What is RAID on Synology NAS?

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

What is RAID on Synology NAS?

What is RAID?

What is RAID?

RAIDstands for redundant array of inexpensive/independent disks. It’s a group of independent drives that operate as a fused single array. You can think of it as two or more drives joined together to create a single pool of storage. This method helps to improve performance as well as offer redundancy in case a drive fails.

Should a drive fail and it’s not configured in a RAID, you’ll run the risk of losing stored data. When using RAID, we safeguard ourselves against such issues by reserving a portion of the total storage capacity for localized backups. If a drive fails and needs to be replaced, the stored backup data could then be used to recreate the storage volume.

Why you should use it on NAS

Why you should use it on NAS

There are actually a few levels of RAID, depending on how many drives you plan on using, what kind of data redundancy is required, and total volume capacity.

Thebest RAID for Synology NASlargely comes down to the number of drives, but Synology’s Hybrid RAID (SHR) is usually the best choice. It doesn’t matter which enclosure you choose, even thebest NAS for homerequires some form of data redundancy or means for backup.

Seagate has a substantial collection of drives that are specifically designed for use inside NAS. The higher-capacity drives even have faster motors.

This range of official SSDs from Synology is perfect for the company’s NAS enclosures. If you want lower power draw, less noise, and better reliability than hard drives, look no further than the Synology SAT5200.

Get the Windows Central Newsletter

All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He’s been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at@RichEdmonds.