Question: Summarize this article Windows 10 Storage Spaces vs RAID: Difference and Data Protection [Clone Disk] RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent Drives) technology combines multiple drives

Summarize this article

Windows 10 Storage Spaces vs RAID: Difference and Data Protection [Clone Disk]

RAID (Redundant Arrays of Independent Drives) technology combines multiple drives into a drive array with huge capacity. It will also utilize the multiple drives to improve the performance of the drive array, including MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) and fault-tolerance.

RAID Types

RAID has three types: external disk array cabinet (so called hardware RAID), internal disk array card (so called hardware-assisted RAID), and software simulation (so called software RAID).

Hardware RAID uses a RAID card to connect drives with computer. The RAID controller on the card combines drives into a virtual volume. Besides, hardware RAID also includes special I/O processing chip and array buffer. These devices make hardware RAID have best performance. But generally speaking, hardware RAID is expensive and is usually applied in servers.

Hardware assisted RAID needs a RAID card and drivers provided by manufacturers. However, Hardware assisted RAID lacks special I/O processing chip, so it will occupy the resources of CPU. This RAID will also provide fault-tolerance and improve performance.

Software RAID combines multiple drives into a logical volume through Disk Management feature provided by operating system. Software RAID can also provide data redundancy. However, it will reduce the performance of disk subsystem by 30%.

Windows 10 Storage Spaces is a Windows built-in technology. Users can utilize this technology to group multiple drives together into a storage pool and then use the capacity of the pool to create virtual drives named storage spaces. This technology can help users to protect their data from drive failure through mirroring data and extend storage space through adding drivers to PC.

Windows 10 Storage Spaces vs. RAID

Actually, Windows 10 storage spaces feature can also realize software RAID to some extent. However, the Windows Storage Spaces has some difference from RAID and we can't say that it is inferior to RAID. Let's see the difference of Windows 10 Storage Spaces vs. RAID.

Sockets

Generally speaking, RAID has socket limitation except for software RAID. The number of sockets is determined by physical RAID controller. However, Windows 10 Storage Spaces and software RAID don't have this limitation.

Management

Generally speaking, operating system treats RAID as one disk. So, if the disks in hardware RAID have different capacities, space wasting will occur. However, Windows 10 Storage Spaces will not cause this waste because operating system can still operate single drive.

Besides, Windows 10 Storage Spaces has ReFS, which can make users free from trouble of data verification.

Performance

As for read write speed performance, many people have tested. They find that the sequential reading/writing speed of RAID 0 is approximately twice that of Storage Spaces simple mode. However, their 4K reading/writing speeds are almost the same.

Besides, the sequential reading speed of RAID 1 is slightly faster than that of Storage Spaces two-way mirror mode. But the sequential writing speed of RAID 1 is approximately half that of Storage Spaces two-way mirror mode. Their 4K reading/writing speeds are almost the same.

However, reading/writing speed in the Storage Spaces parity mode will be much slower than that in hardware RAID 5.

But Windows Storage Spaces still have its advantages like no fee and data protection. Users can try it. And if users are using SSD, Storage Spaces are recommended.

Step by Step Solution

There are 3 Steps involved in it

1 Expert Approved Answer
Step: 1 Unlock blur-text-image
Question Has Been Solved by an Expert!

Get step-by-step solutions from verified subject matter experts

Step: 2 Unlock
Step: 3 Unlock

Students Have Also Explored These Related General Management Questions!