CompTIA Tech+ (FC0-U71)InfrastructureMedium
A network administrator needs to expand the storage capacity of a server without sacrificing performance or data redundancy. The existing server uses a RAID 5 configuration. The administrator plans to add several new drives to the array. What is the MINIMUM number of additional drives required to expand the RAID 5 array while maintaining its fault tolerance?
- A3
- B4
- C2
- D1
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. 1
RAID 5 requires a minimum of three drives to function (two for data, one for parity). Once established, you can typically add drives one at a time to expand the array while maintaining single-drive fault tolerance. Adding a single drive is sufficient to expand the capacity of an existing RAID 5 array.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Three drives are the minimum to create a RAID 5 array initially, not necessarily for expansion.
- B. Four drives are not the minimum for expansion; one is sufficient.
- C. Two drives are not the minimum for expansion; one is sufficient. Two would be required to start a RAID 10, for example.
RAID 5 Expansion
The process of adding one or more drives to an existing RAID 5 array to increase its storage capacity while maintaining its data striping with parity fault tolerance.
- RAID 5 requires a minimum of 3 drives initially.
- Can be expanded by adding single drives to an existing array.
- Maintains single-drive fault tolerance during and after expansion.
- Expansion process can be lengthy and impact performance.
Memory trick: RAID 5: Add one, and your data's still spun.