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What is RAID 2?
RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is a technology used to combine multiple physical storage drives into a single logical unit. RAID 2 is one of the early variations of RAID, developed in the 1980s. It was designed to provide high levels of data protection and improve performance in the event of a disk failure.
Basic concept of disk array
A disk array is a system that consists of multiple physical disk drives working together as a single unit. With a disk array, data is distributed across the drives, allowing for improved performance and fault tolerance.
RAID 2 specifically uses a technique called “bit-level striping with dedicated Hamming code” to accomplish these goals. In RAID 2, the data is divided into individual bits, and each bit is written across multiple disks simultaneously. Additional disks are used to store the Hamming code, which is a powerful error-detection and error-correction code.
The Hamming code provides redundancy and allows for the recovery of data in the event of a disk failure. If a disk fails, the system can use the information stored in the Hamming code to reconstruct the data on the failed drive. This redundancy provides a high level of data protection and ensures the availability of data even during disk failures.
Excellent cost performance of RAID 2
RAID 2 offers excellent cost performance mainly due to its efficient use of storage capacity and low overhead. By splitting the data into individual bits and distributing them across multiple disks, RAID 2 minimizes redundant data storage. This leads to efficient use of disk space and cost savings.
Furthermore, RAID 2’s use of dedicated Hamming code for error detection and correction reduces the need for expensive parity calculations performed by other RAID levels. This results in a lower overhead on the system and improved performance.
Although RAID 2 was a significant advancement in storage technology at the time of its development, it has become less popular compared to newer RAID levels such as RAID 5 and RAID 6. These newer levels offer similar levels of reliability and performance while providing better cost efficiency and flexibility.
In conclusion, RAID 2 is a disk array technology that provides high levels of data protection and performance through the use of bit-level striping with dedicated Hamming code. While it may not be as widely used today as some other RAID levels, it played a crucial role in the early development of RAID and showcased the potential of combining multiple disks for improved storage.
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