What is RAID?

RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. It was developed to link a large number of low cost hard drives to form a single large capacity storage device which can overcome old storage solutions in case of reliablity , storage capacity and performance. This is most widely used service for storage in enterprise and server markets.

Three main advantages of RAID

* Redundancy
* Increased Performance
* Lower Costs

The most vital factor in the development of RAID for server environment is Redundancy. This offers backup of data in storage array in the event of failure. If their is a failure in one of the hard drives,it can be swapped for a new hard drive without turning the systems off or even the redundant drive could be used. Redundancy mainly depends on the version of RAID used.

The performance can be noticed mainly when the specific versions of the RAID are used. Performance will also depend upon the number of hard drive used in the array and the controller.

Low cost is the main concern in all major IT departments. Cost was also the key issue when the RAID standards were developed. As compared to individual capacity hard drives ,RAID array is used to provide greater storage capacity for a system. Price differences between the highest capacity hard drives and lower capacity drivesare are the good examples of it.
Three drives of smaller capacity costs less than an individual high-capacity drive but provide more capacity.

Three typical forms of RAID use for desktop computer systems are RAID 0, RAID1 and RAID5. RAID 0, RAID 1 versions are available and one of the two technically is not a form of RAID.

RAID provides variety of benefits for systems which depends upon the version implemented. Most users like to use RAID0 to increase the performance and to avoid loss of storage space. This is mainly because redundancy is not an issue for the average user. Most computer systems will only offer either RAID 0 or 1. The costs of implementing a RAID 0+1 or RAID 5 system generally are too expensive for the average user and are only found in high-end workstation or server level systems.