An administrator must configure a server that prioritizes data availability. Because the server will be accessed by many users, the administrator must also consider performance. Which of the following RAID levels best meets these requirements within a single array?
Correct Answer: D
The correct answer is D. RAID 10 (also called RAID 1+0).
According to CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 objectives under Storage:
* RAID 10 combines the mirroring of RAID 1 with the striping of RAID 0. This provides both high data availability (because each drive has a mirror) and improved performance (because data is striped across multiple disks).
* RAID 10 requires a minimum of four drives and is suitable for servers that handle high I/O workloads while maintaining redundancy.
Why the other options are incorrect:
* A. RAID 1: Provides mirroring for redundancy but does not improve performance as effectively as RAID 10.
* B. RAID 0: Provides striping for performance but has no redundancy; a single drive failure results in data loss.
* C. RAID 5: Provides parity and can tolerate one drive failure with decent read performance, but write performance is lower than RAID 10 and rebuilds can impact system performance under heavy load.
References:
CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201) Exam Objectives - Storage: "Given a scenario, configure RAID levels to balance performance, availability, and redundancy." Mike Meyers' CompTIA A+ Certification Guide, 13th Edition, Chapter on RAID and Storage Arrays.