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Chapter 7: Technology Background
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Introduction to RAID (below)
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Choosing a RAID Level (page 196)
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Choosing Stripe Block Size (page 199)
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Gigabyte Boundary (page 199)
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Initialization (page 199)
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Hot Spare Drive (page 200)
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Partition and Format Logical Drive (page 200)
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Cache Settings (page 201)
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RAID Level Migration (page 201)
Introduction to RAID
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) allows multiple hard drives to be
combined together to form one large logical drive. The operating system sees the
logical drive as a single storage device, and treats it as such. The RAID software
and/or controller handle all of the individual drives on its own. The benefits of a
RAID can include:
•
Higher data transfer rates for increased server performance
•
Increased overall storage capacity for a single drive designation (such as, C,
D, E, etc.)
•
Data redundancy/fault tolerance for ensuring continuous system operation in
the event of a hard drive failure
Different types of logical drives use different organizational models and have
varying benefits. Also see Choosing RAID Level on page 196. The following
outline breaks down the properties for each type of RAID logical drive: