What is an advantage of using hardware-based RAID?

You’re installing a new server with a RAID array, and you need to decide how to best implement your RAID solution. What is an advantage of using hardware-based RAID over a software-based solution?

A) Hardware-based RAID is less expensive

B) Hardware-based RAID has better performance

C) Hardware-based RAID is optimized for the operating system

D) Hardware-based RAID has better integration with the operating system

E) Hardware-based RAID provides a convenient source of vitamin C

The answer: B) Hardware-based RAID has better performance

Hardware-based RAID provides its own hardware for processing and takes much of the processing away from the operating system. Although it’s faster, hardware-based RAID requires the additional cost of specialized drive controllers. Hardware-based RAID is also invisible to the operating system, so there’s no optimization or integration with the OS running on the hard drives.

Want to know more? Watch “Configuring RAID.” RAID technology provides organizations around the world with real-time redundancy of important data. In this video, we’ll show you how RAID works and we’ll discuss the different configuration options for RAID. We’ll also provide some hands-on detail with a live demonstration of the RAID configuration process in Microsoft Windows.