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Raid Data Recovery

Raid data recovery is probably on of the hardest forms of data recovery not least because of the number of variations available. Raid 0 (not in reality a true raid configuration) Raid 1 and Raid 5 are most widely known but there a number of other raid configurations too that make raid recovery more challenging than other forms of data retrieval.
Raid arrays are most often used in servers for either speed of data access or fault tolerance depending on business requirements, but in a majority of cases raid is also commonly used for business critical applications, so often a raid recovery will also go hand in hand with a database recovery as well for example Microsoft exchange recovery or a Sql server application.
Raid data problems may not always be caused by hardware failures but could also be other factors including accidental initialisation or attempted rebuild failures so obtaining professional help as soon as possible should be an absolute priority to avoid any further data loss.
Not all data recovery services offer full raid recovery and server recovery and rebuild solutions so it is always prudent to let any provider know your exact requirements before hand, and it is also wise to ensure your data solutions provider can offer additional services should the raid recovery escalate to the next level especially where database recovery may be a requirement.
Raid Explained
RAID is an acronym that was first defined by David A. Patterson, Garth A. Gibson and Randy Katz at the University of California to describe the phrase "Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks". This technology allowed for more robust levels of storage reliability than could normally be expected from cheaper and in the early years of disk technology less reliable desktop storage.
As disk technology has matured so has the term and now days most people if asked would describe the acronym as a "Redundant Array of Independent Disks".
Raid arrays have evolved into common standards which are principally raid 0, raid 1, raid 5 and raid 10 as well as some more exotic standards. Raid 0 for example actually splits data across 2 drives and if one disk fails all data can be lost so it considered by many not to be a true raid at all as it offers no redundancy, but is a configuration that is often used for speed for high end disk intensive applications.
The need for raid 0 is actually reducing as hard disk data transfer speeds have increased anyway so it is no longer so important to risk speed versus redundancy but other forms of raid are still very much required for business critical servers require a high degree of redundancy in the event of failure or where a fast input/output of data is required.
Companies that operate systems requiring exceptionally fast access to data tend to use flash based drives which are hugely expensive for large amounts of data but the cost of solid state drives is falling sharply together with a corresponding increase incapacity.
Raid recovery from SSD's is an altogether different recovery challenge and should only be attempted by technicians conversant with flash memory recovery procedures.
The most common form of raid is most probably Raid 5, as with all raid recovery raid 5 data recovery should only be attempted by a knowledgeable technician well experienced in a wide variety of raid configurations and to strict procedures to ensure that the originating data remains intact at all costs...... read more about raid here.
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