RAID 0 definition
RAID 0 is a Redundant Array of Independent Disks configuration that spreads data across multiple drives to enhance disk performance. RAID 0 improves the system’s speed at the cost of data redundancy (and thus reduced fault tolerance).
See also: disk defragmentation, disk formatting
How RAID 0 works
In a RAID 0 setup, data is divided into stripes (fixed-size blocks) to be written across multiple hard drives. Each drive in the array stores only a part of the data, meaning it's possible to read and write data across all drives simultaneously. Compared to using a single drive, this setup offers much better read and write performance.
The minimum number of drives needed for a RAID 0 array is two, but the more drives you add, the higher the overall performance will be. Because there is no data duplication, RAID 0 also lets users make the most out of the system’s storage capacity.
However, not duplicating data across all drives makes RAID 0 vulnerable to disruption — without redundancy, if one drive fails, all data is lost. As such, RAID 0 is not suitable for operations where data loss is unacceptable.
RAID 0 use cases
- Video editing and graphic design applications often use RAID 0 because of its higher throughput.
- RAID 0 can reduce load times and improve in-game performance when playing video games.
- Computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D modeling software also use RAID 0 to handle complex projects.
