As I mentioned a few blog entries ago, the basic math behind parity based RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives) solutions is starting to break down. While I think it’s important for those of us that spend our days thinking about these things to raise the alarm, it’s more important to think and write about the technologies that can take us past parity RAID. One major contender is Reed-Solomon erasure codes, which vendors are starting to use as an efficient alternative to parity or mirroring.
Network Computing