What Is RAID Storage and Why Do You Need It?

What Does Raid Stand for?

When RAID was first brought about, the name stood for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. These days, the name has been changed slightly to mean Redundant Array of Independent Disks. What does this mean? In basic terms, it allows you to save the same data redundantly on multiple disks. This is designed to improve performance, give you fault tolerance, and increase your storage capacity.

Who Needs RAID?

RAID storage is designed more for businesses than personal computer users. It's able to take a lot more traffic and data, so if you're in a business that requires you to handle a lot of data, this may be the best storage method for you. Web computing companies like Memset offer RAID storage to business customers, so it's worth looking into if you're setting up your own online business.

How Does RAID Work?

RAID is set up to appear to be a single device, but actually, function as several different disks. When data is saved to it, it's mirrored on several different disks. If one disk fails, you won't lose all your data as it's still on another disk as well. Sequential data is broken up and sent to various disks when it's saved, speeding up your system and making it easier to use.

There are several levels that RAID uses to save your data:

Level 0 Striped Data: This is where your data is spread out across several disks. It improves performance, but there's no fault tolerance. If a disk fails, you won't have a backup elsewhere.

Level 1 Mirroring: Your data will be mirrored to several different disks, creating a backup if one fails.

Level 2 Error Correcting Coding: This level isn't often used, but it mirrors data at the bit level, rather than the block level.

Level 3 Bit Interleaved Parity: This is another level which isn't often used. It stripes data at the byte level, with a dedicated parity disk.

Level 4 Dedicated Parity Drive: This is the level that is most commonly used. Data is blocked striped to disks, like in level 0, with a parity disk backing them up in case one fails. The only issue with this is that the parity disk can create write bottlenecks.

Can You Use RAID to Back Up Data?

While the right level of RAID storage can help in the event of disk failure, it shouldn't be the only method of storage you're using. Having a dedicated backup server is advised, too, to ensure you never lose any data.

RAID storage is perfect if you're running a business and need to ensure you're keeping data safe. Call on a web hosting and storage company to find out more.