Logical disk facts for kids

A logical disk is a special kind of storage space on a computer. Think of it like a virtual box where you can save your files. Unlike a physical hard disk that you can actually touch, a logical disk isn't a single piece of hardware. Instead, it's a way to organize and use storage space that might come from different places.

This virtual storage space can come from several places:

• A specific section of a hard disk called a disk partition.
• A special system that manages storage, known as a logical volume.
• Several hard drives working together, like in a RAID system.
• A large network of storage devices, called a storage area network.
• Even the computer's main memory, often used for temporary files that disappear when the computer turns off.

It's called "logical" because it's not one physical thing. It's more like a clever way to manage and present storage to the computer and its users.

Why Computers Use Logical Disks

Computers use logical disks for several important reasons. They help manage storage more efficiently and make it more reliable.

Managing Large Storage Space

Back in 1956, when IBM first created magnetic disk drives, like the IBM 305, each drive was used on its own. They were much smaller than today's drives.

Now, a typical home PC has hard drives with hundreds of gigabytes of storage. This is a huge amount! It would be hard to manage all that space as one single block. So, most computers divide their main hard drive into several smaller, logical disks. This makes it easier to organize your files, install different operating systems, or keep your programs separate from your personal documents.

Making Storage More Reliable

Early hard drives sometimes had problems with reliability. To fix this, engineers developed RAID technology. RAID combines several physical hard drives to work together. If one drive fails, your data might still be safe on the others. When multiple physical disks are "RAID-ed" together, they appear to the computer as one single, more reliable logical disk. This helps protect your important files.

Sharing Storage in Big Networks

In large businesses, many computers (called servers) need access to a lot of storage. They often use a Storage area network. This is a special network where many storage devices are connected to many servers.

A single group of RAID drives might provide storage for several different servers. Logical disks are used to divide this shared storage. Each server gets the exact amount of storage it needs from a common pool of logical disks. This makes it easy to share and manage storage across many computers in a big network.