What is RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)?

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage technology that combines multiple physical disk drives into a single logical unit for the purpose of data redundancy, performance improvement, or both. There are several RAID levels, each offering different benefits:

1. **RAID 0:** Striping without redundancy; improves performance by spreading data across multiple disks but offers no fault tolerance.

2. **RAID 1:** Mirroring; duplicates data across two or more disks for redundancy, ensuring data availability if one disk fails.

3. **RAID 5:** Striping with distributed parity; combines striping and parity information across multiple disks to provide both performance and fault tolerance.

4. **RAID 10 (or RAID 1+0):** A combination of RAID 1 (mirroring) and RAID 0 (striping), offering redundancy and performance benefits.

5. **RAID 6:** Similar to RAID 5 but includes dual parity schemes, allowing for two disk failures without data loss.

RAID configurations are managed by RAID controllers or software, offering flexibility in balancing performance, capacity, and redundancy requirements based on specific storage needs.