What device is used for long-term storage of information. Reliable storage of information. On what media is electronic data stored? General principles of secure storage of information

Each person has at least a little information or data that is very dear to him. This information may not always have exactly material value, remembering the same videos, children's photos or photos from a wedding is all very expensive. But many do not realize that the disk on which all this is recorded can become unusable in just one decade and nothing can be read from it. If you want to keep such important information as long as possible, then this article is for you.

We will share our experience in working with different drives and tell you which ones are reliable and which ones are better not to store anything of value. You will learn how to keep data safe and sound, at least for a century.

General rules for storing valuable information

There are several rules that apply to any information that is important to keep safe and sound. If you do not want to lose your dear photos, important documents or valuable works, then:

• Make as many copies as you can. This way you will insure yourself with several spare copies and in case of loss of one copy you will still have a couple of other copies left.
• Store data only in the most common and accepted formats. You should not resort to exotic and use little-known file types, because one day you just won’t be able to find a program to open it (for example, it’s better to store texts in ODF or TXT, rather than DOCX and DOC).
• After making several copies, place them on different media, do not store everything on the same hard drive.
• Do not use data compression or encryption. If such a file is even slightly damaged, it will never work out to access it and open the contents. For long-term storage of media files, use uncompressed formats. For audio it is WAV, for images RAW, TIFF and BMP are suitable, video files are DV. True, you will need a medium large enough in capacity to accommodate such files.
• Constantly check the integrity of your information and create additional copies in new ways and on newer devices.

Such simple rules will help you save important documents, expensive photos and video recordings for many years. And now let's consider where the information will be safe and sound for the longest time.

About popular media and their reliability

The most common and popular ways of storing digital information include the use of hard drives, Flash media (SSD drives, flash drives and memory cards), recording optical discs (CDs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs). Additionally, there are a lot of cloud storages for any data (Dropbox, Yandex Disk, Google Drive and many others).

Which of the following do you think is the best place to store important information? Let's explore each of these ways.

1. Hard drives are used in most desktop PCs today, and have also found use as portable data storage. Usually, such a carrier works properly for 3-10 years and its service life depends on many external factors and the very quality of manufacture.
   If you do not regularly use such a disk, but only write down everything you need on it once and hide it in a secluded corner of some bedside table, then the information will similarly be stored on it for the same period. Such disks do not tolerate any external influences very well, they cannot be beaten, shaken or exposed to strong magnetic fields - all this can lead to unpleasant consequences.
2. Flash drives and SSD drives - such devices, on average, work properly for about five years. Many flash drives can break even much earlier, because they may not be able to withstand a power surge or static discharge when connected to a PC.
   
   If you record valuable information and do not use the media, then the data can be stored for approximately 7-8 years.
3. Optical discs are well-known CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays. Perhaps, this is one of the most long-term ways to store information; in some cases, such a disk will reliably store all recorded data for more than 100 years. But here it is important to take into account many different points and not all discs can boast of such longevity.
   
   Therefore, further on they will be devoted to a whole section in this article, where we will consider everything in detail.
4. Cloud services - it is difficult to say how reliable such storages are. It is possible that data will be stored in such places as long as it is commercially beneficial. If you read the license agreement (which is provided during registration), you can pay attention to the moment that such companies will not bear any responsibility for the loss of your data.
   
   It’s also embarrassing that you can lose control of your storage due to scammers and intruders who gain access to it.

As you understand, among the most affordable ways, it is best to store your data on optical discs. But not all of them are able to cope with the passage of ruthless time, and further you will find out which ones are better suited for our purposes. In addition, a good solution would be to use several of the mentioned methods at the same time.

We use optical discs correctly!

Some of you may have heard about how long information can be stored on optical discs such as CDs or DVDs. Some, probably, even recorded certain data on them, but after a while (several years) they could not read the discs.

In fact, there is nothing surprising here, the period of storage of information on such media also depends on many factors. First of all, the quality of the disk itself and its type play an important role. In addition, you should also adhere to certain storage conditions and the recording process.

