Comparing the hardware-based raid methods – HP Smart Array 6i Controller and 128MB BBWC User Manual

Page 47

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Drive

Arrays

and

Fault-Tolerance Methods

47

HP CONFIDENTIAL

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Write performance

High

Medium

Low

Low

This method is most useful when data loss is unacceptable but cost is also an
important factor. The probability that data loss will occur when an array is
configured with RAID ADG is less than it would be if it were configured with
RAID 5.

Advantages:

Has a high read performance.

Allows high data availability—any two drives can fail without loss of critical
data.

More drive capacity is usable than with RAID 1+0—parity information
requires only the storage space equivalent to two physical drives.

Disadvantages:

The main disadvantage of RAID ADG is a relatively low write-performance
(lower than RAID 5), because of the need for two sets of parity data.

Comparing the Hardware-Based RAID Methods

NOTE: Not all controllers support RAID ADG.

Item

RAID 0

RAID 1+0

RAID 5

RAID ADG

Alternative name

Striping
(no fault
tolerance)

Mirroring Distributed

Data
Guarding

Advanced
Data
Guarding

Usable drive space*

100%

50%

67% to 93%

50% to 96%

Usable drive space formula

n

n/2 (n-1)/n

(n-2)/n

Minimum number of physical drives

1

2

3

4

Tolerates failure of one physical
drive?

No Yes

Yes Yes

Tolerates simultaneous failure of
more than one physical drive?

No

Only if no two
failed drives are
in the same
mirrored pair

No Yes

Read performance

High

High

High

High

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