In the context of computing, a disk refers to a type of storage medium that stores digital data. Disks store and retrieve files, programs, and the operating system of a computer.
Disk capacity also known as "disk space". it refers to the total amount of storage capacity available on a storage device, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD), or an optical disk. It is the virtual "space" where files, programs, and the operating system are stored.
IOPS, which stands for Input/Output Operations Per Second, is a performance metric used to measure the data throughput of a storage device or system. It represents the number of individual read or write operations that can be performed in a single second. IOPS is particularly important for understanding the performance of storage devices in terms of their ability to handle a high number of small, random access requests.
Disk throughput refers to the rate at which data is transferred to or from a storage device, typically measured in megabytes per second (MB/s) or gigabytes per second (GB/s). It is an important performance metric that indicates how quickly a storage device can read or write data in a continuous stream, which is particularly relevant for applications that involve large files or sequential access patterns.
It can be a hard disk drive (HDD), or solid-state drive (SSD). Hard Disk Drive (HDD): A traditional spinning disk that uses magnetic storage to save data. It consists of one or more platters that spin at high speeds and a read/write head that moves across the platters to access data. Solid-State Drive (SSD): A newer type of storage that uses NAND-based flash memory to store data. SSDs are faster, more durable, and consume less power than HDDs.
A disk interface is a standardized method of communication between a storage device. The interface defines the physical and electrical specifications, as well as the protocol for data transfer between the storage device and the computer's motherboard or controller. Here are some key aspects of disk interfaces: