RAID5 added to embedded file system

SEGGER has added a RAID5 option to its emFile embedded file system to maximize data integrity and reliability. RAID5 delivers data integrity in providing an additional layer of fail-safety on top of the CRC and/or error correction used by the underlying driver or storage medium.

With RAID5, the storage device is divided into several partitions, one of which holds parity information allowing data recovery in case of a partition fail. It can be used on any storage medium and the parity information can be stored on the same storage device (in a separate partition) or on a separate device.

The add-on has a tiny memory footprint, typically using about 1kB of RAM and 3kB of flash memory.

RAID5 is available as an additional option and as an alternative to RAID1. RAID1 has been in the market for many years, and proven its value over and over, but does use 50% of the raw storage capacity for data security. The amount of storage used by RAID5 is configurable, typically using 5% or less.

Being part of the emFile storage layer, the new add-on can also be used for USB Mass storage as well as other applications.