There are advantages and disadvantages to using the various implementations of RAID (redundant array of independent disks).
| RAID implementation | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft® Windows NT®-based striping | No added hardware cost. | Uses system processing resources. |
| Hardware-based striping | Does not compete for processor cycles. Best performance of all RAID implementations. | Additional cost of specialized hardware. |
RAID solutions typically used with Microsoft SQL Server™ provide varying levels of redundancy and fault tolerance.
| RAID implementation | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware-based RAID 3, 5, or 10 | Excellent performance. Does not compete for processor cycles. | Cost. |
| Hardware-based RAID 1 | Excellent redundancy. Does not compete for processor cycles. | Additional cost due to more hardware. |
| Hardware-based RAID 10 | Excellent performance. Excellent redundancy. | Additional cost due to more hardware. |
| Windows NT-based RAID 1 | Good redundancy. Low cost. | Uses system processing resources. |
| Windows NT-based RAID 5 | Excellent read performance. Low cost. | Uses system processing resources. |