Server disk arrays deliver strong data security and read/write speeds that are usually impossible to achieve with a handful of drives in individual servers. What are server disk arrays, and why is it worth having one in your company?
Server disk array – what is it?
A disk array (also known as storage) is a device equipped with anywhere from a dozen to several dozen hard drives and/or SSD/NVMe drives. Everything is connected together, or organized as separate resource pools. It’s precisely this combination of drives that delivers increased data security and higher performance in processing and storing data.
What are the benefits of a disk array
Disk arrays stand out for their functionality, as well as dedicated software that manages resources, splits them up, creates backups, clones them, and replicates them. There are various types of devices and models, and they differ from one another. That said, we can point to the most popular technologies found in server disk arrays, which include:
- deduplication, compression, compaction – an array feature that lets you compress or remove duplicate files (individual blocks), which frees up extra space.
- snapshots – enable a fast copy of specific data.
- tiering – a technology that lets an array combine traditional spinning disks with SSDs, so the traditional drives benefit from the speed of the overall system.
- replication – a feature that synchronizes data between two devices, providing extra protection on both devices in the event of a failure.
- redundancy (HA) – High Availability refers to the components a server array is built from; these include two motherboards, dual power supplies and data paths, as well as aggregated ports.
Array speed and capacity
Another important factor with disk arrays is their speed, which depends on the number and speed of the drives used and the type of controllers involved — that is, the processors, RAM, and the capacity and type of cache. Arrays are most commonly equipped with one or more types of the following drives:
- NVMe – the fastest drives, with the highest cost per GB,
- SSD – very fast drives, with a high cost per GB,
- SAS – fast drives at a mid-range cost,
- NL-SAS – large capacity at low cost,
- SATA – large capacity at the lowest cost
The number of drives — in other words, the capacity of a server disk array — can usually be expanded by adding more disk shelves to the array’s enclosure.
Top-tier security
Server disk arrays are devices that can create their own backups and so-called snapshots, but it’s always worth thinking about an additional backup stored outside the company as well. It’s also worth looking into server administration, which minimizes the risk of failures. With that kind of protection in place, you can be far more confident that your entire company infrastructure will run smoothly and under the control of specialists.
Server disk arrays are a solution that works well for businesses, protecting data against deletion or failure. They can also grow alongside your company in terms of performance and capacity. The arrays we build for our clients and for our own needs can run without issue with a pool of 300 drives or more, and in most cases are largely “self-healing.”