What is RAID?

RAID stands for “redundant array of independent disks” and is a computing system that uses multiple hard drives to share data or replicate it across the drive network. The benefits of using a RAID system include increased integrity of data, capacity, and fault-tolerance in comparison to other computer systems. The key component in the early days of RAID was to use older technology to combine into a system that would prove to be very valuable in terms of information technology.

The array would offer greater speed, reliability, capacity, and any combination of those and would end up being significantly less expensive than any of the newer hardware on the market because it coupled multiple devices that would have a greater advantage over the single newer devices. RAID, simply, combines multiple hard drives into one single unit.

Reliability of RAID

RAID is one of the most reliable systems of information technology that you can create because of the backup of having multiple machines storing the information. Having information replicated on multiple hard drives is advantageous because that information is copied and stored in more places than an average user would find. RAID data recovery, therefore, is something that most users knowledgeable of the RAID system can do but there are cases in which that is not possible.

RAID configurations are reliable but they also have a general language of data loss in case this should happen. A “failure rate” is the rate at which a hard drive is faster or slower than its adjacent hard drives. “Mean time to data loss or MTTDL” is the time in which there is data loss in a given array. “Mean time to recovery or MTTR”, of course, means the time in which recovery of lost data is possible. RAID systems are “failure tolerant” which means that they can automatically recover their lost data, most of the time. Needing a serious RAID data recovery, therefore, is almost always avoidable because of the very nature of the hardware.

It could also mean that you’re trying to recover files from a damaged RAID. Since the RAID system uses multiple hard disks, you can suffer either partial or whole failure.

You’d think that your database would be safe after you’ve protected it with a RAID backup. But statistics show that of total data loss in any system, approximately 44% comes from hardware failure.

RAID Data Recovery – How Safe is Safe?

How safe is your data using RAID? If your RAID is a combination of several hard disks into one unit, then the simplest answer is your data is only as safe as your weakest disk. This is not to say that you won’t be able to recover your data.

Some RAID’s though are software-hard disk combos. In these hybrids, how safe your data is depends on how you distribute it.

Ask your vendor for a RAID data recovery failure rate. The failure rate of your disk array may be higher or lower than its component hard disks and will hinge on what kind of array you purchase.

RAID Data Recovery – Who Needs It?

RAID is generally found in server computers. The disks that make up the array are usually the same size, although some aren’t.

The rationale behind RAID is the need for bigger data storage. So you’d expect only corporate IT departments or storage intensive firms to use RAID, such as audio and video editing or animation companies.

But two factors are making RAID more popular:
- Many businesses, even small, home-based ones rise and fall on the strength of vital data.
- Technology has driven hard disk prices down, making RAID more widely available so that it’s built into more motherboard chipsets, ergo, into more advance PCs.

RAID Data Recovery – How Much?

If you’re data is crucial to your business it is probably best if you call in professionals to help you when disaster strikes. If you’re thinking of recycling your hard disk and trying to salvage data yourself by running cheap software (around £50 or less), be prepared to lose everything.

There’s one thing you shouldn’t do: Don’t attempt to use software that writes stuff to the damaged hardware. There’s a good chance you can make matters worse by overwriting data that you would have been able to recover otherwise.

Only use data recovery software if you really know what you’re doing. If not, call a pro. But check that you aren’t going to pay for any evaluation charges if all you have is a regular IDE hard disk. Most firms only charge evaluation for complicated RAID’s or network servers.

Here’s what you should expect to pay:

* RAID, SCSI = as much as £15,000 depending on how your storage is configured.