RAID Recovery™
Recovers all types of corrupted RAID arrays
Recovers all types of corrupted RAID arrays
Last updated: Jan 23, 2024

Which RAID Array is Better to Use for 4 Drives

Here you will find out:

  • which one RAID is better for 4 drives

Are you ready? Let's read!

You have 4 drives - what to do now?

Okay, you have four disks, but what do you do next? Which RAID is Best for You?

This article will walk you through the nuances of common four-drive arrays and guide you to the best option to make your choice easier.

Disk segments in RAID

A disk segment is most often a part of a disk or a disk that is intended for creating a RAID.

A particular segment is part of only one LUN at a time. The drive can contain both RAID segments and available segments. An available segment is present if the disk is not part of any logical device.

Choose your RAID

Now, let's take a closer look at the main arrays and select the best RAID for four drives.

RAID 1 consists of at least two drives, so four drives are acceptable. The data distribution mechanism here is mirroring. This type of array has excellent performance, where the write and read speed is high. However, you can only use 50 percent of independent disks for data storage. If free space plays a big role for you, then this option is not for you.

RAID 10 is two or more RAID 1 array of the same size. In this case, the storage engine combines mirroring with striping. The result is the perfect combination of excellent data protection and high performance. It should be noted that the most optimal RAID with four drives is RAID 10. The disk segment size is the size of the smallest disk in the array. And if, for example, an array with two 250 GB drives and two 400 GB drives can create two mirrored 250 GB disk segments, which adds up to 500 GB for the array. It should be noted that the most optimal RAID is RAID 10.

RAID 5 consists of a minimum of three drives and uses both striping data and parity data. Parity data are responsible for protecting data while striping data are responsible for improving performance. The redundancy in this array is used to recreate data in the event of a disk failure. And the parity data are evenly distributed across the stored data drives.

RAID 50 consists of at least six drives, so the price range for this array is impressive. This array is configured as two or more RAID 5 arrays. It distributes the stored data and parity data across all drives in both RAID 5 arrays. RAID 50 also offers high performance, fault tolerance, and high data transfer rates.

Here also, the disk segment size is the size of the smallest disk in the array. Thus, if there are three 250 GB hard drives and three 400 GB hard drives, then they contain two identical RAID 5 arrays with 500 GB of stored data and 250 GB of parity data. Thus, a RAID 50 can contain 1000 GB of stored data and 500 GB of parity data.

RAID 6 (minimum of 4 disks) is similar to RAID 5, but RAID 6 arrays include two independent parity datasets instead of one that is striped separately across all disks in the array. RAID 6 can withstand the failure of two drives at once, and this property makes the array as resilient as possible. But this cannot but affect performance, as double counting requires additional resources.

Tip: backup vs RAID.

Data recovery from RAID arrays

You should know what to do in case of data loss, as it can happen at any time for unforeseen reasons.

DiskInternals RAID Recovery is unique professional software designed to recover files from any level of arrays. Do not be afraid if this is the first time you meet such an application; the program is equipped with the Recovery Wizard, which will give timely hints on further actions. Also, for your peace of mind and confidence, there is a free preview of the found data of any format. DiskInternals RAID Recovery also automatically detects the required array parameters and recovers the maximum number of files.

Before using the application, read the instructions carefully:

Download and install the DiskInternals RAID Recovery application. Then run the Recovery Wizard.

Select which array to scan.

Select the scan mode (fast, deep, or reader) and wait for the test results.

Previewing the data is a must, as the company cares about its reputation.

If everything suits you, then you purchase a license and export the data to any other disk.

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