Tap to Read ➤

Tips to Prevent RAID Data Loss

Buzzle Staff
While computers are necessary in today's world, there is no denying that the space needed for data storage is continually going up. Higher capacity hard disks are being manufactured, but the problem arises when these disks crash. Here are a few tips that can help you prevent RAID data loss.
To know more about RAID, we would need to go back to the 1980s and 1990s, because that is the time when computer information servers were facing a dramatic increase in the amount of data that they needed to store and serve.
Since storage technologies were getting expensive, as they involved placing a large number of high capacity drives in the servers, a solution was needed. That was how RAID was born!
RAID stands for Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks and is a system developed so that a large number of low-cost hard drives could be linked together to form a single large capacity storage device, that offered superior performance, reliability, and storage capacity compared to older storage solutions.
Initially, RAID was used for storage in the server and enterprise markets, but in the last 5 years this software has become much more common in end user systems.

RAID Data Loss Prevention Tips

  • While copying data from an old hard drive onto another that is used in the array, make sure that the old disk is kept around for a while. This way, you will have the original data at your disposal in case of any fault or errors.
  • When selecting the RAID level make sure you get one that is suitable for your needs. RAID level 1 is appropriate for faster reads and basic redundancy. For more functions, you could select the other levels of RAID.
  • In a multi-user environment, RAID-5 is a good choice because of its speed and data protection.
  • If you are confused about whether to buy a hardware-based or software-based RAID array, it is good to remember that hardware-based arrays do not require software to boot. They also have the logic within them and are more fault tolerant. If you are concerned about disaster recovery planning, then a hardware array is the best choice.
Despite the fact that RAID arrays offer increase in performance and speed, files can get corrupt and disorganized; make sure to run your preferred software for scanning and checking the disks regularly.

Data Recovery Tips

In case you still lose data, then depending on the cause of the loss, these are some tips you can follow to help you recover the data, or at least not make it difficult for experts to recover your data.
1. It is important to use your computer as little as possible until all your lost files are recovered. Do not do the following:
  • Use the same computer to browse the Internet, as the web browser saves cache files on the disk.
  • Copy any files on the disk that contains your lost data.
  • Launch any program that is not necessary because it may use space on the disk.
2. It is necessary to take steps to free some space on the disk containing your lost files, for this:
  • Delete files that you do not require anymore (move them to another source if you do not want to delete them).
  • Ensure that the recycle bin in your computer is empty.
  • Make sure that your browser cache is empty. To do this, go to Internet explorer and click on the Tools menu, after you have done that select Internet Options and then the General tab. Once that is done, click on the Delete button.
Data loss is a very real threat that anyone can face. It is best to be prepared for such an eventuality by performing regular backups of all important data. Though a RAID configuration can help you to some extent against data loss, you need to remember that it is not infallible.