How to Set Up and Configure RAID 10

Introduction to RAID 10

What is RAID 10? RAID 10 is a “nested” RAID level, which means it is a 2-in-1 RAID setup containing RAID 1 and RAID 0. The purpose of this RAID is efficiency and fault tolerance. Basically, on its own, RAID 0 offers no redundancy or fault tolerance but allows you to utilize the most storage space on your connected drives. Meanwhile, RAID 1 offers high redundancy and fault tolerance but gives you 50 % of the entire storage space of all drives connected.

By nesting RAID 1 and RAID 0, users can tap into the storage efficiency and fast performance of RAID 0, while enjoying the fault tolerance features of RAID 1. This nested RAID utilizes data striping and mirroring; it first mirrors data on the RAID 1 pairs, then creates a striped set. You need a minimum of four drives for RAID 10 configuration, and it can survive only one drive failure per mirrored set.

Benefits of RAID 10

• Supports fault tolerance unlike the standard RAID 0 configuration
• It is easier to recover files in RAID 10 due to the mirroring technique
• RAID can be set up as Software RAID using Windows OS Storage Spaces utility or Hardware RAID using an external controller.
• Combines the fast processing speed of RAID 0 and the high fault tolerance of RAID 1, which makes it a perfect choice for a data environment where fault tolerance and good speed are required.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up RAID 10

It is important to pay attention to every step addressed below to avoid fatal data loss in the end.

1. Back Up Your Data

First things first, you should back up all your existing data on the single-drive storage you’ve been using prior. This should be a complete backup of every data on the drive; you may simply clone the hardware as a disk image and save the image file on a separate local storage or over the cloud. DiskInternals RAID Recovery is an ideal tool for creating disk images for free.

2. Using RAID Configuration Utility

Accessing the RAID configuration utility and using to create a RAID level is an advanced action. You should only follow this step if you’re an advanced PC user. Otherwise, consider using Windows Storage Spaces to create your RAID 10 (two-way mirror).

Note: Connect at least four hard drives to the system to use for your RAID 10 setup before proceeding.

• Shut down the PC and boot into UEFI/BIOS mode
• Select “Device Configuration” from the shown menu options
• Highlight “Create RAID Volume” and select it, then proceed to choose the RAID level (RAID 10).
• Select the drives to use in creating your RAID level and proceed with the on-screen instructions to complete the configuration.

3. Using Windows Storage Spaces

Connect at least four hard drives to the system to use for your RAID 10 setup before proceeding. Access Windows Storage Spaces following this procedure: click on the Search Bar 🡺 search for Storage Spaces 🡺 select the corresponding Settings option (Manage Storage Spaces) 🡺 continue below.

• Click on “Create a new pool and storage space” and grant Admin permissions if prompted.
• On the drive(s) selection page, you need to create two separate pools, each consisting of a pair of hard drives. Select the drives to use for the first pair and click Create pool
• Enter the requested details such as indicating a unique name and drive letter for your new storage pool.
• Choose a file system and on the Resiliency dropdown menu, choose “Two-way mirror” as the Resiliency type.
• Set the storage size you would want for the RAID, then proceed by clicking on the Create storage space button to finish creating the first mirrored pair. (Note: RAID 10 requires you to create 2 pairs of RAID 1 arrays, then strip the pairs). So, you will have to repeat the steps above to create the second mirrored pair.

Now, after you have created two or more pairs of RAID 1 arrays, you need to combine them into a nested RAID 10. This is achieved by using the pairs to create a RAID 0.

Basically, after creating your RAID 1 pairs following the steps above, the pairs will appear on Disk Manager as individual “single” storage volumes; they will also appear on Windows Explorer. At this point, here’s how to create the nested RAID 10.

• Follow the initial steps as with when creating RAID 1
• In the drive selection page, select the two or more RAID 1 pairs (which now appear as single drive volumes) you created earlier.
• Also, when you get to the Resiliency type, select “Simple (no resilience)” this time, instead of a two-way mirror.
• Complete the rest of the steps as explained in the previous guide, and click “Finish” after reviewing your RAID 0 settings.

