information and managing the databases making them available for online
purchasing. In addition, Sosinsky (2010) found that cloud storage provides the file
transfer utility in which the book file stored by the online enterprises can be made
available to the reader for downloading from other locations. Hence, in this way, cloud
service provides an efficient solution for small and medium sized business to monitor and
manage their business virtually.

(2882 WORDS)

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