Datalagringsenhet

Datalagringsenhet is a Swedish term for any hardware or medium used to store digital data. In IT contexts it refers to components that retain information even when power is removed, making them essential for system boot, software operation, data persistence and long-term archives. The term covers both internal storage in devices and external storage connected via interfaces.

Common types include hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs), which are used as primary or secondary storage; optical discs such as CDs and DVDs; magnetic tape for archival storage; and removable media such as USB flash drives and memory cards. Storage can be internal to a computer or external via USB, Thunderbolt or network storage.

Key characteristics include capacity, data transfer speed, access latency, durability and reliability. Non-volatile storage means data remains when power is off. Storage technologies use various form factors (for example 2.5-inch drives, M.2 SSDs) and interfaces (SATA, PCIe/NVMe, SAS, USB).

Use cases include personal computers, servers, data centres, backups and archival systems. Data protection features such as encryption, redundancy (RAID), backups, and versioning are important for preserving data integrity. Longevity and wear considerations differ: HDDs are commonly durable for long-term use; SSDs offer higher speed but have finite write cycles.

In modern IT environments datalagringsenheter are integrated into storage networks and cloud infrastructures, often coupled with software for management, tiering and disaster recovery. The term is used in Swedish IT literature to denote any device serving as data storage, from consumer USB sticks to enterprise storage arrays.