Which technology is often part of a modern data backup strategy for reliability?

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is a key technology often included in modern data backup strategies due to its ability to provide redundancy and improve data availability. RAID combines multiple physical disk drive components into a single logical unit for the purposes of data redundancy, performance improvement, or a balance of both.

By allowing data to be stored across several disks, if one disk fails, the other disks can continue to operate, ensuring that the data remains accessible. This inherently provides a layer of reliability that is crucial for backup systems, where the goal is to safeguard against data loss. Different RAID configurations offer varying levels of fault tolerance; for example, RAID 1 mirrors data across disks, while RAID 5 uses striping with parity to provide redundancy without duplicating all the data.

While other options like SSDs, USB flash drives, and optical discs serve valuable functions in data storage and backup, they do not inherently provide the same level of redundancy and reliability as RAID systems. SSDs offer speed benefits but do not protect against data loss from failure on their own. USB flash drives and optical discs can serve as external backup solutions but lack the fault tolerance provided by RAID configurations, making RAID a standout choice for reliability in backup strategies.