Server Capacity Calculator
Plan server storage capacity and calculate usable capacity by RAID level. Enter daily data growth, retention period, and redundancy options.
Storage Requirements
Required Storage Capacity
Disk Configuration
Usable Capacity by RAID Level
Recommended Disks by RAID
Minimum disk configuration to meet 3.56 TB requirement
| RAID Level | Required Disks | Raw Capacity | Usable Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAID 0 | 2 disks | 4.00 TB | 4.00 TB |
| RAID 1 | 4 disks | 8.00 TB | 4.00 TB |
| RAID 5 | 3 disks | 6.00 TB | 4.00 TB |
| RAID 10 | 4 disks | 8.00 TB | 4.00 TB |
RAID Calculation Reference
📖 How to Use
- Enter daily data growth (e.g., logs, backups)
- Enter data retention period (days/months/years)
- Check redundancy if needed (DR setup)
- Select disk count and capacity
- Review usable capacity by RAID level
- Plan optimal configuration using recommended disk counts
✨ Features
- ✓Daily/monthly/yearly data growth calculation
- ✓Redundancy (DR) doubles required capacity
- ✓RAID 0/1/5/10 capacity auto-calculation
- ✓Requirement fulfillment visualization
- ✓Minimum disk count recommendation per RAID
- ✓Disk capacity presets (256GB to 20TB)
📐 Formula
RAID 5 Usable Capacity = (Number of Disks - 1) × Disk Capacity💡 How It Works
- •RAID combines multiple disks to optimize performance, reliability, and capacity.
- •RAID 0: Striping provides maximum performance but no data recovery on failure.
- •RAID 1: Mirroring creates a full copy. Only 50% capacity usable but highly reliable.
- •RAID 5: One disk is used for parity, tolerating 1 disk failure. Most versatile option.
- •RAID 10: RAID 1+0 combination offers both high performance and reliability, but uses 50% capacity.
- •Redundancy (DR) stores duplicate data in a separate location for disaster recovery, requiring 2x capacity.
❓ FAQ
Q. Which RAID should I choose?
A. RAID 10 for databases and critical data, RAID 5 for file servers and backups. RAID 0 is suitable for temporary data or cache.
Q. What's the difference between RAID 5 and RAID 6?
A. RAID 5 tolerates 1 disk failure, RAID 6 tolerates 2. For large disks (4TB+), RAID 6 is recommended due to longer rebuild times.
Q. What is a hot spare?
A. A standby disk that automatically replaces a failed disk. Recommended for critical systems.
Q. Why is redundancy important?
A. To protect against disasters (fire, flood) or ransomware attacks by keeping duplicate data in a physically separate location.
Q. Why is actual capacity different from advertised?
A. Manufacturers use 1TB=1,000GB while operating systems use 1TB=1,024GB, resulting in about 7% difference.