What is the primary function of RAID 5?

The primary function of RAID 5 is to provide both performance enhancement and fault tolerance. RAID 5 achieves this by distributing data across multiple disks with a parity scheme that allows for data recovery in the event of a single disk failure. The data and parity information are striped across all the disks in the array, which not only improves read speeds due to simultaneous access to multiple disks but also allows for continued operation even when one disk is out of service.

This setup ensures that if one drive fails, the data can still be reconstructed from the remaining disks and the stored parity information. Thus, RAID 5 effectively balances the need for speed and reliability in storage systems, making it a popular choice for environments that require high availability and performance without sacrificing data integrity.