Begin With The Basics

What Is RAID? RAID stands for

Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks. RAID is a method of combining several hard drives into one unit. It can offer fault tolerance and higher throughput levels than a single hard drive or group of independent hard drives.
RAID Level RAID 0 RAID 1 RAID 0/1 RAID 5 Description Data striping (no data protection) Disk mirroring RAID 0 and RAID 1 combined Data striping with distributed parity Minimum # of Drives 2 2 4 3 Benet Highest performance High data protection Highest performance with highest data protection Best cost/performance balance for multi-drive environments

Why Do We Need It? RAID

provides real-time data recovery when a hard drive fails, increasing system uptime and network availability while protecting against loss of data. Multiple drives working together also increase system performance.

Compare The Types Of RAID Implementations

Type Software-based RAID Description

Advantages Low price Only requires a standard SCSI card Data protection and performance benets of RAID Connectivity benets of standard SCSI card More robust fault-tolerant features and increased performance versus software-based RAID OS independent Works with any OS Build super high-capacity storage systems for high-end servers
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Included in NOSs such as NetWare and Windows NT. All RAID functions are handled by the host CPU which can severely tax its ability to perform other computations. Processor-intensive RAID operations are offloaded from the host CPU to enhance performance.

Hardware-based SCSI RAID Card

External Hardware RAID Card

Connects to the server via a standard SCSI card. RAID functions are performed on a microprocessor located in the external RAID storage subsystem.

The ABCs of RAID

Recommend Adaptecs RAID Products
........................... ........................... ........................... Product AAA -131U2

Target Market Entry-level servers Workstations Workgroup and departmental servers

#1 User Priority

Ideal Applications Server applications like le, web, e-commerce and Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server. Workstation applications like CAD/CAM, video editing and 3D imaging. Server applications like le, web, e-commerce and Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server. Multichannel feature allows multiple arrays to be on separate channels or the separation of slower devices from the array. * upgrade option

Data protection Performance (with cache*) Data protection

AAA-133U2

RAID

Glossary
Fault Tolerance The ability of a system to continue to perform its functions even when one or more hard disk drives have failed. Hot Spare A spare hard drive which will automatically be used to replace the failed member of a redundant disk array. Hot Swap The ability to remove a failed member of a redundant disk array and replace it with a good drive without bringing down the server or interrupting transactions that involve other devices. Mirroring (RAID 1) Provides redundancy by duplicating all data from a primary drive on a secondary drive. NOS Network Operating System (i.e., NetWare,Windows NT server) Parity A form of data protection used by RAID level 5 to recreate the data of a failed drive in a disk array. RAID Levels Numbered 0 through 5, RAID levels refer to different array architectures that offer various advantages in terms of data availability, cost and performance. RAID levels 0, 1, 0/1, and 5 are the most popular. RAID 0 See Striping RAID 0/1 Combines RAID 0 (data striping) and RAID 1 (disk mirroring). RAID 1 See Mirroring RAID 5 Combines data striping (for enhanced performance) with distributed parity (for data protection) to provide a recovery path in case of failure. SCSI Stands for Small Computer System Interface. SCSI is the technology that allows you to connect various devices to your PC.This connection is made using a SCSI card that ts inside your computer. Striping (RAID 0) Spreads data evenly over multiple drives to enhance performance. Because there is no redundancy scheme, it does not provide data protection.

Array Two or more hard disk drives grouped together to appear as a single device to the host computer. Cache A temporary, fast storage area that holds data from a slower storage device for quick access. Cache storage is normally transparent to the accessing device. Co-processor A processor that resides on an array that relieves the host CPU from executing processorintensive operations such as RAID 5 parity calculations and secondary RAID 1 writes. Duplexing Mirroring across two RAID cards.
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