Hardware RAID is a technology that uses a dedicated controller card to manage multiple hard drives, improving data redundancy and performance. This setup allows for various configurations, such as RAID 0, RAID 1, and RAID 5, each offering different balances of speed and data protection. Unlike Software RAID, which relies on the operating system, hardware RAID operates independently, freeing up system resources. The controller handles tasks like data striping and mirroring, ensuring that if one drive fails, the data remains safe and accessible. This makes hardware RAID a popular choice for servers and critical data storage systems.