A “code optimizer” provides various techniques for optimizing arbitrary XOR-based codes for encoding and/or decoding of data. Further, the optimization techniques enabled by the code optimizer do not depend on any underlining code structure. Therefore, the optimization techniques provided by the code optimizer are applicable to arbitrary codes with arbitrary redundancy. As such, the optimized XOR-based codes generated by the code optimizer are more flexible than specially designed codes, and allow for any desired level of fault tolerance. Typical uses of XOR-based codes include, for example, encoding and/or decoding data using redundant data packets for data transmission real-time communications systems, encoding and/or decoding operations for storage systems such as RAID arrays, etc.