Cloud Computing Training
Report Task: 03
Dated: 21st Feb 2025
By: Rabbiya Tabassum
Explore Raid and its types.
how to calculate raid (formula)
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive Disks)
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is like having backup copies of your important
files stored in different places on several hard drives or solid-state drives (SSDs). If one drive
stops working, your data is still safe because you have other copies stored on the other drives.
It’s like having a safety net to protect your files from being lost if one of your drives breaks down.
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) in a Database Management System (DBMS) is a
technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into a single logical unit for data storage.
The main purpose of RAID is to improve data reliability, availability, and performance. There are
different levels of RAID, each offering a balance of these benefits.
What is a RAID Controller?
A RAID controller is like a boss for your hard drives in a big storage system. It works between
your computer’s operating system and the actual hard drives, organizing them into groups to
make them easier to manage. This helps speed up how fast your computer can read and write
data, and it also adds a layer of protection in case one of your hard drives breaks down. So, it’s
like having a smart helper that makes your hard drives work better and keeps your important
data safer.
Types of RAID
RAID configurations are classified into different levels, each offering a unique combination of
fault tolerance, performance, and storage efficiency. Below are the most common RAID levels:
1. RAID 0 (Striping)
● How it Works: Data is split across multiple drives without redundancy.
● Advantages: High performance, increased read/write speed.
● Disadvantages: No fault tolerance—if one drive fails, all data is lost.
● Use Case: High-speed storage where data loss is not a concern (e.g., gaming, video
editing).
2. RAID 1 (Mirroring)
● How it Works: Data is duplicated across two or more drives.
● Advantages: High fault tolerance—if one drive fails, the data remains intact on the other
drive.
● Disadvantages: Storage capacity is halved since all data is duplicated.
● Use Case: Critical systems requiring high availability (e.g., database servers, financial
transactions).
3. RAID 5 (Striping with Parity)
● How it Works: Data is striped across three or more drives, with parity information
distributed across the disks.
● Advantages: Good balance of performance, storage efficiency, and fault tolerance.
● Disadvantages: If two drives fail, all data is lost. Parity calculation slightly reduces
performance.
● Use Case: Web servers, file servers, and applications requiring balanced performance
and redundancy.
4. RAID 6 (Striping with Dual Parity)
● How it Works: Similar to RAID 5, but stores two sets of parity data for added fault
tolerance.
● Advantages: Can withstand two drive failures.
● Disadvantages: Requires at least four drives, and write performance is lower due to
extra parity calculations.
● Use Case: Enterprise-level storage requiring higher reliability.
5. RAID 10 (RAID 1+0, Mirroring + Striping)
● How it Works: Combines RAID 1 and RAID 0 by mirroring data and then striping across
multiple disks.
● Advantages: High performance and fault tolerance (can survive multiple disk failures if
the right disks fail).
● Disadvantages: Expensive since half the storage is used for mirroring.
● Use Case: High-performance and high-availability systems like databases and
virtualization.
Software vs. Hardware RAID
1. Software RAID: Managed by the operating system (e.g., Windows Storage Spaces,
Linux mdadm).
2. Hardware RAID: Managed by a dedicated RAID controller, offering better performance
and features.
RAID Capacity & Performance Calculation Formulas
RAID configurations affect usable capacity, performance, and fault tolerance. Below are the
formulas for calculating the storage capacity, read/write performance, and fault tolerance for
different RAID levels.
1. RAID 0 (Striping)
● Usable Capacity (C):
C=N×B
where:
○ NNN = Number of disks
○ BBB = Capacity of each disk
● Read Speed:
R=N×S
Where:
S is the speed of a single disk.
● Write Speed:
W=N×S
● Fault Tolerance: None (if one disk fails, all data is lost).
2. RAID 1 (Mirroring)
● Usable Capacity:
C=B
(Only one disk's capacity is usable, regardless of the number of drives.)
● Read Speed:
R=N×S
(Reads can happen from any mirrored disk.)
● Write Speed:
W=S
(All disks must be written to simultaneously.)
● Fault Tolerance:
Can survive up to (N−1) disk failures.
3. RAID 5 (Striping with Distributed Parity)
● Usable Capacity:
C=(N−1)×B
(One disk is used for parity, so total usable storage is reduced.)
● Read Speed:
R=(N−1)×S
● Write Speed:
W=(N−1/4)×S
(Parity calculations slow down write performance.)
● Fault Tolerance: Can survive one disk failure.
4. RAID 6 (Striping with Dual Parity)
● Usable Capacity:
C=(N−2)×B
(Two disks are used for parity.)
● Read Speed:
R=(N−2)×S
● Write Speed:
W=(N−2/6)×S
● Fault Tolerance: Can survive two disk failures.
5. RAID 10 (RAID 1+0, Mirroring + Striping)
● Usable Capacity:
C=(N/2)×B
(Since each disk has a mirrored pair, only half the total capacity is usable.)
● Read Speed:
R=(N/2)×S
● Write Speed:
W=(N/2)×S
● Fault Tolerance:
Can survive multiple failures (if not both disks in a mirrored pair fail).
Ref:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J7iSumiJNk
https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/raid-redundant-arrays-of-independent-disks/
