RAID Types and Uses

There are different types of RAID which is Redundant Array of Inexpensive Discs. The more common ones include RAID 0, which is striping, RAID 1 which is mirroring, RAID 5 which is distributed parity, and RAID 6 which is dual parity. There are also combinations including RAID 10, RAID 50, and RAID 60. More combinations are used, however RAID 2, 3, and 4 are considered obsolete in favor of RAID 5 and 6.

RAID 0

RAID 0 is also called striping and is where data can be split between drives and can improve Read/ Write functionality. This provides better performance. This is something that doesn’t have redundancy just better read/ write speeds for things like cache or temporary data.

RAID 1

RAID 1 is mirroring which allows for some redundancy and clones the data providing higher levels of redundancy. There are some things that it works best on like databases, and critical drives. With a minimum of two drives needed it provides the highest security of critical systems. Although there is a reduction of 50% storage capacity.

RAID 5

This RAID is used for distributed parity where the data is in a good amount of speed and storage capability. The best use for this is for file servers and any storage that is needed. With three drives needed at a minimum there is an allowance of 1 drive failure that can be tolerated. This provides the best balance of any RAID type. 

RAID 6

RAID 6 is also known as double parity where there are four minimum disks that can be used for RAID 6. This improves on the RAID 5 and is used more for higher protection on larger systems. There are two failures allowed on this RAID type.

RAID 10, RAID 50, and RAID 60

The RAID 10 type has been done mainly for both the striping and mirroring capabilities, high performance and high redundancy. This is helpful for enterprise databases and servers. RAID 50 and 60 are both used to provide high performance and either distributed parity or double parity.

Conclusion

Using RAID is something that you will learn in the A+ exam training materials and is for the computer hardware and virtualization modules. Choosing your RAID type is something that is per the situation that the company has and the policies for choosing the RAID level. It is also what is best for the equipment. The main thing is remembering the different types of RAID and what situations they are used for.