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Iwill SIDE-RAID66 IDE Controller Review
Iwill SIDE-RAID66 IDE Controller Review - PCSTATS
Until recently the implementation of RAID or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, was focused towards SCSI based servers which demand extremely high speed data throughput and the security that data on the server will remain intact under any given circumstance.
 80% Rating:   
Filed under: Hard Drives/SSD Published:  Author: 
External Mfg. Website: Iwill Apr 04 2000   P. Masrani  
Home > Reviews > Hard Drives/SSD > Iwill SIDE-RAID66

Iwill SIDE-RAID66 IDE Controller Review

Until recently the implementation of RAID or Redundant Array of Independent Disks, was focused towards SCSI based servers which demand extremely high speed data throughput and the security that data on the server will remain intact under any given circumstance. The inherent cost of setting up such an array was an immediate turn off for home users and enthusiasts.

In case you are not familiar with RAID and what it is, it's simply a method which describes a process of utilizing two or more hard disk drives simultaneously in order to ensure reliability of data and adds with it a great deal of performance. RAID consists of a series of protocols which allows a computer to store the same data, either mirrored or interleaved, across multiple hard disks. By doing so, the input and output (your reads and writes) load to/from the RAID system is evenly distributed across multiple hard disks.

As the rate of data throughput of a single drive is limited, making use of multiple disks and reading the same data in parallel is what gives the needed boost in speed. The limiting factor of transfer rates being the interface itself.

There are a number of flexible options which RAID offers to those who need systems which boast of such characteristics. These are RAID 0 to 7, RAID 10 and RAID 53. With these options, one can choose either to have a reliable upkeep of data or high data transfer rates or both. For a number of years, RAID has been synonymous with the SCSI interface. This is one of the reasons that contribute to the high cost of a SCSI based RAID solution. Aside from the cost factor of RAID, actually putting one together wasn't exactly an easy task.

Server administrators would first have to prioritize their needs with respect to speed and reliability. If the server acts as a backbone to a network, the administrator would have to also consider network load and the amount/importance of data stored as a result of network activity. They would then have to choose from the protocols available, purchase the necessary hardware and finally implement the system.

As time goes on, aside from the cost of hardware dropping substantially, we are also thrilled by seeing new innovative ideas take shape. One of these being to implement RAID on a more commonly used interface, thus allowing the fundamental concept of RAID to be utilized by less expensive interfaces such as IDE, being the point of focus in this article. Now, home and SOHO users now have the option of increasing overall hard disk performance and data reliability through the use of Iwill's SIDE-RAID66 card.

So does this recent technological breakthrough really carry on the RAID legacy through the slower and less expensive IDE interface? Read on to find out more...

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Contents of Article: Iwill SIDE-RAID66
 Pg 1.  — Iwill SIDE-RAID66 IDE Controller Review
 Pg 2.  RAID Explained
 Pg 3.  Iwill SIDE-RAID66
 Pg 4.  RAID 0 Benchmarks
 Pg 5.  RAID 1 Benchmarks and Conclusion

 
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