Definition: Logical Block Addresses (LBAs) are numerical identifiers for sectors on a storage device used to locate data.
Explanation
Logical Block Addresses, or LBAs, represent the sequential numbering of sectors on a storage device such as a hard drive or USB flash drive. Each LBA corresponds to a fixed-size block of data, typically 512 bytes, and is used by the system to read or write data at specific locations on the device. LBAs provide a standardized way to address physical storage sectors, enabling software and hardware to access data efficiently.
Example
For example, a USB flash drive with 512-byte sectors will have sectors numbered starting from LBA 0, LBA 1, LBA 2, and so on. When creating a raw disk image (IMG file), the image stores data sequentially by these LBAs, preserving the exact layout of the physical device.
Who This Is For
This term is important for IT professionals, system administrators, and developers working with disk imaging, data recovery, USB duplication, and low-level storage management.
Related Terms
IMG file, VHD file, disk sectors, partition, raw disk image
Also Known As
LBA