HDD full form is Hard Disk Drive. Sometimes called a hard drive, hard disk, or even HD.
Table of Contents
What is Hard Disk Drive?
A hard disk drive (HDD) is a type of data storage device that is housed within the computer. Inside of it are disks that spin, and these disks store data via magnetic fields. An arm on the hard disk drive (HDD) has a number of “heads,” which are actually transducers that read and write data on the disk. It operates in a manner analogous to that of a turntable record player, complete with an LP record (the hard disk) and a needle that is attached to an arm (transducers). In order to access various data, the arm moves over the surface of the disk, moving the heads with it.
Hard disk drives (HDDs) are known as a legacy technology because they have been around for significantly longer than solid-state drives (SSDs). In general, they have a cheaper cost and are more practical for data that does not need to be viewed frequently, such as backups of images, videos, or business files. This type of data does not need to be accessed frequently and so does not require as much space. They can be obtained in two different standard form factors. 2. 5 inches, which is a common screen size for laptops, and 3. 5 inches (desktop computers).
How Do Hard Disk Drive Work?
The most fundamental kind of hard drives are those that are made up of numerous disk platters. A disk platter is a circular disk that can be made of aluminum, glass, or ceramic and is positioned around a spindle inside of an enclosed chamber. A motor that is attached to the spindle is responsible for giving rotation to the platter. Additionally contained within the chamber are the read/write heads, which use a magnetic head to magnetically record information both to and from the tracks located on the platters. In addition, each disk has a very thin magnetic coating applied on it.
Up to 15,000 revolutions per minute can be achieved by the motor while the platters are spinning. A second motor is responsible for controlling the position of the read and write heads, which are responsible for magnetically recording and reading information from each platter as the platters spin.
Why Is A Hard Disk Needed by A Computer?
The installation of operating systems, programs, and extra storage devices, as well as the saving of documents, all require the use of storage devices such as hard disks. Users of computers would not be able to save programs to their machines, save files or documents, or store them in their computers if they did not have devices like HDDs that can retain data even after they have been turned off. Because of this, each and every computer needs to have at least one storage device that can keep data indefinitely for as long as it is required.
What Is The Capacity Of A Hard Disk?
Some of the most common storage drive capacities include the following:
Currently, the highest capacity HDD is 20 TB. However, an HDD actually has less space than advertised, as the operating system, file system structures and some data redundancy procedures use a portion of that space.
Form Factor and Hard Drive Components
The spindle, the disk platter, the actuator, the actuator arm, and the read/write head are the components that make up the hard disk drive. The term “hard disk” really refers to the set of stacked disks that make up the section of the hard disk drive (HDD) that is charged electromagnetically and stores and allows access to data on that surface. However, the term “hard disk” can also be used to refer to the entire unit.
The term “HDD form factor” refers to the physical size of the data storage device, also known as its geometry. The length, breadth, and height of HDD form factors, as well as the position and orientation of the host interface connector, are all governed by a set of industry standards. HDD form factors also adhere to these criteria. Having a form factor that is a recognized industry standard helps to establish a level of compatibility between various types of computer devices.
2. 5 inches and 3. 5 inches are the most popular sizes for hard disk drives (HDDs) found in enterprise systems. These sizes are also known as small form factor (SFF) and big form factor (LFF). The sizes of 2. 5 inches and 3. 5 inches are approximately the diameter of the platter that is housed within the drive enclosures.
There are other form factors, but by 2009, manufacturers had stopped developing devices with 1.35 inches, 1 inches, and 0.85 inches as their form factors. Because of its decreasing cost, flash has rendered these other form factors nearly obsolete. In addition to this, it is essential to keep in mind that although the sizes are given in inches, the actual dimensions are provided in millimeters.
The hard disk drive (HDD) format is supported by a significant number of solid-state drives (SSDs). The SATA or serial attached SCSI (SAS) interface is typically utilized by SSDs that are designed to fit into the same slots as hard disk drives (HDDs) in order to transport data to and from the host computing system.
Hard Drive Failures
There is a wide variety of causes that can lead to hard disk failure. Failures, on the other hand, can typically be broken down into the following:
Hard Drive Development
Hard disk drives that make use of shingled magnetic recording (SMR) technology were made available by Seagate Technology in the year 2013. Instead of arranging the magnetic tracks on a hard disk such that they are parallel to one another, SMR stacks them on top of one another on each disk. This results in a significantly higher storage density. It is called “shingled” because the tracks overlap in a manner that is analogous to how shingles on a roof do.
In 2012, HGST was the company that made public the first helium-filled hard disk drive. Helium is less dense, cooler, and lighter than air. It also consumes less power than regular hard disk drives, enhances drive density, and improves performance. In 2016, Seagate stated that it would be releasing its own own 10 TB helium hard disk.
Drive manufacturer Western Digital introduced two hard disk drives (HDD) with a capacity of 20 TB in 2021. These were the Ultrastar DC HC560 and the WD Gold HDD Enterprise Class SATA HDD. The greatest hard drive capacity that can be purchased now is 20 terabytes. Both of these hard disk drives have a form factor of 3.5 inches but are best suited for distinct kinds of applications. The Ultrastar DC HC560 is designed for use by cloud storage providers in addition to servers used in businesses, security systems, and network attached storage devices. The WD Gold hard disk drive is tailored to meet the needs of large enterprises that manage demanding application workloads.
HDD advantages
- When compared to other types of data storage devices, hard disk drives (HDDs) are more reasonably priced.
- The storage base capacity of HDDs is significantly higher.
- The memory found in HDDs is non-volatile.
- The lifespan of HDDs is significantly higher than SSD.
HDD Disadvantages
- There are mechanical parts that keep moving
- The hard disk is broken when the disk surface scratches.
- Emitting noise because the hard disk is spinning.
- More electricity is required than SSD
- Form factors are bigger than SSD
- Emitting heat
- Slower access speed than SSD
Conclusion
There is a lot of data that can be stored on a hard disk drive, and it can read and write data much more quickly than DVDs but slower than SSD. The storage capacity is easy to be expanded. However when a hard disk crash your data can be lost forever, thus you must have a backup so you can restore it to the new harddrive.
