1. What is a RAID 1 Calculator?

Definition: This calculator estimates the capacity and speed of a RAID 1 (mirrored) array based on individual drive specifications.

Purpose: It helps IT professionals and system administrators plan storage configurations with accurate performance expectations.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses these simple formulas for RAID 1:

Where:

• \( Capacity \) — Total usable storage space (TB)
• \( DriveSize \) — Size of one drive in the array (TB)
• \( Speed \) — Expected read/write speed (MB/s)
• \( SingleSpeed \) — Speed of one drive (MB/s)

Explanation: RAID 1 mirrors data across drives, so usable capacity equals one drive's size, while speed typically matches a single drive's performance.

3. Importance of RAID 1 Calculation

Details: Proper RAID 1 planning ensures you understand the tradeoffs between redundancy and storage efficiency before implementing your solution.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the size of one drive in TB and its speed in MB/s. The calculator will show the expected array capacity and performance.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why does RAID 1 capacity equal just one drive?
A: Because RAID 1 maintains an exact copy (mirror) on a second drive, effectively halving your raw storage capacity for redundancy.

Q2: Can RAID 1 performance exceed a single drive?
A: Read operations can sometimes be faster as data can be read from either drive, but write performance typically matches a single drive.

Q3: How many drives can be in a RAID 1 array?
A: While typically 2 drives, some implementations support more for additional redundancy (e.g., 3-way mirroring).

Q4: What's the main advantage of RAID 1?
A: Data redundancy - if one drive fails, no data is lost as an exact copy exists on the mirrored drive(s).

Q5: What's the main disadvantage of RAID 1?
A: Storage efficiency - you lose 50% of your raw capacity with a 2-drive setup.