Talk:Computer data storage

I have an idea which I think could help the "Computer Storage - cleanup or merge" question:

Because this topic is really so broad,

1. have a main article on "COMPUTER STORAGE" which focusses on mass storage devices - including all forms of rotating media and all devices which are accessed <other than> via the CPU's address bus. That would include all magnetic and optical disk drives, all flash "drives", SD and CF cards etc as well as "tertiary" storage devices (which are rare). Mass storage devices are accessed by "external" busses such as ATA/IDE, SCSI, USB etc. and are typically accessed by block or sector but not by individual byte. Redirect "storage" to this article, but also redirect "primary storage" or "main storage" to the COMPUTER MEMORY article below.

2. have another main article on COMPUTER MEMORY which focusses on all forms of memory devices which are directly connected to the CPU's address bus and are therefore individually byte-addressable. That would include all types of RAM - static RAM, dynamic RAM, SDRAM, DDR RAM etc as well as the old magnetic core memory and even tube memory, and all types of ROM - PROM, EPROM, EEPROM etc. "Computer memory" should also include primary and secondary CPU cache memory. Redirect "memory", "RAM", "ROM" etc and "primary/main storage" to this article.

My reasons for this suggestion are:

a) the distinction between Memory and (Mass) Storage is fundamental to the architecture of any computer. Memory is what the CPU addresses via its address bus using memory read/write cycles at the internal CPU bus speed. Mass storage devices, by contrast, require relatively slow input/output cycles and interrupt calls to access them, via a variety of busses which are external to the CPU, not integral to it;

b) the concepts of "primary" and "secondary" storage blur the above clear distinctions and are less helpful in explaining the respective functions of the two;

c) I recognise that many operating systems also confuse and blur the distinction between memory and mass storage, by the use of "virtual memory" and the like on one hand, and "RAM disks" on the other. However this does not alter the fundamental differences noted above;

d) the often-quoted volatile/non-volatile definitions are not relevant to the distinction between memory and mass storage devices because they can each be both (lthough volatile mass storage is not very useful!). Indeed when large cheap non-volatile solid-state memory is available (which will probably happen within the next few years) the need for mechanical, rotating non-volatile mass storage devices (for example) will be eliminated. Mass storage devices will then also actually be memory (just as flash drives etc already are);

e) if consensus is reached on this suggestion I would be ready willing and able to start compiling the article on Computer Memory, about which I have some reference material as well as some experience and knowledge. I would also include a history of Computer Memory, going back to the vacuum tube memory of the mid 1940's, as well as the magnetic core memory of the 1950's and 60's.

I'm quite new around here, so I'm not sure about the procedure from here in. I've added this topic to my "watch" so I'll just wait and see what happens and hope that somebody will respond one day!

Regards

Now I've saved this page and I see my User Name didn't show up as I expected - I guess my login timed out while I was writing it - it took a while!

Anyway, my User Name is NevilleRaymond. It might show up now because I logged in again ....

— Preceding unsigned comment added by 210.246.16.187 07:36, 5 June 2006

I would also agree that that there is nothing that madates a computer to be electronic. I do not think that this should even be an article page for "Computer Storage" perhaps instead this should be called somethinge else like Digital Storage or more appropate ? Information Storage, there is even talk on this page about punch cards. How about Computer Storeage Therois and methods ? I came across this page when looking for places to physically put computers, and this page covers nothing of recommened enviromental seetings, humidity, ambient tempature, grounding practices, etc. What conditions must be required for accessing our computer storage in the attic from the basement? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Hoovie 23:05, 8 October 2006

I'd like to include a link to the Computer Storage Knowledge Center at Computerworld.com

• Storage Knowledge Center Computerworld Magazine - The Storage research center includes the latest news, features, analyses, forums, best practices, research links and more.

— Preceding unsigned comment added by Bansipatel 16:01, 19 February 2007

Neologism. fgnievinski (talk) 20:41, 17 March 2025 (UTC) fgnievinski (talk) 20:41, 17 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

@Fgnievinski, can you elaborate on your WP:NEO assertion? These articles have citations and a quick search shows evidence of use of the terms in sources. ~Kvng (talk) 23:01, 23 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

The problem lies in the trivial definition: "Data at rest ... means data that is housed physically on computer data storage in any digital form". If that's all to it, it'd be a synonym (or, rather, a neologism) for "stored digital data". But it seems the unique concept is actually "data-at-rest protection", as explained later in the lead. fgnievinski (talk) 04:59, 24 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

• Sort of oppose Don't see much worth adding to this article. Why not move Data in use, Data in transit and Data at rest into Data and then link from there to Computer memory, Data communications and Computer Storage respectively? I do see the three Data in ... articles as likely undue weight of an obscure usage and should either be merged or deleted. Tom94022 (talk) 23:40, 23 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

  I like the counter-proposal of merging the three states of digital data into a common article. I'd only propose the target article be Digital data instead of Data. An even better target would be Data security, which seems to be the main concern underlying the distinction among the three states of digital data. I can rearrange the nomination templates once we agree on a target. fgnievinski (talk) 05:04, 24 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

  I don't accept the WP:NEO justification for merging (and it looks like Fgnievinski is backing away from that); I believe there's potentially a good case for WP:N of these terms. So then the question is what's the best way to organize coverage of this topic area: three separate articles as we have now, one new article covering all three, merge into multiple existing articles as the current banners propose, merge into Digital data or Data. Barring the emergence of a strong consensus around one of these, I think it best to leave things as they are for the immediate future. ~Kvng (talk) 14:37, 24 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

I have no problem with merging them into Digital data; I can also accept WP:N removal; might be less work. Tom94022 (talk) 23:51, 24 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

Here is an ngram comparing the four terms; seems to support WP:N Tom94022 (talk) 00:54, 25 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

If you change the corpus to just English (the most recent one instead of 2009), it seems only "data at rest" is notable: [1]. Indeed, data at rest is the longer article of the three. If these concepts were previously covered on Wikipedia, I don't think anyone would argue three separate articles would be ideal. It'd be relatively easy to merge in the stubby data in transit and data in use as well. fgnievinski (talk) 03:13, 25 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

Sure but "Digital data" is 3x "Data at rest" and if you combine them what do you call the article, "Digital data"? It seems to me consolidating them into Digital data is appropriate. Tom94022 (talk) 05:37, 25 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

Aren't analog recordings data at rest? -- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz Username:Chatul (talk) 12:55, 25 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

That would be "Information at rest" but not Data at rest as defined in the linked article. It seems the three "... at rest" articles limit themselves to digital data. But this does bring up the issue of whether Digital data should be merged with Data (Computing science) or not and how does this all interlink with Information. Tom94022 (talk) 18:27, 25 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

That's a related discussion better discussed separately: Talk:Digital_data#Proposed_merge_of_Data_(computer_science)_into_Digital_data. fgnievinski (talk) 18:50, 26 March 2025 (UTC) [reply ]

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