Comparing Different Implementations of RAID Levels
The following tables show the advantages and disadvantages to using the various implementations of RAID (redundant array of independent disks).
RAID implementation | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
Microsoft Windows 2000 or later RAID-5 volumes | No added hardware cost. | Uses system processing resources. |
Hardware-based striping | Does not compete for processor cycles. Best performance of all RAID implementations. | Additional cost of specialized hardware. |
RAID solutions that are typically used with SQL Server provide varying levels of redundancy and fault tolerance.
RAID implementation | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
Hardware-based RAID 3, 5, or 10 | Excellent performance. Does not compete for processor cycles. | Cost. |
Hardware-based RAID 1 | Excellent redundancy. Does not compete for processor cycles. | Additional cost because of more hardware. |
Hardware-based RAID 10 | Excellent performance. Excellent redundancy. | Additional cost because of more hardware. |
Windows 2000 or later mirrored volumes | Good redundancy. Low cost. | Uses system processing resources. |
Windows 2000-based RAID 5 | Excellent read performance. Low cost. | Uses system processing resources. |
