RAID stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, and refers to a multiple hard drive setup that improves disk read/write speed, capacity, reliability, throughput, and/or data integrity.

RAID levels used on Advantagecom servers include RAID 1 and RAID 5.

A RAID 1 creates a constantly updated copy of disk data on two or more disks in the array. Thus, if a disk fails, the data it contained is kept as a copy on other disks in the array and no data is lost. RAID 1 also increases read performance, as multiple blocks of data can be requested from each disk simultaneously.

A RAID 5 uses data striping. Striping distributes the data across multiple disks to improve read and write performance, since all reading and writing is done simultaneously. In addition to striping, RAID 5 uses parity (backup) data to prevent data loss. For example, if a disk in the array fails, all its data can be reconstructed using the parity data stored on its member disks.