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RAID Levels and Techniques

Introduction to RAID

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical disk drive components into one or more logical units for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both.

RAID improves data reliability and performance.
It is used in servers, NAS, and other data storage solutions.
Different RAID levels offer various balances between performance, redundancy, and storage capacity.

RAID 0: Striping

Key Features:

Data is split across multiple disks.
Offers high performance with no redundancy.
Failure of one disk leads to data loss.


        // Example of RAID 0 setup
        // This is a conceptual representation, not actual code.
        RAID0 array = new RAID0();
        array.addDisk(disk1);
        array.addDisk(disk2);
        array.writeData(data);

Use Cases:

High-performance computing applications.
Environments where data loss is acceptable.
Temporary data storage where speed is critical.

RAID 1: Mirroring

Key Features:

Data is duplicated on two or more disks.
Provides redundancy and fault tolerance.
Read operations can be faster; write operations are slower due to duplication.


        // Example of RAID 1 setup
        // This is a conceptual representation, not actual code.
        RAID1 array = new RAID1();
        array.addDisk(disk1);
        array.addDisk(disk2);
        array.writeData(data);

Use Cases:

Systems requiring high availability and reliability.
Critical data storage where redundancy is crucial.
Small business servers and personal data storage.

RAID 5: Striping with Parity

Key Features:

Data and parity information are striped across three or more disks.
Provides fault tolerance and improved read speeds.
One disk can fail without data loss.


        // Example of RAID 5 setup
        // This is a conceptual representation, not actual code.
        RAID5 array = new RAID5();
        array.addDisk(disk1);
        array.addDisk(disk2);
        array.addDisk(disk3);
        array.writeData(data);

Use Cases:

Enterprise environments with a need for both performance and redundancy.
Data centers and cloud storage solutions.
Applications requiring large storage capacities with fault tolerance.

RAID 6: Striping with Double Parity

Key Features:

Similar to RAID 5 but with double parity.
Can tolerate two disk failures.
Requires at least four disks.


        // Example of RAID 6 setup
        // This is a conceptual representation, not actual code.
        RAID6 array = new RAID6();
        array.addDisk(disk1);
        array.addDisk(disk2);
        array.addDisk(disk3);
        array.addDisk(disk4);
        array.writeData(data);

Use Cases:

High-availability systems needing strong fault tolerance.
Large-scale storage solutions with critical data.
Environments where disk failure is more likely.

RAID 10: Combining RAID 1 & 0

Key Features:

Combines mirroring and striping.
Offers high performance and redundancy.
Requires at least four disks.


        // Example of RAID 10 setup
        // This is a conceptual representation, not actual code.
        RAID10 array = new RAID10();
        array.addDisk(disk1);
        array.addDisk(disk2);
        array.addDisk(disk3);
        array.addDisk(disk4);
        array.writeData(data);

Use Cases:

High-performance databases and applications.
Systems requiring both speed and redundancy.
Critical business applications with heavy I/O workloads.