Promise Technology NS4300N manual Technology Background, Introduction to RAID

Chapter 7: Technology Background

•Introduction to RAID (below)

•Choosing a RAID Level (page 106)

•Spare Drive (page 107)

•Partition and Format (page 108)

•RAID Volume Migration (page 109)

Introduction to RAID

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) allows multiple disk drives to be combined together into a RAID Volume. You create a RAID Volume on your SmartStor when you perform the setup procedure, either in the NAS Setup Wizard or the PASM Setup Wizard.

The benefits of a RAID can include:

•Higher data transfer rates for increased server performance

•Increased overall storage capacity for a single Volume

•Data redundancy/fault tolerance for ensuring continuous system operation in the event of a disk drive failure

Different RAID levels use different organizational models and have varying benefits. Also see “Choosing a RAID Level” on page 106. The following outline breaks down the properties for each RAID level supported on the SmartStor:

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