Microsoft® SQL Server 2012 Unleashed

Disk Devices

A disk device is generally stored in a folder on a local hard drive. This should not be the same hard drive where your data is stored! Disk devices have several advantages, including speed and reliability. If you have ever had a backup fail because you forgot to load a tape, you can appreciate the advantage of disk backups. On the other hand, if backups are stored on a local disk and the server is destroyed, you lose your backups as well.

Note

Disks have become increasingly popular media as the prices have fallen. Storage area networks (SANs) and other large-scale disk solutions have entered mainstream usage and offer a large amount of storage at a relatively inexpensive price. They also offer redundancy and provide fault tolerance ...