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wtf is raid-failure?

karminski/raid-failure — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-08-11 · repo last pushed 2024-10-10

9HTMLAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 1/5StaleSetup · easy

TL;DR

A simple web page that calculates the risk of data loss when a RAID array rebuilds after a drive failure, using Unrecoverable Read Error rates. Open it in any browser, no install needed.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Calculates rebuild risk
      Estimates URE chance
      No install needed
    Use cases
      Home NAS planning
      Business storage check
      Compare RAID levels
    Audience
      Storage server admins
      Small business networks
      Home NAS users
    Tech stack
      HTML
      Web browser
      No backend

Code map

Detail Auto

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Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Check whether your RAID 5 array is safe enough before committing to large drives.

REASON 2

Compare RAID 5 vs RAID 6 failure odds to decide on your storage setup.

REASON 3

Estimate the risk of data loss during a rebuild of your home NAS after a drive failure.

What's in the stack?

HTML

How it stacks up

karminski/raid-failurejordanhughesimnq4540/web-video-editor-replicaniall-young/openai-cover-skill
Stars999
LanguageHTMLHTMLHTML
Last pushed2024-10-10
MaintenanceStale
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity1/51/52/5
Audienceops devopsdesignerwriter

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Open the HTML file in any web browser, no installation or internet connection required.

Wtf does this do

Raid-failure is a straightforward web tool that calculates the risk of a disk failing during a RAID rebuild. If you store important data across multiple hard drives in a RAID 5 or RAID 6 setup, a drive dying isn't your only concern. The real danger is whether your remaining drives can survive the intense stress of rebuilding the lost data. This calculator helps you understand that specific risk so you aren't caught off guard by a catastrophic data loss. The tool focuses on something called a URE, or "Unrecoverable Read Error." When a RAID array rebuilds after a drive failure, it has to read every single bit of data on the surviving disks. If even one tiny piece of data can't be read due to a URE, the entire rebuild fails and your data is lost. This web page takes the guesswork out of that scenario by computing the probability of a URE happening while your system is vulnerable. You would use this if you manage a storage server, run a small business network, or are setting up a home NAS (Network Attached Storage) and want to make informed decisions about your data safety. For example, before committing to a RAID 5 setup with large hard drives, you could plug your drive sizes and error rates into the calculator. If the odds of failure are uncomfortably high, you might decide to upgrade to RAID 6 or invest in a proper backup strategy instead of relying solely on redundancy. The project is built as a simple HTML page, meaning you can open and use it directly in any web browser without installing anything or relying on an internet connection. The README is sparse and does not go into detail about the exact mathematical formulas used behind the scenes. However, this is a fork of an original project by another developer, so it serves as a lightweight, accessible iteration of an existing idea for anyone who needs quick answers about their storage reliability.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
I manage a home NAS with four 6TB drives in RAID 5. The spec sheet lists the Unrecoverable Read Error rate as 1 in 10^14. What is the probability that a rebuild fails after one drive dies, and should I switch to RAID 6?
Prompt 2
Build a single-page HTML tool that lets a user enter drive capacity, number of drives, RAID level, and URE rate, then shows the probability of at least one Unrecoverable Read Error during a rebuild.
Prompt 3
I have eight 12TB drives in RAID 6 with a URE rate of 1 in 10^15. Walk me through how to calculate the chance of data loss during a rebuild and tell me if adding a hot spare meaningfully reduces that risk.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is raid-failure?

A simple web page that calculates the risk of data loss when a RAID array rebuilds after a drive failure, using Unrecoverable Read Error rates. Open it in any browser, no install needed.

What language is raid-failure written in?

Mainly HTML. The stack also includes HTML.

Is raid-failure actively maintained?

Stale — no commits in 1-2 years (last push 2024-10-10).

How hard is raid-failure to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is raid-failure for?

Mainly ops devops.

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