What Is Striping:
A method for encrypting information that uses alternate data blocks to obscure the encrypted data, one block being used in sequence with another. Striped encryption is typically done by dividing files into data blocks that are then encrypted and stored consecutively; it is also one of two or more algorithms employed in a hybrid cryptosystem. Striping is a simple, easily implemented encryption strategy that enhances security.
Striping can be used to improve performance:
If the same file is read sequentially repeatedly, it makes sense to transfer blocks into a cache in sequential order; otherwise, if random access reading were required (as would be the case with encrypted data), traditional disk caches run at less than 100% efficiency. Striping may also offset the consequences of bad disks (which tend to develop clusters of adjacent bad sectors) by allowing such sets to be skipped or spread across multiple disks.
Striped encryption works best on large files. A few thousand random-access reads per second will yield an acceptable striping overhead for most applications.
A method for encrypting information that uses alternate data blocks to obscure the encrypted data, one block being used in sequence with another. Striped encryption is typically done by dividing files into data blocks that are then encrypted and stored consecutively; it is also one of two or more algorithms employed in a hybrid cryptosystem. Striping is a simple, easily implemented encryption strategy that enhances security.
Striping can be used to improve performance:
If the same file is read sequentially repeatedly, it makes sense to transfer blocks into a cache in sequential order; otherwise, if random access reading were required (as would be the case with encrypted data), traditional disk caches run at less than 100% efficiency. Striping may also offset the consequences of bad disks (which tend to develop clusters of adjacent bad sectors) by allowing such sets to be skipped or spread across multiple disks.
Striped encryption works best on large files. A few thousand random-access reads per second will yield an acceptable striping overhead for most applications. In order to take advantage of striped encryption, your application must read the data in sequential order. Applications that randomly access data will not increase performance when using striped encryption. You should use a different form of encryption for these types of applications, such as block cipher mode of operation (ECB, CBC, etc.).
What is a striping raid:
Striping and redundancy (also called RAID-0) combine multiple physical disk drive components into a single logical unit. This allows an increase in performance, capacity, and reliability. Data can be input/output between any two components; there is no concept of a “primary” or “secondary” component as with mirroring and parity schemes.
Stripe Size:
The number of disks this RAID-0 stripe spans. For example, if configuring a streak spanned four disks, the value would be 4. It should not be set more significantly than the number of disks minus one.
Disks Used:
If one exists, the number of disks being used by the stripe, including the hot spare. In other words, it does not include the disks that are being used to mirror data. If configuring a bar with five disks, four disks would be assigned to it, and one would be designated as a hot spare disk. When striping raid uses four disks, a hot spare is not included in the count.
Stripe Width:
The width of a stripe can be configured in myriad ways, yielding different benefits and levels of redundancy. There are three terms used to describe how data is distributed across a bar: –
Disk Spanning:
The smallest unit of a stripe is an entire physical disk. Paring data across multiple disks in this way allows for subsequent disks to be added without having to reformat the array. This method does not provide any data redundancy and will only yield benefits if the number of drives used exceeds parity levels.
Parity Block Length:
If the logical block length (i.e., sector size) is equal to or larger than the number of component disks minus one, then XOR parity information can be generated from all but one block on each disk. In other words, for four disks configured as a stripe that span five total drives, three blocks from each drive would contain data, and two blocks would contain parity information. In this case, the parity block length would be 3.