• Do not use rewritable discs (CD-RW, DVD-RW) for long-term storage, they are not designed for this purpose.
• Testing has shown that CD-R discs have statistically the longest storage life and it exceeds 15 years. Only half of all tested DVD-Rs showed similar results. As for Blu-ray, it was not possible to find exact statistics here.
• You should not chase cheapness and buy blanks that are sold for a penny. They are of very low quality and will not be suitable for important information.
• Burn discs at minimum speed and do everything in one recording session.
• Discs should be stored in a place protected from direct sunlight, with stable, room temperature and moderate humidity. Do not expose them to any mechanical stress.
• In some cases, the recording itself is also affected by the quality of the drive that “cuts” the discs.

Which storage drive should you choose?

As you already understood, the disks are different. All the main differences are related to the reflective surface, the type of polycarbonate base and the quality in general. Even if you take products from the same company, but made in different countries, then even here the quality can vary by an order of magnitude.

As the surface on which the recording is made, cyanine, phthalocyanine or metallized layers are used. The reflective surface is created with a gold, silver or silver alloy coating. The most high-quality and durable discs are made from gold-plated phthalocyanine (because gold is not subject to oxidation). But there are discs with other combinations of these materials that also boast good durability.

It was a great disappointment to try to find special disks for storing data, we almost never see them. If desired, such optical media can be ordered via the Internet (not always cheap). Among the leaders that can keep your information for at least a century are DVD-R and CD-R Mitsui (this manufacturer generally guarantees up to 300 years of storage), MAM-A Gold Archival, JVC Taiyu Yuden and Varbatium UltraLife Gold Archival.

Among the most ideal options for storing digital information, you can add Delkin Archival Gold, which are not found anywhere in our country at all. But as already mentioned, all of the above can be ordered without much difficulty in online stores.

Of the available discs that we can meet, the highest quality and capable of ensuring the safety of information for at least a decade will be:

• Verbatium, Indian, Singaporean, UAE or Taiwanese made.
• Sony, which are created in the same Taiwan.

But the fact that all these disks can store information for a long time does not guarantee that it will be stored for a long time. Therefore, do not forget to adhere to the rules that we identified at the very beginning.

Take a look at the following graph, it shows the dependence of the appearance of data reading errors on the time spent by the optical disk in an aggressive environment. It is clear that the graph was created specifically for the marketing promotion of the product, but still note that it has a very curious Millenniata, on the disks of which errors do not appear at all. Now we will learn more about her.

Among the products of this company there are discs of the M-Disk DVD-R and M-Disk Blu-Ray series capable of storing important data for up to 1000 years. Such amazing reliability is achieved by the use of inorganic glassy carbon discs, which, unlike other discs that use organic materials, is not subject to oxidation, decomposition under the influence of light and heat. Such discs will easily tolerate the ingress of acids, alkalis and solvents, and also boast a higher resistance to mechanical stress.

During recording, on the surface, in the literal sense of the word, small windows are burned (on ordinary discs, pigmentation of the film occurs). The base of the disk is similarly designed for more severe tests and is able to maintain its structure even under the influence of high temperatures.

We did not manage to find such discs for sale, but they can be freely ordered online at a very affordable price. Optical discs of this series are perfectly readable by any modern drives. It is quite possible that over time they will begin to appear in our free sale.

Despite the fact that such media can be read by any drive, in order to burn a DVD-R, you need a special drive that is certified and has the M-Disk logo. This is due to the need to use a more powerful laser. To burn these Blu-ray discs, you can use any drives capable of recording these types of optical media.

As you understand, the need to use a special drive (which is also rare for us) is a serious disadvantage. But on the other hand, sometimes valuable photos, videos and other information are much more important and you can get a drive for these things.

In any case, when storing important information, adhere to the mentioned rules and then you will be able to keep memories of any event for a long time and save an archive of important documents.

With the advent of computers, the issue of storing information, which was originally supplied in digital form, became very acute. And now this problem is very relevant, because you want to save the same photos or videos for a long memory. That is why you will initially have to find the answer to the question of what devices and media serve for long-term storage of information. You should also fully appreciate all their advantages and disadvantages.

The concept of information and methods of its storage

There are several basic types of information data that can be found on computers today. The most common forms are text, graphics, audio, video, mathematical and other formats.

