Understanding JBOD

JBOD stands for Just a Bunch of Disks and typically is defined as a collection of disk drives contained in a single drive enclosure, though JBOD could just as easily refer to a stack of external single drives connected to a computer. Regardless of the configuration, each of the drives in a JBOD arrangement can be accessed from the host computer as a separate drive (contrasted to RAID, which treats a collection of drives as a single storage unit). Depending on the design and architecture of the JBOD storage enclosure, there may be a connector for each drive in the enclosure, unless the JBOD enclosure contains an internal hub.

Why Use JBOD?

For some, JBOD is simpler to understand and set up. It’s also relatively straightforward to add storage capacity in a JBOD system: simply add another drive. People who like flexibility in their workflows, want tight control of their data storage and backup strategies, or simply prefer reducing the clutter of multiple external disk drives on their desks, tend to use JBOD enclosures.

Whether using JBOD or RAID storage architectures, one should always ensure that data is being backed up to at least one other drive or location.