Estimated Time: 11 Hours
Target Audience: Learners who know storage keeps files and need better data-care and upgrade instincts.
Course Overview
HW204 covers PC storage systems. You will learn to compare solid-state drives (SSDs) and mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs), evaluate host interface limits (SATA vs. NVMe), calculate storage capacity margins, implement safe data backup protocols, and execute drive cloning and migrations.Course Outline
Module 1: Storage Big Picture
Understand storage as a library for saved data.- 1.1 Storage as a library: Use a library analogy to explain storage persistence, active vs. idle data, and how storage speed shapes system boot times and responsiveness.
- 1.2 Quick Check: Storage big picture: 3-question check on drive latency, library shelf-space constraints, and the real-world impact of upgrading to solid-state storage.
Module 2: SSDs, HDDs, and Interfaces
Split drive types and connection paths into simple ideas.- 2.1 Drive type and road type: Plain-English comparison of SSDs, HDDs, SATA ports, M.2 sockets, and NVMe pathways.
- 2.2 Practice: Choose the drive role: Autograded assignment on selecting drive configurations (e.g. boot drive vs. mass archive storage) and matching storage dimensions to case constraints.
Module 3: Capacity, Free Space, and Endurance
Plan storage that has room to work and last.- 3.1 Do not pack the closet completely full: Explain how free space impacts write speeds, wear leveling, bad-block management, and SSD lifetimes.
- 3.2 Quick Check: Capacity and endurance: 3-question check on SSD write budgets (TBW - Terabytes Written), temporary file requirements, and selecting files for archive offloading.
Module 4: Backups and Data Safety
Protect data before experimenting with drives.- 4.1 One copy is not a safety plan: Learn the foundations of data care, including the 3-2-1 backup strategy and calculating recovery priorities.
- 4.2 Practice: Choose a backup plan: Autograded assignment requiring you to design a reliable backup schedule, choose storage targets, and verify restoration paths.
Module 5: Upgrade and Migration
Move data carefully when replacing or adding drives.- 5.1 Upgrade without losing the library: Detailed guide on preparing drive upgrades, cloning disks, verifying partition alignment, and testing boot sectors.
- 5.2 Quick Check: Storage upgrades: 3-question check on the cloning process, data recovery fallbacks, and partition diagnostics.
Course Review & Final Exam
Review storage ideas and complete the final quiz.- 6.1 Course review: What to remember: Core concepts review on NVMe interfaces, data safety, and drive migration workflows.
- 6.2 Final Quiz: Storage Deep Dive: 5-question cumulative quiz testing your understanding of storage latency benefits, SSD wear management, upgrade population rules, and data preservation.