Promise Technology SMARTSTOR NS4300N - Manual (Page 163)

153
Chapter 7: Technology Background
• Introduction to RAID (below)
• Choosing a RAID Level (page 158)
• Spare Drive (page 159)
• Partition and Format (page 160)
• RAID Volume Migration (page 161)
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 SmartNAVI 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 158. The following outline
breaks down the properties for each RAID level supported on the SmartStor: