RAID Disk Arrays

Introduction

• Processor speeds have increased dramatically ,but, access times to disk drives are
still of order of milliseconds - limitations of the mechanical motion involved.

• One way to reduce access time is to use multiple disks operating in parallel.

• In 1988, at the University of California-Berkeley proposed such a storage system -

RAID

• RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive (or sometimes "Independent")

Disks.

• Using multiple disks also makes it possible to improve the reliability of the overall
system.
 Introduction

• NAS device or server - come across the term "RAID."

• RAID-enabled system uses two or more hard disks to improve the performance or
provide some level of fault tolerance for a machine—typically a NAS or server

• In computer storage, the standard RAID levels comprise a basic set

of RAID configurations that employ the techniques of striping, mirroring,
or parity to create large reliable data stores from multiple general-purpose
computer hard disk drives (HDDs).
 RAID Disk Arrays
• The basic configuration, known as RAID 0.
• A single large file is stored in several separate disk units
– dividing the file into a number of smaller pieces
– storing these pieces on different disks. This is called data striping.

• When file accessed for a Read operation

– all disks access their portions of the data in parallel.
– rate of data transfer = data rate of individual disks x number of disks.

• However, access time(seek and rotational delay) to locate the beginning of the data on each
disk not reduced.
• each disk operates independently, access times vary.
• Individual pieces of the data are buffered
– so that the complete file can be reassembled
– transferred to the memory as a single entity.
 RAID Disk Arrays
• Various RAID configurations
• Each configuration provides additional features.
• For example - RAID 1
– intended to provide better reliability
– stores identical copies of the data on two disks rather than one.
– two disks are said to be mirrors of each other.
– If one fails, all Read and Write operations directed to its mirror drive.
• Other levels of the hierarchy
– achieve increased reliability through various parity-checking schemes
– without requiring a full duplication of disks.
• Some have error-recovery capability.
• The RAID concept has gained commercial acceptance.
 RAID 0
• Also known as stripe set or striped volume

• Splits data evenly across two or more disks

• No parity information, redundancy, or fault tolerance.

• No fault tolerance or redundancy, the failure of one

drive will cause the entire array to fail; as a result of
having data striped across all disks, the failure will
result in total data loss.

• This configuration is typically implemented having

speed as the intended goal. Read and write transfer
rates up to n times higher than the individual drive
rates, but with no data redundancy.

• Primarily used in applications that require high

performance and are able to tolerate lower reliability
 RAID 1
• Consists of an exact copy (or mirror) of a set of data
on two or more disks

• A classic RAID 1 mirrored pair contains two disks.

• Since the data is mirrored on all disks belonging to the

array, and the array can only be as big as the smallest
member disk.

• Useful when read performance or reliability is more

important than write performance or the resulting
data storage capacity.

• Operate so long as at least one member drive is

operational
 RAID 2 & RAID 3
RAID 2 RAID 3
• rarely used in practice • rarely used in practice
• stripes data at the bit (rather than • consists of byte-level striping
block) level, • with a dedicated parity disk.
• uses a Hamming code for error • suitable for applications that
correction demand the highest transfer rates in
long sequential reads and writes
 RAID 4 
• block-level striping with a dedicated parity disk.

• RAID 4 provides good performance of random

read

• performance of random writes is low due to

the need to write all parity data to a single disk.

• In diagram - a read request for block A1 would

be serviced by disk 0. A simultaneous read
request for block B1 would have to wait, but a
read request for B2 could be serviced
concurrently by disk 1.

• Both RAID 3 and RAID 4 were quickly replaced

by RAID 5
 RAID 5

• Minimum 3 disks.
• Good performance ( as blocks are
striped ).
• Good redundancy ( distributed
parity ).
• Best cost effective option
providing both performance and
redundancy. Use this for DB that
is heavily read oriented. Write
operations will be slow
 RAID 10
• Minimum 4 disks.
• This is also called as “stripe of
mirrors”
• Excellent redundancy
( as blocks are mirrored )
• Excellent performance ( as
blocks are striped )
• If you can afford, this is the
BEST option for any mission
critical applications (especially
databases)