What is the function of RAID 1 in data management?

RAID 1 is specifically designed to provide data redundancy through the process of mirroring. This means that when data is written to one hard drive, it is simultaneously copied to a second hard drive. The primary benefit of this setup is that if one drive fails, the data is still accessible on the other drive. This enhances data integrity and reduces the risk of data loss.

By mirroring data, RAID 1 ensures that users have a reliable backup of their information at all times. It is particularly important in environments where data availability is critical, such as in server and business applications. The other options describe different RAID configurations or functions that do not apply to RAID 1. For example, striping, which speeds up data access, is characteristic of RAID 0 but not RAID 1. Similarly, combining different drive sizes for optimal space may refer to RAID levels like RAID 5, and data encryption is unrelated to RAID’s purpose of providing redundancy.