Dell XPS 720 (Mid 2007) - Manual (Page 32)

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Setting Up and Using Your Computer
RAID Level 5 Configuration
RAID level 5 also uses data parity. RAID level 5 stripes both data and parity information across three or
more drives. It provides data striping at the byte level and also stripe error correction information
(rotating parity array). This results in excellent performance and good fault tolerance. RAID level 5 is one
of the most popular implementations of RAID.
RAID level 5 is faster than RAID level 1, but requires more hard drives than a RAID level 0 or RAID level
1 configuration.
If a drive failure occurs, subsequent read and write operations are directed to the other surviving drives. A
replacement drive can then be rebuilt using the data from the surviving drives. Also, because data is
duplicated on the primary and additional drives, four 120-GB RAID level 1 drives collectively have a
maximum of 360-GB on which to store data.
Configuring Your Hard Drives for RAID
Your computer can be configured for RAID, even if you did not select a RAID configuration when the
computer was purchased. For an explanation of RAID levels and their requirements, see "About Your
RAID Configuration" on page 29. For information on how to install a hard drive, see "Installing a Hard
Drive" on page 110.
You can use one of two methods to configure RAID hard drive volumes. The first method uses the
NVIDIA MediaShield ROM utility and is performed before you install the operating system onto the
hard drive. The second method uses NVIDIA MediaShield and is performed after you have installed the
operating system and NVIDIA RAID drivers.
Both methods require that you set your computer to RAID-enabled mode before you begin.