Hard-drive RAID Calculator

This RAID calculator will eliminate any confusion you have about which RAID level to choose (RAID - Redundant Array of Inexpensive/Independent Disks). It provides information about the most common RAID configurations, as well as a comparison of them based upon storage, performance, and fault tolerance. It allows you to make informed decisions about the configuration of your next array. It displays the following RAID levels.

You might not know what a RAID array is if this is your first attempt at configuring one. Let's explain.

The first days of computing used large, expensive, and highly reliable hard drives. The problem is that if they fail (everything goes wrong eventually), all data would be lost (unless there was a backup), and the costly disk would have to be replaced. Although they were cheaper, the reliability of these hard drives was not great and failures were frequent. So what was the solution? You can use many disks at once, making them one.

RAID stands for a Redundant array of inexpensive disks or, sometimes, a Redundant array of independent disks. This allows you to create a single logical drive (which looks like one from your computer's perspective) that is made up of multiple cheap drives. There are many options for how to organize and configure inexpensive hard drives. It depends on whether you need high-performance (e.g. for video editing), high availability, low price, or something else. These are called RAID levels and we will explore their characteristics and the differences in the sections below.

Backup is still required, regardless of the RAID configuration. You should prefer to use magnetic tape but you can also use remote backup or another RAID array. Make sure you have a copy of all data elsewhere. Two copies are ideal.

Your application will determine the right RAID level. RAID 0, is the best choice if performance matters most. You can use only two disks to start, making it the most affordable option . You can expect to lose all of your data if a drive crashes. RAID 10 is the best choice if you require fault tolerance but need quick rebuild times. However, it has a 50% utilization rate. Each RAID level comes with its own pros and cons. You can try different configurations by using our calculator. Let's see how it works.