That’s it, the two pairs of RAID 1 arrays would be nested into a RAID 0 array so that the new RAID level becomes RAID 10

4. Using Disk Management to Create RAID 10

You can create RAID 10 on Disk Management if you don’t want to use the previous tools above. Here’s how to go about it.

• Open Windows Disk Management and make sure all your disks for the RAID array are showing.
• Right-click on any of the drives and select “New Mirrored Volume.”
• A wizard will pop up, follow the instructions, and select the drives to create your first RAID 1 pair.
• Indicate the space allocation and proceed
• Choose a name (Volume label) for the RAID 1 pair, set the file system, and assign a drive letter.
• Review your selections and click Finish to create your first RAID 1 pair.

Now, repeat the steps to create the second pair before proceeding to nest them into a RAID 0 array.

Combining your RAID 1 pairs to create RAID 0:

• Right-click on any of the RAID 1 volumes you just created and select New Striped Volume

In the pop-up window, repeat the steps as you were creating the RAID 1 pairs, but this time, instead of selecting regular hard drives to form the array, select the mirrored RAID volumes as the drives to use in the RAID 0 creation.

RAID Recovery by DiskInternals

Recovering a RAID 10 array using DiskInternals RAID Recovery involves several steps. This software is designed to simplify the process and help you retrieve your data effectively. Here’s a step-by-step guide to recover your RAID 10 array:

Step 1: Download and Install DiskInternals RAID Recovery

1. Download the Software:

   • Download the RAID Recovery software.

2. Install the Software:

   • Follow the installation instructions to install the software on your computer. Ensure you have administrative privileges to complete the installation.

Step 2: Launch the Software and Select RAID Recovery Mode

1. Open DiskInternals RAID Recovery:

   • Launch the software after installation.

2. Select RAID Recovery Mode:

   • On the main interface, select the RAID Recovery option. The software supports various RAID configurations, including RAID 10.

Step 3: Scan the Drives

1. Connect the Drives:

   • Ensure all the drives from your RAID 10 array are connected to your computer. If using an external RAID controller, connect it as well.

2. Scan the Drives:

   • The software will automatically detect the connected drives. Select the drives that were part of your RAID 10 array and initiate the scanning process. DiskInternals will analyze the drives and attempt to reconstruct the RAID configuration.

Step 4: Analyze the RAID Configuration

1. Automatic or Manual Configuration:

   • DiskInternals RAID Recovery can often detect the RAID configuration automatically. If the software fails to do so, you may need to input the RAID parameters manually (e.g., stripe size, order of the drives).

2. Verify the Configuration:

   • Once the software has reconstructed the RAID, verify the configuration to ensure it matches your original RAID setup.

Step 5: Recover the Data

1. Preview the Files:

   • After the RAID configuration is reconstructed, DiskInternals RAID Recovery will display a list of recoverable files. You can preview the files to ensure they are intact.

2. Select the Files for Recovery:

   • Choose the files or folders you want to recover. You can select all files if you wish to recover the entire RAID array.

3. Recover and Save the Data:

   • Click on the Recover button and choose a destination folder to save the recovered data. It is recommended to save the recovered data to a different drive or storage location to prevent overwriting any data.

Step 6: Verify the Recovered Data

1. Check the Recovered Files:

   • Once the recovery process is complete, verify the integrity and completeness of the recovered files.

2. Rebuild or Replace the RAID Array:

   • Depending on the condition of your RAID array, you may need to rebuild the RAID 10 configuration or replace any faulty drives before restoring the recovered data back to the array.

By following these steps, you can effectively recover data from a RAID 10 array using DiskInternals RAID Recovery. This software simplifies the recovery process, making it accessible even for users without extensive technical expertise.

Key Features of DiskInternals RAID Recovery

• Automatically detects the RAID array type and parameters during the recovery process.
• Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, and other RAID levels, including Zpools.
• Features an intuitive user interface that anyone can easily understand; more so, it integrates a Recovery Wizard.
• Allows you to mount RAID volumes as local drives