Why include a 10% reserve when planning NAS storage headroom?
Keeping free space improves filesystem behavior for snapshots, metadata, and write performance. Full arrays often perform worse and rebuild more slowly.
Can this calculator replace real-world benchmark and rebuild testing?
No. Use this page for pre-purchase sizing, then validate with workload benchmarks, SMART health policy, and a tested restore plan.
Is RAID 10 still worth deploying with 18TB drives?
It can be practical, but larger drives increase rebuild windows. Validate parity choice and backup policy before committing to the final layout.
How many disk failures can RAID 10 tolerate in this setup?
This setup can tolerate 1 drive per mirror pair*. Real-world survivability depends on mirror placement, rebuild stress, and drive health.