CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)Hardware and Network TroubleshootingHard

A server uses a RAID 1 mirror consisting of two drives. One drive fails completely and is removed for replacement. Which statement accurately describes the current state of the array?

  1. AThe array continues operating normally using the remaining drive, but redundancy is lost
  2. BThe array automatically rebuilds using parity data stored across both drives
  3. CRead speeds double because only one drive is now being accessed
  4. DAll data is lost because RAID 1 requires both drives to function
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. The array continues operating normally using the remaining drive, but redundancy is lost

RAID 1 mirrors data identically across two drives, so if one drive fails, the array keeps functioning using the surviving drive with full data intact, though it is running without redundancy until a replacement is installed and remirrored. RAID 1 uses no parity, so option C is incorrect, and losing a drive does not improve read performance.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. RAID 1 uses mirroring, not parity, so there is no parity data to rebuild from.
  • C. Losing a drive reduces available read sources; it does not increase speed.
  • D. RAID 1 is fault-tolerant to a single drive failure; data is not lost.

RAID 1 Single-Drive Failure

RAID 1 mirrors data across two drives; if one fails, the array remains functional on the surviving drive but loses fault tolerance until replaced.

  • RAID 1 = mirroring, no parity
  • Survives single drive failure
  • Rebuild requires new drive + remirroring, not automatic parity recovery

Memory trick: Mirror, mirror on the wall — lose one, the twin covers all (for now).

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