RAID 5: A Reflection on Parity Distribution

What sets RAID 5 apart from other RAID configurations in terms of parity distribution?

A) RAID 3

B) RAID 2

C) RAID 1

D) RAID 4

Final answer:

RAID 5 is organized like RAID 4, but unlike RAID 4, RAID 5 distributes the parity strips across all disks enhancing data recovery and improving performance.

RAID 5 offers a unique approach to parity distribution that sets it apart from other RAID configurations. When compared to RAID 4, which organizes data in a similar fashion, RAID 5 distributes the parity strips across all disks involved in the array.

Parity strips are crucial components in RAID setups, serving as redundancy to ensure data integrity and facilitate recovery in the event of disk failure. With RAID 5, the distribution of parity across multiple disks enhances data recovery capabilities and improves overall system performance.

This design choice makes RAID 5 more sophisticated and efficient compared to RAID 4. By spreading the workload evenly across all disks, RAID 5 avoids potential bottlenecks that could hinder performance and data access. This distributed parity architecture contributes to the reliability and resilience of RAID 5 arrays.