🧩 RAID 50, also known as RAID 5+0, is a nested RAID configuration that combines the fault tolerance of RAID 5 with the performance benefits of RAID 0. It’s like having multiple safety nets working in parallel while still sprinting ahead at full speed.

⚙️ How RAID 50 Works

• Multiple RAID 5 arrays: Data is first protected using RAID 5 (striping with parity) across several groups.
• RAID 0 striping across those arrays: Then, RAID 0 stripes data across the RAID 5 groups to boost performance.
• Minimum of 6 drives: You need at least two RAID 5 arrays with three disks each.

📈 Benefits

• Improved fault tolerance: Can survive one disk failure per RAID 5 group.
• High performance: RAID 0 striping speeds up read/write operations across the arrays.
• Better capacity efficiency: Compared to RAID 10, more usable space with similar fault tolerance.

⚠️ Drawbacks

• Complex setup: Requires a RAID controller that supports nested configurations.
• Cost: Needs more drives than simpler RAID levels.
• Rebuild stress: If a drive fails, rebuilding can be taxing on the array.

🧪 Ideal Use Cases

• Enterprise databases
• Virtualization platforms
• Media streaming servers
• High-performance storage with redundancy