Data storage

Data storage is the recording (storing) of digital information in a computing environment. It is a core function and fundamental component of computers and other electronic devices. Data storage allows information to be retained and retrieved for later use, unlike memory (RAM), which is typically volatile and loses its contents when the device is powered off.

Data storage can be broadly categorized based on how accessible the data is and the technology used. These categories often form a hierarchy, sometimes called the storage hierarchy, based on speed, capacity, and cost.

Based on information from PulsedMedia's website and related discussions, here's an explanation of their seedbox data storage options and what you can typically buy:

PulsedMedia

Offers various seedbox plans designed for BitTorrent and related activities, providing remote storage and high bandwidth for uploading and downloading files. The data storage is a key component of these plans, determining how many files you can store on your remote seedbox server.   

They provide different types of seedboxes, and the storage options vary significantly between them:  

Shared Seedboxes:

These are the most budget-friendly options where server resources, including storage, are shared among multiple users. Storage capacities typically range from several hundred gigabytes (GiB) to multiple terabytes (TB). PulsedMedia often has different tiers of shared seedboxes, sometimes categorized by features like speed (e.g., 1Gbps, 10Gbps lines) or storage type. You choose a plan based on a set amount of storage included (e.g., 1TB, 2TB, 4TB). Getting more storage usually means subscribing to a higher-tier shared plan. Capacity Seedboxes:

These plans are specifically geared towards users who need large amounts of storage more than they need peak performance for torrent racing. They offer some of the largest storage capacities available on shared infrastructure, potentially ranging from 4TB up to 16TB or more on certain plans. While still shared, the focus is on providing ample disk space at a competitive price point. SSD Seedboxes:

These plans utilize Solid-State Drives (SSDs) for storage instead of traditional Hard Disk Drives (HDDs). SSDs offer significantly faster read and write speeds, which can improve performance for tasks like starting torrents, checking files, and managing many small files.   Due to the higher cost of SSDs per gigabyte, the storage capacities on these plans are generally smaller than HDD-based plans, often ranging from a few hundred GiB up to a few TB (e.g., 320GiB up to 4TB). These are suitable if speed is more critical than raw capacity.

Dedicated Servers / MiniDedicated Servers:

These offer the highest level of performance and control as you get a dedicated physical or virtual server. Storage options are much more flexible and larger, often involving multiple drives in RAID configurations. Capacities can range from several TB up to potentially petabytes (PB) on high-end configurations. With dedicated servers, you often have options to customize storage configurations or add additional drives, offering true storage upgrade paths beyond just selecting a higher base plan.   Options You Can Buy:

When looking at PulsedMedia, you are primarily buying a plan or server that comes with a predetermined amount and type of storage. Your options are therefore the different plans available on their website at any given time.

Choose by Capacity Need: If you just need space, look at Capacity Seedboxes or higher-tier shared plans. Choose by Performance Need: If disk speed is important (for applications, managing many files, etc.), look at SSD Seedboxes or Dedicated Servers with SSD/NVMe storage. Choose by Control Need: Dedicated servers offer the most storage flexibility and potential for expansion.  

Primary Storage

Primary storage, also known as main memory, is directly accessible by the computer's CPU. It is typically fast but has limited capacity and is often volatile, meaning the data is lost when power is removed. Primary storage is used to hold data and instructions that the CPU is currently working with.

Examples include:

• Random-Access Memory (RAM)
• CPU cache

Secondary Storage

Secondary storage is non-volatile and has larger capacity than primary storage, but it is not directly accessible by the CPU. Data from secondary storage must be transferred to primary storage before the CPU can process it. Secondary storage is used for long-term storage of programs and data.

Examples include:

• Hard Disk Drives (HDDs)
• Solid-State Drives (SSDs)
• Optical Discs (like CD, DVD, Blu-ray)
• Flash Memory (like USB drives, SD cards)

Tertiary Storage

Tertiary storage is a third level of storage, providing high-capacity data archiving. It is typically slower and requires human intervention or a robotic system to access the data. It is often used for backups and long-term archival storage.

Examples include:

• Magnetic tape drives and libraries
• Optical disc libraries

Offline Storage

Offline storage, also known as disconnected or removable storage, is physical data storage media that must be physically disconnected from a computer or network to access. Data access is the slowest as it requires manual handling of the storage medium.

Examples include:

• Magnetic tapes
• Optical discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays)
• Floppy disks
• USB flash drives or external hard drives when disconnected