the present invention is directed to a system and method for increased data availability . in an aspect of the present invention , a method includes receiving a smart indication from a data storage device included in a plurality of data storage devices configured as a raid array . data from the data storage device which originated the smart indication is replicated to a second data storage device . the second data storage device was not originally configured in the raid array with the plurality of data storage devices for data storage . the data storage device which originated the smart indication from the raid array is removed , thereby resulting the second data storage device and the plurality of data storage devices configured as a raid array .