Raid Configuration Calculator

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RAID Configuration Calculator

Minimum 2 drives required
$

Designing the right RAID setup isn’t just about storage capacity anymore. Modern storage planning requires balancing:

  • Usable capacity
  • Redundancy
  • Fault tolerance
  • Efficiency
  • Hardware cost
  • Cost per usable TB

Our RAID Configuration Calculator is an advanced planning tool that helps you calculate not only RAID capacity but also total investment cost and cost efficiency per terabyte.

This calculator supports:

  • RAID 0
  • RAID 1
  • RAID 5
  • RAID 6
  • RAID 10
  • RAID 50
  • RAID 60

Whether you’re configuring enterprise storage, a NAS system, or a data center environment, this tool provides everything you need for accurate RAID planning.

What Makes This RAID Calculator Different?

Unlike basic RAID calculators, this tool also calculates:

  • Raw Capacity (Total physical storage)
  • Usable Capacity (After redundancy)
  • Lost Capacity (Parity/mirroring overhead)
  • Storage Efficiency (%)
  • Fault Tolerance Level
  • Total Drive Cost
  • Cost Per Usable TB

This makes it ideal for both technical and financial planning.

Supported RAID Levels Explained

Below is a breakdown of each RAID level supported in this calculator.

RAID 0 – Striping

Minimum Drives: 2
Redundancy: None

How it works:

  • Data is split across drives.
  • No parity or mirroring.

Capacity:

  • Usable = Total Raw Capacity
  • Efficiency = 100%

Fault Tolerance:

  • None

Best for:

  • High-speed temporary workloads
  • Non-critical systems

RAID 1 – Mirroring

Minimum Drives: 2

How it works:

  • Data is duplicated across drives.

Capacity:

  • Usable = Size of one drive
  • Efficiency decreases as drives increase

Fault Tolerance:

  • Can survive multiple failures (depending on total drives)

Best for:

  • Critical OS installations
  • Small servers
  • Important data with low capacity needs

RAID 5 – Distributed Parity

Minimum Drives: 3

How it works:

  • Data and parity are distributed across all drives.

Capacity:

  • Usable = (Drives − 1) × Drive Capacity

Fault Tolerance:

  • 1 drive

Best for:

  • Small business storage
  • NAS devices
  • File servers

RAID 6 – Double Parity

Minimum Drives: 4

How it works:

  • Two parity blocks per stripe.

Capacity:

  • Usable = (Drives − 2) × Drive Capacity

Fault Tolerance:

  • 2 drives

Best for:

  • Enterprise systems
  • Large arrays with big drives

RAID 10 – Striped Mirrors

Minimum Drives: 4 (even number required)

How it works:

  • Mirrored pairs are striped together.

Capacity:

  • Usable = Total Raw ÷ 2

Fault Tolerance:

  • 1 drive per mirror

Best for:

  • Databases
  • Virtualization
  • Performance-critical systems

RAID 50 – Striped RAID 5

Minimum Drives: 6

How it works:

  • Multiple RAID 5 sets striped together.

Capacity:

  • Each RAID 5 set sacrifices one drive for parity.

Fault Tolerance:

  • 1 drive per RAID 5 set

Best for:

  • Large storage arrays
  • Balanced performance and redundancy

RAID 60 – Striped RAID 6

Minimum Drives: 8

How it works:

  • Multiple RAID 6 sets striped together.

Capacity:

  • Each set sacrifices two drives for parity.

Fault Tolerance:

  • 2 drives per RAID 6 set

Best for:

  • Enterprise-level high redundancy
  • Critical data environments

How to Use the RAID Configuration Calculator

Using the calculator is simple.

Step 1: Select RAID Level

Choose from RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10, 50, or 60.

The tool automatically updates minimum drive requirements.

Step 2: Enter Number of Drives

The calculator validates minimum requirements for each RAID level.

Step 3: Enter Drive Capacity (TB)

Input the size of one drive in terabytes.

Step 4: Enter Cost Per Drive

Add the price per drive for financial analysis.

Step 5: Click Calculate

You will instantly see:

  • RAID Level
  • Total Drives
  • Raw Capacity
  • Usable Capacity
  • Capacity Lost to Redundancy
  • Efficiency Percentage
  • Fault Tolerance
  • Total Hardware Cost
  • Cost per Usable TB

Example RAID Calculation

Let’s walk through a practical example.

Scenario:

  • RAID 6
  • 6 Drives
  • 4 TB per drive
  • $150 per drive

Raw Capacity:
6 × 4 TB = 24 TB

Usable Capacity:
(6 − 2) × 4 = 16 TB

Lost Capacity:
8 TB

Efficiency:
66.67%

Total Cost:
6 × $150 = $900

Cost Per Usable TB:
$900 ÷ 16 = $56.25 per TB

This gives both technical and financial clarity.

Why Cost Per TB Matters

Many administrators focus only on raw capacity. However, RAID redundancy significantly impacts real storage cost.

For example:

  • RAID 0 has lowest cost per TB but no protection.
  • RAID 10 has higher cost per TB but excellent performance and redundancy.
  • RAID 6 offers strong protection with moderate cost efficiency.

This calculator helps you balance:

  • Protection
  • Performance
  • Budget

Storage Efficiency Comparison

RAID LevelEfficiency (Approx.)
RAID 0100%
RAID 150%
RAID 567–90%
RAID 650–80%
RAID 1050%
RAID 50Higher than RAID 5
RAID 60Higher than RAID 6

Efficiency improves with more drives (except RAID 1 & 10).

Important RAID Planning Considerations

  1. RAID is not a backup solution.
  2. Larger drives increase rebuild time.
  3. Enterprise workloads may require RAID 6 or RAID 60.
  4. RAID 10 is ideal for heavy write workloads.
  5. Always use identical drives for optimal performance.

15 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the best RAID level for businesses?

RAID 6 or RAID 10 are commonly preferred for business environments.

2. Which RAID offers the most redundancy?

RAID 60 provides very high redundancy.

3. Does RAID increase storage cost?

Yes, redundancy reduces usable space, increasing cost per TB.

4. What is lost capacity?

Storage reserved for mirroring or parity.

5. Can RAID 50 survive multiple drive failures?

Yes, depending on which RAID 5 sets are affected.

6. Why does RAID 10 require even drives?

Drives are paired into mirrors.

7. What is cost per TB?

Total drive cost divided by usable capacity.

8. Is RAID 0 ever recommended?

Only for non-critical, high-speed applications.

9. How many drives are required for RAID 60?

Minimum 8 drives.

10. What happens if two drives fail in RAID 5?

Data loss occurs.

11. Is RAID 6 safer than RAID 5?

Yes, it supports double drive failure.

12. Does RAID improve performance?

Some levels improve read/write speeds.

13. Can I expand RAID later?

Depends on controller and RAID type.

14. Why is RAID 10 popular?

It combines performance and redundancy.

15. Is this RAID calculator accurate?

Yes, it follows standard RAID capacity formulas.

Final Thoughts

The RAID Configuration Calculator is a powerful, all-in-one storage planning tool for IT professionals, businesses, and home lab users.

It provides:

  • Accurate RAID capacity calculations
  • Efficiency analysis
  • Fault tolerance insights
  • Hardware cost evaluation
  • Cost per usable TB breakdown

Whether you’re building a small NAS or architecting enterprise storage, this tool ensures you make informed, cost-effective, and reliable RAID decisions.

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