All you Need to Know About RAID Storage

A redundant Array of Independent Disks, commonly known as RAID, is a computer storage system replicating data across multiple drives. The increased data reliability and improved performance are the reasons why they have become a popular choice. So, without delay, let’s uncover everything you need to know about RAID storage.

How RAID Storage Works?

RAID works by executing the data on multiple disks, which perform input/output (I/O) operations that improve performance. Integrating physical disks into a single logical uniting using particular hardware or software makes it very efficient. Moreover, there are various RAID levels with specific advantages.

The techniques of disk mirroring and stripping help to copy identical data and spread data over multiple disk drives, respectively. All this process makes the storage very convenient, but there are chances of data loss like in other storage systems. In such a scenario, you can opt for raid data recovery services that help solve any failure.

The RAID Storage Glossary

Before diving into RAID storage, it’s important to understand some technical RAID terms:

Parity: The spread of data that helps to recreate data stored within a RAID array.

Mirroring: Copying of data from hard drives(s) to another physical disk (s)

Striping: A process of writing data across multiple disks.

Block: The specific space on each disk on which data is written.

Left/right symmetry: In a RAID array, the symmetry determines the data and parity are distributed across the drives

Popular Levels of RAID

There are various RAID levels from 0 to 10, hybrid RAID levels, and each offers a different advantage and some shortcomings. Some of the most popular RAID levels to use are:

RAID 1

In RAID 1, the data is stored two times. Firstly, it’s stored on the drive and then on the mirror drive. Moreover, its reads and write speeds are similar to the single drive system. Also, if you lose the data, a copy of it is preserved.

RAID 5

There must be at least three drives in the RAID 5 where there is Checksum parity. This is an approximately calculated value that can be rebuilt. RAID 5 is very fast at reading, and there are minimum chances of data loss. However, recovering data may take time, and the data is lost if more than one drive fails.

RAID 6

RAID 6 is similar to RAID 5, but the only difference is that parity is written on two drives. So, there must be four drives in it. These features make it fast and less prone to data loss.

RAID 10

RAID 10 is formed by levels 1 and 0. Therefore, data mirroring is done in multiple drives. It has fast speed and fewer chances of data loss. Nested or hybrid RAIDs are also made by combining various levels. Some popular examples are RAID 05, made from levels 0 and 5, RAID 10, etc.

Let’s Sum up With Benefits of RAID

RAID is undoubtedly easier on the pocket as it is formed from multiple disks. Moreover, using numerous hard drives boost the performance of a single drive. Also, reading and writing speed is much faster, and some levels offer great protection from data loss. So, explore all the levels, hardware, and software RAID and choose the one which suits you best.