In the simplest version, information is stored on the hard drives of computers on which the user saves the file initially. But this is only one side of the coin, because in order to view (extract) this information, you need at least an operating system and appropriate programs, which, by and large, also represent information data.

It is interesting that in schools in computer science lessons, when choosing the correct answer to such questions, there is often a statement that, they say, RAM is used for long-term storage of information. And schoolchildren who are not familiar with the specifics and principles of its work consider this the right answer.

Unfortunately, they are wrong, because RAM only stores information about currently running processes, and when they are terminated or the system is rebooted, RAM is completely cleared. This is similar to the once-popular children's drawing toys, when you could first draw something on the screen and then shake the toy and the drawing would disappear, or when the teacher erased the text written in chalk from the blackboard.

How information was stored in the past

The very first method of storing information in the form of rock paintings (by the way, graphics) has been known since time immemorial.

Much later, with the advent of speech, the preservation of information began to be a process, so to speak, of transmission from mouth to mouth (myths, legends, epics). Writing led to the fact that books began to appear. Do not forget the paintings or drawings. With the advent of photography, sound and video recording technologies, corresponding media appeared on the information field. But all this turned out to be short-lived.

Device for long-term storage of information: basic requirements

As for computer systems, it should be clearly understood what requirements modern media must meet in order for information to be stored on them for as long as possible.

The most important requirement is durability and resistance to wear and physical or other damage. And in relation to any type of carriers, one can speak about time intervals very relatively, because, as you know, "nothing lasts forever under the Moon."

What media are used for long-term storage of information

Now let's go directly to devices on which data of any type can be stored, if not forever, then at least for a long time. So, what types of media are used for long-term storage of information?

Among the most commonly used in relation to computer technology, the following are distinguished:

• internal and removable hard and ZIP drives of computers;
• optical CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray media;
• flash memory of any type;
• floppy disks (now used extremely rarely).

Media Advantages and Disadvantages

As can be seen from the above list, only hard drives built into computers are internal storage devices. All other media are external.

But all of them are more or less subject to aging or external influences. In this sense, floppy disks or the same CDs or media of a different format are the most unsafe, although optical media in this respect seem to be more durable. But how long can they last? 5-10 years? But if the information stored on them is viewed very often, the service life is reduced.

Flash drives and hard drives have a longer service life, but they are not immune to wear, damage and aging.

Hard drives begin to "crumble" (this is a natural process), flash drives can be exposed to the same sunlight, moisture, or even delete data if they are not removed correctly or software failures. In addition, there are many more additional factors that can lead to device inoperability.

Nevertheless, speaking of the fact that the devices listed above are used for long-term storage of information, it should be borne in mind that such a classification is given solely for the current state of affairs in the computer world. Who knows, maybe even in the foreseeable future, completely new carriers using other technologies will be invented, because, as stated, the creation of quantum computers is not far off.

In order to store information for a long time and transfer from one data carrier to another, hard disk devices, DVD, CD drives, flash drives, floppy disk drives are used.

Winchester is a means of permanent storage of information, programs in a computer.

A floppy disk is the principle of recording data on magnetic tapes. Such a device can contain information up to 600 pages of a text document.

The CD is the principle of optical recording. You can even write an encyclopedia that contains many volumes. Flash memory is a device that does not need to be powered by electricity.

Many people think: what serves for long-term storage of information? So my story structure is as follows:

1. what serves for long-term storage of information;
2. types of information.

What is used for long-term storage of information

The main information process is the process of storing information, that is, the method by which it is possible to transmit data over space and time. In order to save information for a long time, devices or devices are used that depend on the type of information being stored. In order to ensure the orderliness of this process, the presence of information systems equipped with a procedure for searching, placing, and editing information is used. The main distinguishing feature of information systems is these key procedures.

Programmers determine: in order to save information for a long time, external storage devices should be used. It can be a drive or media of every possible type that you can imagine.

Types of information

In addition to the above, it should be said about what types of information are. So the information might be:

• text;
• pictorial;
• numerical;
• sound recording;
• video recording.

