{"id":19941,"date":"2023-06-02T16:06:32","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T10:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.co.in\/blog\/?p=19941"},"modified":"2026-02-13T16:39:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T11:09:58","slug":"common-misconceptions-about-raid-servers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stellarinfo.co.in\/blog\/common-misconceptions-about-raid-servers\/","title":{"rendered":"RAID Storage Isn’t Always Enough: Misconceptions About RAID Servers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
Summary: It’s naive to assume that once you install a RAID server<\/strong>, you are immune to data loss. This false understanding could eventually lead to permanent data loss. Whenever you face data loss from a RAID data storage solution<\/strong>, you’ll need Professional RAID recovery Services<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n

Get FREE Quote\u00a0<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

They say that nothing is permanent, and the exact same thing holds true for RAID data storage solutions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Many businesses use RAID servers<\/strong> for their mission-critical data needs.<\/p>\n

Now, many people tend to assume that a RAID server<\/strong> is a \u201cfit it and forget it\u201d solution. That’s wrong.<\/p>\n

Is a RAID server <\/strong>better than a plain old hard drive? – Absolutely.<\/p>\n

Is a RAID server<\/strong> immune to data loss or other forms of data corruption? – Decidedly not.<\/p>\n

In this article, we will address this misconception as well as a few other common ones about RAID servers<\/strong>, across all RAID levels<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

What is a RAID Drive?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Before we begin, it might hold you in good stead to learn, or relearn what is a RAID Drive exactly.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well, for starters, the RAID in RAID server<\/strong> stands for \u201cRedundant Array Of Independent Disks\u201d.<\/p>\n

In really simple terms, a series of drives equipped with RAID server<\/strong> technology can store the same data in different places.<\/p>\n

Why? Because such a move decreases the chances of a single drive failure causing catastrophic data loss in your server since the data on a RAID server<\/strong> is across many places.<\/p>\n

Think of it like hedging your bets \u2014 all your eggs (data) are not in one basket with RAID data storage solutions.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is RAID Configuration?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The easiest way to explain this is to tell you that a RAID server<\/strong> can come in many different \u201ctrims\u201d, much like a sports car.<\/p>\n

And, just like a high-performance sports car, each \u201ctrim\u201d is designed to do something<\/em> a little better than the others.<\/p>\n

PS \u2014 if you were wondering which is the fastest RAID configuration <\/strong>out of all RAID levels,<\/strong> then RAID 0 will emerge as the clear winner in terms of read and write speeds.<\/p>\n

Bear in mind however that while RAID 0 may be the fastest RAID configuration<\/strong>, it is also the only RAID trim with no fault tolerance whatsoever.<\/p>\n

Below is an example of the most popular RAID level currently in use in data centers around the world.<\/p>\n

All RAID Levels: Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Below is a table that summarises the differences between all RAID levels<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
RAID Level<\/th>Drives Needed (Minimum)<\/th>Usable Storage Capacity<\/th>Fault Tolerance (If Applicable)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
RAID 0<\/td>2 Drives<\/td>100% Of Total Available Storage<\/td>Not Applicable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RAID 1<\/td>2 Drives<\/td>50% Of Total Available Storage<\/td>Tolerance of 1 Failed Drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RAID 5<\/td>3 Drives<\/td>75% Of Total Available Storage<\/td>Tolerance of 1 Failed Drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RAID 6<\/td>4 Drives<\/td>50% Of Total Available Storage<\/td>Tolerance of 2 Failed Drives<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RAID 10<\/td>4 Drives<\/td>50% Of Total Available Storage<\/td>Tolerance of 1 Failed Drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Of course, there are many more RAID levels, these just happen to be the most popular.<\/p>\n

You can read more about RAID levels, and which one is the best suited for you at this link.<\/p>\n

