RAIDpariteit

RAIDpariteit, often referred to as RAID parity, is a technique used in redundant array of independent disks (RAID) configurations to provide data redundancy and fault tolerance. It involves calculating and storing parity information across multiple drives. This parity data allows the system to reconstruct lost data if one or more drives fail.

The core principle of RAID parity is that the parity information is derived from the data on other drives in the array. For example, in a RAID 5 configuration, data and parity are striped across three or more drives. If one drive fails, the system can use the data on the remaining drives along with the parity information to rebuild the lost data onto a replacement drive. This process ensures that the array continues to function without data loss.

Different RAID levels employ variations of parity. RAID 4 uses a dedicated parity drive, while RAID 5 and RAID 6 distribute parity across all drives in the array. RAID 6 offers even higher fault tolerance by using two independent parity calculations. The implementation of RAID parity adds overhead to write operations, as parity information needs to be calculated and updated. However, this overhead is generally considered a worthwhile trade-off for the enhanced data protection it provides.