49. An administrator is building a server RAID for a database that requires a large number of drives and the greatest possible fault tolerance. Which of the following RAID configurations should the administrator **most likely** select?
Answer: D
RAID 10 is the most suitable configuration for fault tolerance and performance.
RAID 10, also known as RAID 1+0, combines the mirroring of RAID 1 with the striping of RAID 0, providing both redundancy and improved performance. This configuration is particularly beneficial for databases that require high availability and fault tolerance, as it allows for the failure of multiple drives without data loss.
A) 1
RAID 1 offers mirroring, which provides fault tolerance by duplicating data across two drives. However, while it ensures data redundancy, it does not offer the performance benefits of striping and is limited in scalability for larger databases that require more drives.
B) 8
RAID 8 is not a standard RAID configuration recognized in typical RAID levels. This option may lead to confusion as it does not provide a clear understanding of its fault tolerance or performance characteristics. Therefore, it cannot be considered a viable choice for the scenario presented.
C) 10
RAID 10, or RAID 1+0, effectively combines the advantages of both RAID 1 and RAID 0. It provides fault tolerance through mirroring and enhances performance through striping, making it ideal for databases that necessitate both high availability and efficient data access.
D) 10
RAID 10 is the optimal choice as it ensures maximum fault tolerance and performance for databases. The mirroring aspect protects against data loss while the striping aspect allows for faster read and write operations, making it a robust solution for environments requiring a large number of drives.
Conclusion
RAID 10 is the most appropriate configuration for the administrator's needs, as it balances fault tolerance and performance effectively for database applications. Options such as RAID 1 lack the scalability and performance benefits, while RAID 8 is not a recognized standard. Thus, RAID 10 stands out as the clear choice for ensuring data integrity and operational efficiency.