Disk RAID Types

Select a RAID Type
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a data storage technology that combines multiple drives into a single storage pool. There are various RAID types, each offering different levels of performance, storage capacity, and reliability.

This article provides a brief overview of the RAID types supported by Synology NAS, including implementation requirements and their advantages and disadvantages.

Supported RAID Types

The following table provides a summary of the various RAID types supported by Synology NAS, including storage capacity, the minimum number of drives required for each RAID type, and the number of drive failures tolerated before data loss occurs.

RAID Configurations for Synology NAS

SHR (Synology Hybrid RAID)

  • Number of Drives: 1 or more
    Allowed Drive Failures:

    • 0 with 1 drive
    • 1 with 2-3 drives
    • 1-2 with 4 or more drives

    Description:

    • Optimizes volume size when combining drives of different sizes.
    • Provides data redundancy if the volume consists of at least two drives.
    • Recommended for beginners due to its ease of use.

    Storage Capacity:

    • With 1 drive: 1 x (drive size)
    • With 2-3 drives: Capacity is automatically optimized by the system.
    • With 4 or more drives: 1-2 drives can fail without data loss.

Basic

  • Number of Drives: 1
    Allowed Drive Failures: 0

    Description:

    • Consists of a single drive operating as an independent unit.
    • Does not support data redundancy.

    Storage Capacity: 1 x (drive size)

JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks)

  • Number of Drives: 1 or more
    Allowed Drive Failures: 0

    Description:

    • Combines multiple drives into a single storage pool.
    • The total storage capacity equals the sum of all drives.
    • Does not support data redundancy.

    Storage Capacity: Sum of all drive sizes

RAID 0

  • Number of Drives: 2 or more
    Allowed Drive Failures: 0

    Description:

    • Utilizes "striping," where data is split into blocks and distributed across multiple drives for improved performance.
    • Does not support data redundancy.
    Storage Capacity: Sum of all drive sizesAantal schijven    : 2 of meer
  • Toegelaten schijffouten: 0
  • Beschrijving:
    • Gebruikt "striping", waarbij gegevens in blokken worden verdeeld en over meerdere schijven worden verspreid voor betere prestaties.
    • Geen ondersteuning voor gegevensredundantie.
  • Opslagcapaciteit: Som van alle schijfgroottes


RAID 1

  • Number of Drives: 2 or more
    Allowed Drive Failures:

    • 1 with 2 drives
    • 2 with 3 drives
    • 3 with 4 drives

    Description:

    • Writes identical data to all drives to ensure a high level of data redundancy.

    Storage Capacity: Smallest drive size


RAID 5

  • Number of Drives: 3 or more
    Allowed Drive Failures: 1

    Description:

    • Uses block-level striping and distributes parity data across all drives for improved data redundancy.

    Storage Capacity: (N – 1) x (smallest drive size), where "N" is the number of drives

RAID 6

  • Number of Drives: 4 or more
    Allowed Drive Failures: 2

    Description:

    • Uses two layers of parity data, providing additional redundancy compared to RAID 5.
    • Supports Btrfs volumes up to 1 PB on certain Synology NAS models.

    Storage Capacity: (N – 2) x (smallest drive size)

RAID 10

Number of Drives: 4 or more (even number required)
Allowed Drive Failures: Half of the total number of drives

Description:

  • Combines the performance of RAID 0 with the data redundancy of RAID 1 by grouping drives and mirroring data.

Storage Capacity: (N / 2) x (smallest drive size)

RAID F1  > read the white paper

Number of Drives: 3 or more
Allowed Drive Failures: 1

Description:

  • Distributes parity data across drives with a focus on a specific drive, making it ideal for all-flash arrays.

Storage Capacity: (N – 1) x (smallest SSD size)

Each RAID configuration offers specific advantages depending on your needs for speed, capacity, and data protection. RAID 0 and JBOD provide better performance without redundancy, while RAID 1, 5, 6, and 10 are solutions for enhanced data security and stability. Choose the RAID type that best suits your requirements and budget.