Home | Contents | Help   Raidhelp   Welcome to the first online version of RaidHelp, a simple on-line information system concentrating on explaining in layman terms, with as little jargon as realistically possible, certain aspects of storage technology and techniques.         The objective is to help explain various technologies, their implementations and planning, together with the advantages and disadvantages of each technology, in particular the subject of RAID technology. The guide can be viewed on-line at this site.     The RAIDhelp guide is intended for anyone who has a need for secure on-line storage; whether you have been considering purchasing a new storage system; if you are simply seeking advice and guidance on the processes and suitability of RAID and mass storage technology, or if you simply haven't ever considered the subject of protected storage before, then this RaidHelp guide may be exactly what you need to gently enter the shadowy world of storage. Data is the lifeblood of all computer users - whether they be large corporates or small businesses, authors or artists, designers or film makers. Without data there is nothing of value, just a sad memory of valuable hours of someone's life that someone else forgot to protect. Computers are used to create, manipulate, process, and store the information the world contains. No-one spends time to create, calculate, record, and store this computer data for no reason. As time goes on, the data we store becomes more and more important, until it eventually contains every valuable piece of information that the user needs, and becomes finally critical to the owner. Our reliance upon IT systems is insidious and rapid, and becomes more complete with each passing year. There are many businesses that don't even realise that nearly their entire company information exists in a virtual world where it is stored electronically. The realisation sometimes only comes just before collapse with the loss of that information. For the average business user the security and accessibility of that data is crucial to the continued growth and sustenance of their business. From banking databases to digital video, people and organisations will spend years acquiring expensive skills and amassing critical data. They will spend a small fortune on systems on which they can use these skills. Very many then spend precious little or nothing on safeguarding the work and data that their skills and systems produces. Most worry only when it is gone. With the growing data requirements and critical access times, the technological advances made to meet these demands needs careful consideration. We hope this guide can be of assistance as you pick your way through the potential minefield of storage technology and systems. together with critical advice on interface systems from Ultra-Wide SCSI through to Fibre-Channel and Storage Area Networks (SANs), this guide is intended to deliver a solid overview on RAID. Comments and suggestions are welcome.   Raidhelp   RAIDhelp© Copyright 1999-2004 Antony Kershaw