How FakeRAID differs from real RAID
Here you will find out:
- what is FakeRAID
- FakeRAID and Linux connection
- when DiskInternals can help you
Are you ready? Let's read!
FakeRAID: what is it?
FakeRAID (also called "HostRAID") can be provided on many desktop and workstation motherboards and on lower-end servers such as the HP DL360 G5 for free.
In most cases, none of these are true hardware RAID controllers. That is, they are simply multi-channel disk controllers with special BIOS configuration parameters and software drivers that enable the OS to perform RAID operations. With the advent of FakeRAID drives, it is becoming a popular option to simply mirror two 1.5 TB drives without the need for an expensive hardware RAID 5. This feature is often used by small organizations. It should be noted that there is no significant performance difference between software RAID and FakeRAID, as FakeRAID is more or less software RAID anyway. FakeRAID accepts bad bits of software RAID (such as the impossibility of multiplexing to save bus bandwidth).
As a result, the main advantages of a software RAID will not be possible in FakeRAID, namely:
- Flexibility and potential portability of a computer using software RAID
- OS independence
- Write efficiency
- Caching parameters of hardware RAID
Of course, FakeRAID will not protect you from potential driver errors and other problems listed above, but it will still protect you from some disk failures.
FakeRAID and Linux
Software RAID or fakeRAID is not always Windows-based. Most often, it is Linux-based.
For users, the most common reason for using fakeRAID is in a dual-boot environment where both Linux and Windows need to be able to read and write to the same RAID partitions. Such configurations are common among users who use multiple operating systems on the same computer. They remove the need to add a separate hard drive just so that they can boot Linux. And it is FakeRAID that allows these users to seamlessly access partitions from Linux or Windows.
Also, when you use Fake RAID in Linux, should the hard drive fail and you can identify the disk mirror, you can shut down the system, replace the failed disk and restore the mirror from BIOS. All this can be done without booting into the operating system.
Of course, software RAID on Linux is very secure and reliable. If you do not need to dual-boot with Windows, then it is better to use a genuine controller.
Data recovery from the RAID array
You must be prepared in case of premature data loss in the array.
You can get full confidence in this by downloading DiskInternals RAID Recovery. The program is designed to recover data from an array since that is where the automatic reading and determination of the RAID configuration, its state, disk sequence, etc. occurs. In other words, you don't have to run almost anything; just follow the directions from the Recovery Wizard and wait for the scan results. Then, having viewed the recovered files, you can easily export the recovered data to another source of information.
Instructions for DiskInternals RAID Recovery:
First, download RAID Recovery to your computer or server. Then install the software on Windows 7, 8, 10, Vista, or Windows Server 2003-2019.
Open the app and then be sure to select the target array.
Then select the scan mode in which you will be working:
- Fast recovery mode
- Full recovery mode
- Reader mode
After that, you will get read-only access to files for free.
Now that you are sure that your data is returned in the correct form, buy a license for RAID Recovery. You will have unlimited access to your files and the ability to export selected files to any storage device.