Does configuring fault-tolerant RAID volumes eliminate the need for backups?

Configuring fault-tolerant RAID volumes does not eliminate the need for backups because RAID technology primarily focuses on providing data redundancy and availability in case of hardware failures. While certain RAID levels can protect against disk failures (for example, RAID 1, RAID 5, or RAID 6), they do not safeguard against other types of data loss.

For instance, RAID cannot protect against issues such as accidental deletion, data corruption due to software malfunctions, file system errors, or catastrophic events like natural disasters. In such cases, backups are an essential safeguard to ensure data recovery. RAIDs provide availability and redundancy but do not serve as a substitute for a comprehensive backup strategy that includes regular, off-site, or cloud-based backups. Therefore, even in a RAID setup, maintaining a robust backup procedure is vital for overall data integrity and recovery.