If you ask anyone which is the most common and accessible data storage technology in use today, the answer will be Raid data storage. Well, there is nothing to be surprised about. A redundant array of independent disks is a data storage technology that is widely used by companies and even individuals. For business firms, data security is of the utmost importance, and this is the reason why global companies choose Raid systems for storing confidential data. Raid systems are fault-tolerant, thus giving that extra confidence to firms that their data is safe and secure. Do you know Raid systems can be configured to work independently, thus preventing data loss at the time when one drive fails? However, it would be wrong to say that Raid systems are not susceptible to failure.
High fault tolerance doesn’t mean Raid systems are infallible. Raid systems can only offset the failure of a single, drive but don’t offer the same protection against multiple drive failure. Also, like a Raid system user, you must remember that Raid systems are susceptible to the same problems that single hard drives encounter. And there are a host of other issues that Raid systems experience, the most common being lost server registry configurations, accidental Raid drive reconfigurations, Raid controller failures, and multiple drive failures. In addition to these problems, there are certain myths about Raid systems that prevent users from making the most of the storage system. But, before we discuss those myths, let’s talk about the common failures of Raid systems.
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Bad sectors on a drive:
Do you know if any sector gets bad on a member disk in the Raid 0, it will damage the entire array? Bad sectors are responsible for making data inaccessible. In the case of bad sectors, the drive head may crash, and then there will be array failure. In such situations, to prevent loss of essential data, you have to repair bad sectors as early as possible.
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Failure of drive heads:
The hard drive head plays an essential role in accessing data. When you try to access the data in the array, the hard Drive Data Recovery CBL Singapore head starts its work behind the curtains to read and write data on the drives. So, if the drive head undergoes any physical damage, the array will stop functioning, and the only remedy will be to get the help of a professional data recovery service provider.
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Drive failure:
One disadvantage of the Raid system is that when one member disk fails, it affects the entire array of disks. If the hard drive firmware suffers data corruption or any logical issue like system formatting, etc., users will experience Raid 0 crash. In such situations, if you don’t want to lose your confidential data, repair the driving issue.
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Damaged partition:
If you have partitioned the Raid 0 array in case of partition corruption, you will not be able to see or use the whole partitions. For example, let’s say you want to try reparation, but the process is interrupted unexpectedly. In such situations rebuilding the entire array is your only option.
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Raid controller failure:
As a Raid system user, you must know that the Raid controller plays a significant role in managing all the disks in the array, storing Raid configuration data. This means if the controller undergoes any physical damage, such as a power surge, get ready to experience RAID failure. So, the question is what to do in such situations. To recover data, you must repair or replace the Raid controller.
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Malware attack:
If you think Raid systems are immune to virus and malware attack, you are in for a rude shock. Trust us, although the Raid system offers various benefits, it doesn’t protect against malware and virus attacks. If the hard drive suffers from a virus attack, you need to kill the virus to protect crucial data. If you don’t get the help of professionals to kill the virus, get ready to face substantial monetary losses.
Now, moving a step forward, let’s talk about the common myths about a Raid storage system that are another serious problem faced by business firms as well as individual users of Raid systems. Some of the common misconceptions about Raid systems include:
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All Raids are redundant:
One of the primary reasons why Raid systems are preferred by business owners is the redundancy of data. Two compelling advantages users of Raid systems enjoy include:
- In Raid systems, if one disk fails, you will not lose data forever. And the best part is that users can replace the failed disk without interrupting the work.
- Users can perform essential physical maintenance without any interruption.
Because of these advantages, people think that all the Raid systems are redundant. But, the truth is far from it. According to experts, Raid 0 has no redundancy at all. In Raid 0, you will get equal distribution of data between each disk in the array. This means with the Raid system, users will get much faster read and write speed.
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Raids are backups:
Raid systems use mirrored technology for storing data. This means they have redundancy and can decrease the risk of data loss whenever a user encounters disk failure. But this doesn’t mean a Raid system is an alternative for data backup. Note that if too many disks in the array get corrupt, you’re going to experience data disasters. So, if the data is vital for your business, create a secondary secured backup to prevent any interruption in the business operations. For example, users can use cloud backup for safe storage of vital data.
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Raid is always failing:
If you think Raid fails most of the time, think again. In reality, in Raid systems, if a single disk fails, the system will still run in a degraded mode. In the degraded mode, users can access all the data as normal. But, one thing users must note is that to access the data without any interruptions, a system administrator has to regularly check the array of disks, to discover the problem before the situation becomes worse. By doing so, you will be able to prevent severe data loss situations.
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Two disks will not fail together:
Another misconception people have about the Raid system is that two drives will not fail at the same time. But the truth is that the array uses disks with the same forms, and the disks work in similar conditions. So, if one disk fails, another disk tends to fail as well. This means users should never lower their guard and should check the disks in a regular manner.
Now, coming to the last part, which is the benefits of the Raid system, some of the reasons why the Raid storage system is popular amongst global firms include:
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It offers a large storage device:
When it comes to Raid systems, users get more storage space than a single drive. Raid systems consist of two or more disks, thus giving users that extra storage space. And, if users further want to increase the storage space, they can insert a new hard drive into the array. And, trust us, the entire process is user-friendly and convenient.
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High fault tolerance:
One primary reason why users prefer the Raid system is the high fault tolerance it offers. In the Raid systems, data backup is automatically created, and this is possible due to the data parity of Raid, known as data redundancy. And this is the reason why Raid systems are fault-tolerant. But, with all that being said, data redundancy does not mean that Raid systems can be used as a backup of data. Hence, users must create a backup of data stored in the Raid arrays.
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Continuous system running:
If the system contains only one drive, if the drive fails, the operating system will stop at once. In the raid arrays, if the hard disk fails, the system will normally run for a specified period. Users will have to take the time to replace the failed drive with a new appropriate one.
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Parity check is another advantage:
The Raid system comes with a significant advantage for users i.e., parity check. The feature helps users to check for any potential system crash and solve the issue before any Raid Hard Disk Data Recovery situation occurs. Whenever a system crash situation arises, users should try to find out the reason behind it and fix the problem as soon as possible.
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High speed:
Raid systems work much faster than a single drive. This high speed is because in the Raid systems, read and write operations take place simultaneously. This results in an improved transmission rate. Also, users get better disk performance with the Raid storage systems.
As we come to an end, by now, users will have a complete understanding of the myths and benefits of Raid systems. Before going for a Raid system upgrade, users must take everything into account, as the reason for the upgrade and system configurations.