RAID
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Redundant array of independent disks |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Technology & Computing, Business & Finance |
RAID has two meanings. It stands for Redundant array of independent disks (computer hardware) or Risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies (project management).
Meanings of RAID at a glance
| # | RAID stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Redundant array of independent disks | Technology & Computing › Computer Hardware |
| 2 | Risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies | Business & Finance › Project Management |
1. Redundant array of independent disks
Technology & Computing · Computer Hardware Abbreviations
Technique that combines several drives into one logical unit for speed, redundancy or both. RAID 0 stripes data across drives for speed, RAID 1 mirrors them, and RAID 5, 6 and 10 balance capacity and fault tolerance.
Example: The NAS runs RAID 6, so two drives can fail without losing data.
David Patterson, Garth Gibson and Randy Katz introduced the term in a 1988 Berkeley paper, where the I stood for "inexpensive"; vendors later changed it to "independent". RAID can be done by a hardware controller, the motherboard or software such as ZFS. Administrators repeat the warning that RAID is not a backup: deletion, ransomware and fire affect every disk at once.
2. Risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies
Business & Finance · Project Management Abbreviations
Log used to record and track a project's risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies in one place, reviewed regularly in status meetings and governance reports.
Example: Add the vendor delay to the RAID log as an issue and a dependency for testing.
Some teams read the D as decisions instead of dependencies. A risk becomes an issue once it actually happens. In computing, RAID refers to redundant arrays of disks.
Related abbreviations
More computer hardware abbreviations
- PS/2 – Personal System/2 port
- PSU – Power supply unit
- PWM – Pulse-width modulation
- QLC – Quad-level cell
- RAM – Random-access memory
- RISC – Reduced instruction set computer
- RISC-V – RISC-V (open instruction set architecture)
- ROM – Read-only memory
See all 151 computer hardware abbreviations →