Disk Organization and Disk Structure
Definition and Explanation
Disk Organization and Structure refers to how data is organized, stored, and accessed on
disk drives.
Understanding the physical and logical layout of disks and RAID (Redundant Array of
Independent Disks) levels helps enhance data management, speed, and reliability.
1. Physical Structure of Disk
Explanation
The Physical Structure of a disk consists of platters, tracks, sectors, and cylinders.
o Platters are circular disks coated with magnetic material, stacked vertically in the
disk drive.
o Tracks are concentric circles on the platter where data is recorded.
o Sectors divide each track into smaller units, each holding a fixed amount of data.
o Cylinders are a collection of tracks aligned vertically across platters.
The physical structure defines the hardware layout and influences how data is read and
written.
2. Logical Structure of Disk
Explanation
The Logical Structure of a disk represents how the operating system organizes and accesses
data on the disk.
Includes the File System, Partitioning, and Logical Block Addressing (LBA):
o File System: Organizes files and directories for easy access and management.
o Partitioning: Divides a disk into sections (partitions) to manage separate storage
spaces.
o Logical Block Addressing (LBA): Assigns a unique address to each block on the disk,
allowing the OS to access data directly.
This structure abstracts the physical layout and provides a logical view for data management.
3. RAID Structure of Disk
Explanation
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) combines multiple disks into a single logical
unit to improve performance, reliability, or both.
Different RAID levels balance between data redundancy (backup) and performance (speed)
based on application needs.
RAID levels 0 to 6 offer different combinations of striping, mirroring, and parity for data
protection.
RAID Levels 0 to 6
1. RAID Level 0 (Striping)
Explanation: Data is split (striped) across multiple disks, increasing speed but offering no
data protection.
Advantages: High read/write performance.
Disadvantages: No fault tolerance; data loss if any disk fails.
Use Case: Applications needing high-speed access, like video editing.
2. RAID Level 1 (Mirroring)
Explanation: Data is duplicated (mirrored) on two or more disks, ensuring redundancy.
Advantages: High fault tolerance as data is backed up on multiple disks.
Disadvantages: Requires double the storage; higher cost.
Use Case: Critical applications needing data reliability, like database storage.
3. RAID Level 2 (Bit-Level Striping with Hamming Code)
Explanation: Data is striped at the bit level, and Hamming code is used for error correction.
Advantages: Strong error detection and correction.
Disadvantages: Complex and rarely used due to high disk and cost requirements.
Use Case: Mostly historical, replaced by other RAID levels in modern systems.
4. RAID Level 3 (Byte-Level Striping with Parity)
Explanation: Data is striped at the byte level across multiple disks with a dedicated disk for
parity (error checking).
Advantages: Good performance for large files with error correction.
Disadvantages: Dedicated parity disk can become a bottleneck.
Use Case: Applications with large, sequential data access.
5. RAID Level 4 (Block-Level Striping with Parity)
Explanation: Data is striped at the block level with a dedicated parity disk.
Advantages: High performance for read operations; parity for fault tolerance.
Disadvantages: Dedicated parity disk may slow down write operations.
Use Case: Systems with more read-heavy tasks, where fault tolerance is required.
6. RAID Level 5 (Block-Level Striping with Distributed Parity)
Explanation: Data and parity are striped across all disks, distributing parity among disks.
Advantages: No dedicated parity disk bottleneck; balanced performance and fault tolerance.
Disadvantages: Slightly slower than RAID 0; data rebuilds can be slow.
Use Case: Balanced storage solutions for business servers and file storage.
7. RAID Level 6 (Dual Distributed Parity)
Explanation: Similar to RAID 5 but with double parity, allowing for the failure of two disks.
Advantages: High fault tolerance, protecting against multiple disk failures.
Disadvantages: More storage overhead for additional parity.
Use Case: Critical data systems needing high reliability, such as data warehousing.
Real-Life Example
Corporate Servers: RAID is commonly used in corporate servers to ensure data reliability,
with RAID 5 or 6 preferred for critical data due to fault tolerance.
