A ~RAM~ drive is not a physical interface mechanism as are the other types of data storage and manipulation drives. Instead, it is a ~virtual mechanism~ which is created by a software program. This mechanism uses extra RAM chip memory to serve as a location for data storage. The resulting RAM drive mimics a very fast |hard drive|. The amount of memory allotted to such a virtual drive may be altered depending upon the needs of the user, but care must be taken not to exhaust the amount of RAM needed for general operation of the system. The RAM drive is useful when easy reading and manipulation of small amounts of data is desired. This is because the data so stored is not routed through device drivers or disk drive hardware. This gives it a shorter, quicker trip along the ~data bus~. Data stored in the RAM disk must be backed up to another data storage format before shutting the system off, unless the RAM disk has its own battery backup. Otherwise the data will be lost.