The most common way to save information today is the text type. True, this method of storage is not reliable and durable. Graphic, or pictorial type - the most ancient method of storing information, these are all kinds of diagrams, graphs and drawings.

A) working memory. B) processor. B) external memory
2. When disconnecting the computer from the information network:
A) disappears from RAM
B) disappears from permanent storage
B) erased on a magnetic disk
3. Each cell of RAM can store a binary code of length ...
A) 2 characters b) 8 characters c) 4 characters
4. A volatile type of memory is:
A) flash memory b) CD drive c) hard drive
5. The internal memory of the computer includes:
A) flash memory b) laser disc c) random access memory

1. Computer is -

electronic computing device for processing numbers;
a device for storing information of any kind;
multifunctional electronic device for working with information;
device for processing analog signals.
2. Computer performance (speed of operations) depends on:
monitor screen size
clock frequency of the processor;
supply voltage;
keystroke speed;
the amount of information being processed.
3. Processor clock speed is:
the number of binary operations performed by the processor per unit of time;
the number of cycles performed by the processor per unit of time;
the number of possible processor accesses to RAM per unit of time;
the speed of information exchange between the processor and the input / output device;
speed of information exchange between the processor and ROM.
4. The "mouse" manipulator is a device:
input of information;
modulation and demodulation;
reading information;
to connect the printer to a computer.
5. Read-only storage device is used for:
storing the user program during operation;
recordings of especially valuable application programs;
storage of constantly used programs;
storage of computer boot programs and testing of its nodes;
permanent storage of especially valuable documents.
6. For long-term storage of information is used:
RAM;
CPU;
magnetic disk;
drive.
7. Storing information on external media is different from storing information in RAM:
the fact that information can be stored on external media after the computer is turned off;
volume of information storage;
the possibility of protecting information;
ways to access stored information.
8. During the execution of the application program, the following is stored:
in video memory
in the processor
in RAM;
in ROM.
9. When the computer is turned off, the information is erased:
from RAM;
from ROM;
on a magnetic disk;
on CD.
10. A floppy drive is a device for:
processing commands of the executable program;
reading/writing data from external media;
storing commands of the executable program;
long-term storage of information.
11. To connect a computer to the telephone network, use:
modem;
plotter;
scanner;
a printer;
monitor.
12. Software control of computer operation involves:
the need to use the operating system for synchronous operation of hardware;
execution by the computer of a series of commands without user intervention;
binary encoding of data in a computer;
the use of special formulas for the implementation of commands in the computer.
13. File is:
an elementary information unit containing a sequence of bytes and having a unique name;
an object characterized by a name, value and type;
set of indexed variables;
set of facts and rules.
14. The file extension, as a rule, characterizes:
file creation time;
file size;
the space occupied by the file on the disk;
the type of information contained in the file;
the location where the file was created.
15. Full path to the file: c:\books\raskaz.txt. What is the name of the file?
books\raskaz;.
raskaz.txt;
books\raskaz.txt;
txt.
16. The operating system is -
a set of basic computer devices;
programming system in a low-level language;
software environment that defines the user interface;
a set of programs used for operations with documents;
programs for the destruction of computer viruses.
17. Programs for pairing computer devices are called:
loaders;
drivers;
translators;
interpreters;
compilers.
18. System diskette is required for:
for emergency boot of the operating system;
file systematization;
storing important files;
computer virus treatment.
19. Which device has the highest information exchange rate:
CD-ROM drive;
HDD;
floppy disk drive;
RAM;
processor registers?

1. Which of the following characteristics relate to RAM and which to external memory? a) is

volatile.

e) Faster access.

g) Slower access.

2. What Memory v bytes will take the next binary

3. Text in volume 1024 bits located in random access memory, starting from byte number 10 . What will be the address last byte

4. List at least five devices you know external memory.

5. What difference disks CD- ROM, CD- RW and CD- R?

Urgently needed. Very. 1. Which of the following characteristics relate to RAM and which to external memory? a)

It is volatile.

b) Its volume is measured in tens and hundreds of gigabytes.

c) Used for long-term storage of information.

d) Its volume is measured in hundreds of megabytes or several gigabytes.

e) Faster access.

f) Used for temporary storage of information.

g) Slower access.

