A redundant array of independent disks, or RAID, combines two or more hard drives into a single storage unit. RAID 10 is a simple setup that provides redundancy – but what exactly do we mean by this?
RAUD can provide a number of benefits, including increased read/write speeds, increased storage capacity, and protection against data loss, including in the form of redundancy. But the clue’s in the name – redundant array of independent disks – but what exactly do we mean by “redundancy”? Simply put, it means that the data is stored in multiple locations, meaning if a drive in the array fails, there will still be a copy containing the data.
RAID can be configured in a number of different ways, but not all of them provide redundancy. RAID 0, for example, stripes data across both disks in the array. While this provides a higher storage unit and faster read/write speeds, if one drive fails, there data cannot be accessed from the second, working drive – therefore, there is no redundancy. RAID 1 does provide redundancy, because data is mirrored across both drives in the array. While you’re left with a lower capacity storage unit, you will have redundancy, so if one drive in your RAID 1 array fails, you’ll be able to access the data from the second drive.
There are many more RAID configurations such as RAID 3, 5 and 6, but RAID 10 provides the two aforementioned setups and provides a higher capacity storage unit that provides redundancy, but requires four drives. RAID 10 combines striping and mirroring, making a storage unit that is both fast and resilient; it’s secure because mirroring provides redundancy, and striping chunks of data across disks means that data can be read and written simultaneously.
It is important to note that RAID, including a setup like RAID 10 that provides redundancy, is not a backup. If your operating system causes file corruption, redundancy won’t save you. Similarly, you’re protected against single drive failure. if more than one drive in the array fails, you’ll need to consult a data recovery specialist. Another downside of RAID 10, which is gets from RAID 1, is that it cuts your storage capacity in half.
