Definition
RAID 6 is a storage configuration that uses dual parity to provide redundancy and fault tolerance. It can tolerate the simultaneous failure of two hard drives without risking data loss.
RAID 6 Features
- Dual parity: RAID 6 computes two sets of parity data for every piece of data written, unlike RAID 5, which uses a single parity.
- Minimum risks: RAID 6 needs a minimum of four configured hard drives because it uses two parity blocks.
- Capacity: In RAID 6 configuration, the total usable storage is calculated by subtracting the capacity of two drives from the combined capacity of all drives. For example, if you have a RAID 6 array of ten 1TB drives, the total usable capacity is 8TB (10TB minus 2TB used for parity).
RAID 6 Applications
- Data centers: Large data centers use RAID 6 for specific storage arrays to mitigate the risks of a second drive failure during extended rebuild times for large-capacity drives.
- Enterprise storage: Businesses that require high uptime and data security, such as government agencies, financial institutions, and healthcare organizations, employ RAID 6 configurations.
- Archival storage: Organizations storing archival data, where long-term data preservation is crucial, may implement RAID 6 due to its superior fault tolerance.
- Video production: Industries that deal with large video files use RAID 6 because of its high redundancy and reasonable performance.