Briefly explain master/slave configuration in relation to storage drives.

### Why this is right When two older drives shared a parallel connection, the system needed a way to tell them apart. The master/slave settings assigned different roles so the devices could be identified on that connection; they did not describe which drive was faster or more important. ### The concept A **storage drive** is a device that stores and retrieves data, such as a hard disk. In some older systems, multiple drives could share one **parallel connection**, a communication path that carries data between the drives and the computer. Each drive needed a role setting so the system could distinguish it from the other device. “Master” and “slave” were labels for those roles, not a claim that one drive controlled the other or had more storage. The exact setting and procedure depended on the hardware, so use the instructions for the system covered in your course. ### What a good answer covers - The arrangement was used with some older parallel drive connections. - Its purpose was to distinguish drives sharing a connection. - Each drive needed an appropriate role setting. - The labels did not indicate speed, capacity, or importance. ### Terms - **Storage drive**: A device that stores data for a computer and provides it when needed. - **Parallel connection**: A connection that lets devices communicate over a shared path. - **Master/slave configuration**: A historical arrangement that assigns distinct roles to devices sharing a connection. ### Remember Master/slave settings identified drives sharing an older connection; they did not rank the drives by performance or importance.