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National Teaching and Learning Change ProgrammeInformation and Communication Technology: Dictionary

cylinder

View image Data is stored on disks in concentric rings, called tracks. In a disk pack, a set of tracks one above the other, for example, the tenth track on each disk, is called a cylinder. It is normal to store data which needs to be kept together on a cylinder rather than on one disk, because the read/write heads will not need to move to access the data.

Related terms
CD driveCD-RWdiskdisk drivedisk packhead crashread/write headsectortrackreadwrite
Term sub categories
Hardware › storage
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