CompTIA Cloud+ Practice Test

Which term describes the ability for an organization to store data based on performance, cost, and availability?

1. RAID

2. Tiered storage

3. SSD

4. Tape drive

The correct answer is: Tiered storage

The term that describes the ability for an organization to store data based on performance, cost, and availability is tiered storage. This approach involves classifying data into different tiers according to its access frequency, importance, and performance requirements. For example, frequently accessed "hot" data might be stored on high-performance storage media like solid-state drives (SSD), while less critical "cold" data could be placed on slower, less expensive storage options such as tape drives or hard disk drives (HDD). Tiered storage allows organizations to optimize their storage costs, ensuring that high-performance resources are used efficiently while still maintaining access to less critical data. This strategy not only supports better performance for applications requiring quick data retrieval but also helps in managing budgets by reducing the overall cost of data storage. In contrast, RAID refers to a method of combining multiple disk drives to improve performance and redundancy but does not inherently involve performance tiers based on cost and availability. SSD is a type of storage technology that offers high performance but does not encompass the broader strategy of categorizing data. Similarly, tape drives are a specific storage medium primarily used for archival purposes rather than a systematic approach to data prioritization.