2. How much memory in bytes will the following binary code take: ? Explain your answer.

3. A text of 1024 bits is located in RAM, starting from byte number 10. What will be the address of the last byte that is occupied by this text?

4. List at least five external memory devices you know.

5. What is the difference between CD-ROM, CD-RW and CD-R discs?

Homework No. 5 Topic: Computer memory 1. Which of the following characteristics relate to

operational, and which - to external memory?

a) It is volatile.

b) Its volume is measured in tens and hundreds of gigabytes.

c) Used for long-term storage of information.

d) Its volume is measured in hundreds of megabytes or several gigabytes.

e) Faster access.

f) Used for temporary storage of information.

g) Slower access.

2. What Memory v bytes will take the next binary the code: ? Explain your answer.

3. Text in volume 1024 bits located in random access memory, starting from byte number 10 . What will be the address last byte, which is occupied by the given text?

4. List at least five devices you know external memory.

Each user has information that he would like to keep for a long time. Photo, video, audio or important documents. However, just writing them to your hard drive and leaving them alone is not enough. Gradually, the drive wears out, and besides, do not forget about failures or damage. This article will describe how to properly store information for better safety.

General principles of secure storage of information

• Need to do multiple copies. It is better to write really important files to several devices or drives, which will make it more likely that at least one medium will be saved in case of unforeseen circumstances.
• Data is best stored in widely distributed and known formats. If this is a text document, then it is better to save it in txt format than in some exotic one. The probability that in ten years there will be programs capable of opening the most common format is much higher than if it is a file that only a couple of utilities can run.
• The more complete the data, the better. Shouldn't be encrypted, archive or compress data. In case of a slight damage to a regular file, there are good chances of it being launched, and in case of damage to an archived or encrypted file, the chances are low.
• Also don't forget check your details from time to time, if the media is many years old or there are doubts about its integrity, then it would be better to re-save the information to a new drive, it would also be a good idea to use new devices and recording types.

Using Traditional Storage

This section will describe the standard options for storing information, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each of them.

1. CD, DVD, Blu-Ray theoretically, these drives are capable of being stored for a very long time, as well as the information on them. However, there are many nuances here, so this method will be discussed in more detail below.
2. Cloud storage. Data can be stored in them indefinitely. This is in an ideal world. In fact, they will be there as long as it benefits the companies and benefits them. In addition, judging by the license agreements, they do not bear any responsibility for the preservation of information. In addition, the user can simply forget the password or it can be hacked. So there is no guarantee that this information will be stored here more reliably than on a conventional hard drive.

Using optical discs

This method is the most reliable in terms of durability, some manufacturers call terms of almost a hundred years. However, many have come across such a situation that the disc may not be readable not only in a couple of years, but even after a few months. There are several reasons for this.

What to look for when choosing a disc

In discs, the materials from which the reflective and recording layers are made, as well as the rest of the disc, are very important.

The recorded layer should ideally be made up of phthalocyanine, and a reflective layer of gold or silver. Although manufacturers can choose a different combination of substances. In addition, users do not need such subtleties. All you need to know is that disks for long-term storage of data have a reference to archives in their name or are directly called archives, for example, DVD-R Mitsui MAM-A Gold Archival or Verbatim UltraLife Gold Archive. They cost much more and are unlikely to be found in stores, you will have to order in other countries. In addition, they are much more expensive than conventional disks, but they store information longer, up to 100 years.

From the options available, you can purchase Verbatim or Sony made in Taiwan.

Below is a diagram that displays the number of errors in reading information from a disk, depending on the time spent by it in an aggressive environment.

Millenniata M-Disk

As you can see from the graph, this company produces some of the most reliable discs. In fact, most of the differences lie in the material and the recording method. These media do not use organic, but glassy carbon layer to record information.

At the same time, instead of changing colors, as is done when recording conventional optical drives, the material is literally burned here.

This allows data to be stored much longer, and they are less dependent on external factors. You can find many videos on the Internet in which these discs are mocked as they can, but they continue to work. So, if the information will really be stored for a long time, you should think about purchasing disks from this manufacturer.