Introduction to RAID Fundamentals

Introduction to RAID:
In computing, a redundant array of independent disks, also originally known as redundant array of inexpensive disks (more commonly known as a RAID) is a system of using multiple hard drives for sharing or replicating data among the drives. Depending on the version chosen, the benefit of RAID is one or more of increased data integrity, fault-tolerance, throughput or capacity compared to single drives. In its original implementations (in which it was an abbreviation for "Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks"), its key advantage was the ability to combine multiple low-cost devices using older technology into an array that offered greater capacity, reliability, or speed, or a combination of these things, than was affordably available in a single device using the newest technology. At the very simplest level, RAID combines multiple hard drives into one single logical unit. Thus, instead of seeing several different hard drives, the operating system sees only one. RAID is typically used on server computers, and is usually implemented with identically-sized disk drives. With decreases in hard drive prices and wider availability of RAID options built into motherboard chipsets, RAID is also being found and offered as an option in more advanced end user computers. This is especially true in computers dedicated to storage-intensive tasks, such as video and audio editing. The original RAID specification suggested a number of prototype "RAID levels", or combinations of disks. Each had theoretical advantages and disadvantages. Over the years, different implementations of the RAID concept have appeared. Most differ substantially from the original idealized RAID levels, but the numbered names have remained. This can be confusing, since one implementation of RAID 5, for example, can differ substantially from another. RAID 3 and RAID 4 are often confused and even used interchangeably. The very definition of RAID has been argued over the years. The use of the term redundant leads many to split hairs over whether RAID 0 is a "real" RAID type. Similarly, the change from inexpensive to independent confuses many as to the intended purpose of RAID. There are even some single-disk implementations of the RAID concept. For the purpose of this article, we will say that any system which employs the basic RAID concepts to recombine physical disk space for purposes of reliability, capacity, or performance is a RAID system.

Introduction to RAID Fundamentals

Types of RAID:
1. RAID Level 0-Data Striping Definition ---------------------------------------------By definition RAID level 0 is not RAID because it does not provide data redundancy. Data is striped across all drives without parity. Redundancy ---------------------------------------------None. If a drive fails all data is lost. Performance ---------------------------------------------High. Provides the best performance and storage efficiency in I/O intensive environments because there is no parity related overhead. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------No Data Redundancy 2. RAID Level 1-Disk Mirroring Definition ---------------------------------------------Data is written to a primary disk and a secondary disk. Identical data is stored on both disks. Redundancy ---------------------------------------------A mirrored set of drives is created. Performance ---------------------------------------------High performance in read intensive applications. If one drive is busy data can be accessed from the secondary disk. High write performance because of no parity overhead. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------High cost per megabyte because double the amount of drives is required to achieve desired capacity.

Introduction to RAID Fundamentals 3. RAID Level 0+1-Data Striping with Mirroring Definition ---------------------------------------------RAID 0+1 is a combination of RAID levels 0 and 1 by striping data across pairs of mirrored disk drives. Redundancy ---------------------------------------------A striped array (RAID 0) of mirrored drive pairs (RAID 1) is created. You can sustain more than one drive failure as long as they are not in the same mirrored set. Performance ---------------------------------------------High performance because data is striped and there is no parity overhead. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------High cost per megabyte because double the amount of drives is required to achieve desired capacity. 4. RAID Level 2-Bit Interleaving with Error Correction Codes Definition ---------------------------------------------Data is striped at a bit level across an array of disk drives with additional drives inserted in the system for error correcting code or parity data. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------RAID level 2 is intended for use with drives that don't have built-in error detection. Since all SCSI drives today have built-in error detection, RAID level 2 is of little use. 5. RAID Level 3-Data Striping with Dedicated Parity and Parallel Access Definition ---------------------------------------------Data is striped at a byte level across an array of disk drives with one drive dedicated for parity. Data is accessed in parallel. Redundancy ---------------------------------------------One drive is dedicated for parity. Data is regenerated in the event of a drive failure.

Introduction to RAID Fundamentals Performance ---------------------------------------------High performance in data intensive applications because data is accessed in parallel. High transfer rates. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------Poor performance in I/O intensive applications because write operations cannot be overlapped due to dedicated parity drive.

6. RAID Level 4- Data Striping with Dedicated Parity and Independent Access Definition ---------------------------------------------Data is striped at a block level across an array of disk drives with one drive dedicated to parity. Data is accessed independently instead of in parallel. Redundancy ---------------------------------------------One drive is dedicated for parity. Data is regenerated in the event of a drive failure. Performance ---------------------------------------------High performance in transaction intensive applications that require high read requests because data is accessed independently. High transaction rate. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------Write bottleneck. Write operations cannot be overlapped because there is one parity drive. 7. RAID Level 5- Data Striping with Distributed Parity Definition ---------------------------------------------Data is striped across a group of disk drives with distributed parity. Parity information is written to a different disk in the array for each stripe. Redundancy ---------------------------------------------Parity is distributed across the disks in the array. Data is regenerated in the event of a drive failure.

Introduction to RAID Fundamentals Performance ---------------------------------------------High performance in small record, multiprocessing environments because there is no contention for the parity disk and read and write operations can be overlapped. No write bottlenecks as with RAID 4. Drawbacks ---------------------------------------------Distributed parity causes overhead on write operations. There is also overhead created when data is changed, because parity information must be located and then recalculated.