A REFERENCE GUIDE FOR OPTIMIZING DELL™ MD1000 SAS SOLUTIONS  VER A00 
PAGE 26    5/06/2005 
 
Picking a solution based on the application profile 
One of the most important factors to consider when selecting a storage solution is the type of 
application that will be utilizing the storage solution. This defines the overall purpose of the 
server/storage solution and will determine what RAID configuration will be optimal for the 
application. Table 5 outlines the recommended RAID solution based on the usage of the server. 
Table 5: RAID Configuration Recommendations 
 
RAID Level 
Application
   Concatenated  0  1  10  5  50 
Email 
   
       
Web 
 
         
Database 
or On-line 
transaction 
processing 
   
       
Streaming 
Media 
 
         
File – 
Archival 
   
       
File – User 
File Stores 
 
         
     
           
   
General RAID Configuration Guidelines 
RAID 0 
RAID 0 is generally not a recommended solution due to lack of data redundancy and protection. 
However, it may be utilized in situations where this is not required and maximum storage capacity 
and performance are essential. 
RAID 1 
A RAID 1 solution, while not ideal, could be utilized for small workgroup servers or servers with low 
storage capacity and growth requirements. Any server beyond a small workgroup server is likely to 
need more storage and consequently, a more efficient RAID solution. 
  Recommended 
 
Not Recommended    Possible