Editing Disk storage (section)

== Interfaces ==
The disk drive interface is the mechanism/protocol of communication between the rest of the system and the disk drive itself. Storage devices intended for desktop and mobile computers typically use [[AT Attachment|ATA]] ([[Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment|PATA]]) and [[Serial ATA|SATA]] interfaces. Enterprise systems and high-end storage devices will typically use [[SCSI]], [[Serial Attached SCSI|SAS]], and [[Fibre Channel|FC]] interfaces in addition to some use of SATA.
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Since a [[magnetic dipole]] field decreases rapidly with distance from the magnetic material, the space between the head and medium must be controlled with more precision than the thermal expansion of parts of the disk drive. The head therefore ''flies'' or glides on a layer of air by means of hydrodynamical [[lubrication]]. That is, the air pulled along by the disk forces the head away from the disk surface. When the disk stops, the head must either "land" or be pulled away.
Defects, wear or foreign objects such as dust, can distort the disk and head surfaces, so they make contact and damage each other further. When these elements build up over time, there is a chance that a "[[head crash]]" will occur. This results in lost data and an inoperable device.
Head crashes are one of the reasons that important data must be backed up on some other device (often audio or video media).
When removable hard disks were used, disc damage was contagious, since either the head or the disk could propagate the damage.
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