Here is another example of a very popular RAID level, RAID 1:<\/p>\n

\"raid-1\"<\/p>\n

Additional Reading: RAID Levels: Which One is Right for You<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Common Misconceptions About RAID Servers<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are the most common misconceptions about RAID servers<\/strong> that are prevalent across the industry:<\/p>\n

1. Misconception: RAID Server Are Backups<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It happens more frequently than you think \u2014 people look at the word RAID and think that they can’t lose their data.<\/p>\n

While it is certainly true that some RAID levels that employ mirroring do have copies of the data created, they are certainly not foolproof.<\/p>\n

Think of it this way: You have a computer, and you create a backup of that computer, on the same computer\u2019s hard disk.<\/em><\/p>\n

Now that doesn’t sound very safe, does it?<\/p>\n

Well, if your RAID server<\/strong> is supposed to function as its own backup, what will you do if something happens to the whole server, like a controller failure?<\/p>\n

This is the number one pain point that people seem to knowingly ignore.<\/p>\n

To cut a very long story short: your RAID server<\/strong> also needs its own dedicated backup.<\/p>\n

After all, it only takes one incident to destabilize your network.<\/p>\n

Also, if you are thinking that you could use another RAID server<\/strong> to backup your original one, please don’t.<\/p>\n

A RAID-oriented backup solution can actually compound your troubles by further mirroring any damages throughout the remainder of the undamaged arrays.<\/p>\n

2. Miscommunication: RAID Server Failure is Always Obvious<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The second common misconception is that you will always know when something is going on with your RAID server<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Nothing could be further from the truth.<\/p>\n

A problem could be working itself into your system over the course of several days, or even weeks.<\/p>\n

Malware, unauthorized access, accidental deletion, antivirus misappropriations, minimal controller failure, and redundancy striping (failure to strip the data) are some examples.<\/p>\n

The examples listed above all manifest themselves over the course of about three to four weeks, and if not caught early, will wreak havoc on your RAID server<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

You may not know until it is too late \u2014 this is why having a dedicated IT technician or outsourcing the IT needs to a qualified professional is a must.<\/p>\n

Qualified people who have experience running RAID servers<\/strong> can catch these problems early on and nip them in the bud \u2014 saving you a lot of time and money in the process.<\/p>\n

3. All RAID Levels Have Redundancies<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s the same story as with all RAID levels having their own backups.<\/p>\n

Only the RAID levels that employ the use of mirroring, or mirroring and striping together will be able to offer the user a redundancy.<\/p>\n

In this case, redundancy is defined as the failure of one or more drives in the array not affecting the overall functioning of the system.<\/p>\n

Even though redundancy-proof arrays continue to function after losing one (or more) drive, it is understood that you should replace them without delay.<\/p>\n

Long story short: only mirrored RAID servers<\/strong> can offer full-scale redundancies, but the redundancy will come at the cost of usable total array storage.<\/p>\n

4. Two Or More RAID Drives Will never Fail Together<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A big misconception is that a RAID system will never face the failure of more than one drive at a time.<\/p>\n

In situations like controller failure, voltage fluctuations, power delivery malfunctions, and similar cases, it is very easy to lose multiple disks at the same time.<\/p>\n

Add to this the fact that many RAID servers<\/strong> use exactly the same model of hard drives in their system.<\/p>\n

This effectively means that you have many identical hard drives, working in the same conditions, in the same temperatures, and running the same firmware.<\/p>\n

This makes it statistically more likely that if one drive has failed, the others may well soon follow suit.<\/p>\n

This gives you all the more reason not to delay attempts at recovering your RAID server<\/strong> in such a situation.<\/p>\n

Recover Data from a RAID Server<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you have found yourself at the receiving end of a RAID data storage<\/strong> system failure, then the last thing you want to do is panic.<\/p>\n

\"RAID<\/p>\n

That, and also a DIY fix \u2014 you\u2019d want to stay well clear of those.<\/p>\n

Your best hope of recovering your data is to contact Stellar Data Recovery<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n