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