Using a RAID configuration in a NAS storage can be a confusing process. However, it's an important decision because you could lose it all ifyour NAS keeps your data safe!
RAID NAS Storage configuration is simply grouping two ormore computer hard disks and combining them to form a larger capacity single,logical unit. Today we will discuss whether you should use RAID configurationin NAS storage servers and an appropriate RAID configuration for your needs.
RAID 10 vs RAID 5
There is no debate about which RAID level is best, as each has its advantages and disadvantages. It's more about which one suits you bestor what your goal is for different scenarios.
In a RAID 5 setup, the disk must read data from all otherdisks and use the parity information spread over the disks to reconstruct thedata, which takes a lot of time and can increase the risk of your systemcrashing or even causing the death of other disks.
RAID 10 is, however, different from RAID 5. The way itrebuilds data is the most critical difference. RAID 10 copies data to the newdisk from the mirror disk when a disk goes down. There is no difference in theread and write operations.
Storage efficiency is one area in which RAID 5 performsbetter in network attached storage than RAID 10 because RAID 5 utilizes parityinformation to store data more efficiently. It also offers a better balancebetween storage efficiency and performance, and security. On the other hand, RAID 10 requires more disks and is more expensive to implement.
Do we recommend RAID NAS storage as a backup?
It can happen that your computer's hard drive crashes, andyour backup drive might become unreadable. The best NAS systems can increasethe protection of your backups by using a RAID array to serve as a backuptarget. The software on the device will notify you if a drive is failing andallow you to swap it. This ensures that your backups are always reliable.
If you are interested, check out StoneFly SSO enterprise NAS storage appliances laced with security features like Anti-virus andanti-ransomware, Immutable delta-based snapshots, Write-Once Read-Many (WORM)volumes, Automated storage tiering, Deduplication, AES 256-bit encryption.
Bottom Line
RAID in NAS storage can be confusing at first. This isbecause you won't get all the capacity of your drives if you use RAID levels like RAID 5 or 10. Once you get the concept, however, you'll see the value inthe extra protection. You can use a RAID array to protect your main drive or asa backup. Your data will be safer in either case.