Define RAID and provide an example of a RAID configuration.

RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is a technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into a single logical unit for the purpose of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both. RAID configurations are designed to enhance the reliability and/or performance of storage systems by distributing or replicating data across multiple disks. There are several RAID levels, each with its own characteristics, including RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5, and RAID 10.

Let's delve into RAID 1 as an example:

RAID 1 (Mirroring):

In a RAID 1 configuration, two or more identical disks are used to mirror each other. This means that the same data is simultaneously written to all the disks in the RAID 1 array. The primary purpose of RAID 1 is to provide data redundancy, ensuring that if one disk fails, the data is still available on the mirrored disk(s).

Technical Details:

1. Data Mirroring:
   • Each piece of data is duplicated on both disks in real-time.
   • If one disk fails, the system can still access the data from the mirrored disk.
2. Fault Tolerance:
   • High fault tolerance as the failure of one disk does not result in data loss.
   • The array can continue to function with the remaining disks.
3. Capacity Utilization:
   • Capacity is limited to the size of a single disk because all data is duplicated.
   • If you have two 1TB disks in RAID 1, the effective capacity is 1TB.
4. Read and Write Performance:
   • Read performance is enhanced since data can be read from both disks simultaneously.
   • Write performance is similar to that of a single disk since data must be written to both disks.

Example Configuration:

Let's consider a simple example with two 500GB hard drives in a RAID 1 configuration:

• Disk 1: 500GB
• Disk 2: 500GB