If you are looking for a comparison between RAID 0 and JBOD, that will identify the prime differences between these two data storage technologies, you have landed on the right page. The comparison presented here, will point out the pros and cons of using these two different technologies.
One of the biggest challenges posed by advances in information technology is the development of reliable data storage and retrieval systems. Many technologies were developed to provide data storage for many different types of computer servers, that have a high daily data transfer rate. Two of these technologies are RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) and JBOD (Just a Bunch of Disks).
Difference Between RAID 0 and JBOD
If you are planning to build a server, you will need a reliable data storage system, which can guarantee accurate data retrieval and ensure the security of stored data. Both the technologies compared in this article use integration of data storage devices to provide greater storage reliability.
Basic Differences
With a view of improving the storage reliability and increasing the data reading and writing speeds of storage devices, RAID (Redundant Array of Independent/Inexpensive Disks) technology was created. It combines multiple storage devices like hard drives to create a single storage system with greater throughput in terms reading and writing data.
RAID technology is based on the principle of striping, disk mirroring, and error reduction through parity check. There are many configurations in which RAID is implemented. These configurations are known as RAID ‘levels’. One of these levels and the most basic among them is RAID 0.
It involves integrating storage disks in such a way, that data is written sequentially across them. Any file or piece of data is not stored entirely on a single disk. The file is fragmented into smaller sections and these sections are distributed on two or more disks. This configuration does not provide data redundancy (Data is not copied or mirrored on all disks).
When accessing a file from a RAID 0 based storage system, a computer reads the file sequentially across the multiple storage disks. The number of segments in which a given file would be divided will depend on the number of disks integrated. This storage configuration does not provide parity check for error correction. A RAID 0 based system’s size is limited by the size of the smallest disk. Therefore, the total storage space of such a volume is always lesser than the constituent disk.
JBOD (Just a Bunch Of Disks) is another data storage configuration, which falls in the non-RAID category. This method offers none of the features that are found in RAID levels. Neither does it provide data redundancy, nor parity check or striping. It simply integrates multiple storage disks into a single whole disk. They are seamlessly integrated storage disks to create a single whole. Creating a single large volume out of multiple different sized disks is the exact opposite of partitioning disks. In technical language, this integration of disks is known as spanning.
Performance
RAID 0 is superior to JBOD when it comes to speed of data reading and writing. It can guarantee a high throughput for input and output functions. However, a failure of a single disk means that the whole system fails. More the number of disks, more is the probability of failure. While JBOD doesn’t offer any advantage in terms of reading or writing speeds, it doesn’t sacrifice any storage space through integration. You get the sum total of storage space offered by each individual disk. With JBOD, failure of a single disk doesn’t mean that the entire system will fail.
If you want speedy retrieval of data, opt for RAID 0, and if all you need is integration of disks, then opt for JBOD.