Which technology is typically used to provide redundancy in storage systems?

RAID, which stands for Redundant Array of Independent Disks, is the technology commonly used to enhance redundancy in storage systems. The core purpose of RAID is to combine multiple physical disk drive components into a single logical unit for data redundancy and performance improvement. By distributing data across several disks, RAID ensures that if one disk fails, the information can still be accessed from the other disks in the array, thereby providing fault tolerance.

This redundancy is crucial for protecting data against drive failures, making RAID a favorable choice for businesses and individuals who rely on consistent access to data and must maintain high availability. Different RAID levels offer various configurations and protection mechanisms, allowing users to select the level of redundancy that suits their needs best.

In contrast, other options, such as cloud storage, primarily focus on off-site accessibility and scalable storage solutions but do not inherently provide redundancy through disk array techniques. Data compression aims at reducing the size of files and conserving storage space, while data encryption is concerned with securing data against unauthorized access. Neither compression nor encryption provides a mechanism for data redundancy, which is the fundamental purpose of RAID.