Question

When recording data on a multiple-disk storage system, should we fill a complete disk surface before starting on another surface, or should we first fill an entire cylinder before starting on another cylinder?

Answer 1

For data recording on a multi-disk storage system, filling an entire cylinder before moving to another is more efficient, as this strategy reduces read/write head movement, leading to faster access times compared to filling a disk surface at a time.

Step-by-step explanation:

When it comes to recording data on a multiple-disk storage system such as a hard drive, the strategy employed can significantly impact performance. In most cases, it's more efficient to fill an entire cylinder before moving on to another cylinder rather than fill a complete disk surface. A cylinder refers to a set of tracks on multiple platters that are aligned vertically. This approach is beneficial as it minimizes the movement of the read/write heads, allowing faster access times since the heads do not need to move between surfaces.

The hard disk drive works by rotating the magnetic disk surfaces, with a stylus, or read/write head, making or reading magnetic impressions to store data. When data is distributed across multiple cylinders, the heads can access data on different platters without having to move back and forth across the surfaces, which would result in slower access times due to increased latency. With the information understood correctly, it can be seen that cylinder optimization is key to data access efficiency in disk storage systems.

Therefore, in terms of managing storage efficiently on a hard disk drive, consideration of physical disk movements is crucial. By focusing on cylinder-wise filling of data, the storage system can ensure better performance in comparison to filling individual disk surfaces one at a time.

Answer 2

For a multiple-disk storage system, it is more efficient to fill an entire cylinder before starting on another due to reduced seek times and increased data access speeds.

Step-by-step explanation:

When recording data on a multiple-disk storage system, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), it is more efficient to fill an entire cylinder before moving onto another cylinder. A cylinder consists of the same track number across all surfaces of the platters within the drive. Since all the heads move in unison across the surfaces, accessing data within the same cylinder reduces the need for the read/write heads to move back and forth between tracks and surfaces, minimizing seek time and increasing data access speeds.

Therefore, when a storage system is writing data, it should utilize cylinder-level access rather than filling up an entire surface of a disk before moving to the next. This method exploits the physical layout of the HDD, where the heads can switch from one surface to the next within the same cylinder without physical movement of the actuator arm, thus enhancing overall data throughput.