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November 23rd, 2013 07:00
Virtual disk vs RAID array -- the same thing?
Is a "virtual disk" just the modern way of describing a "RAID array" or "disk array"?
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An example usage:
"Using Dell OpenManage for Easy Integration and Management of SAS and SATA Storage Hardware"
http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps2q06-20060188-Latief-OE.pdf
"For example, if the foreign configuration contains only one side of a mirror in a RAID-1 virtual disk, then the virtual disk is in Degraded state and can be imported. In contrast, if the foreign configuration contains only one physical disk that was originally part of a RAID-5 configuration using three physical disks, then the RAID-5 virtual disk has failed and cannot be imported."
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Looks to me like it's nothing more than an old-fashioned "array", but just sounds cooler and hipper.
theflash1932
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November 23rd, 2013 07:00
Yes, Virtual Disk refers to a RAID array.
Because the operating system cannot see individual physical disks connected to the RAID controller, the RAID controller groups the disks into a RAID array to create a "virtual disk" that will be presented to the OS to use for storage just like it would any single physical disk. The OS isn't using a single actual physical disk, but a virtual disk which looks to the OS and behaves like a physical disk.