What does RAID level 5 utilize for data recovery?

RAID level 5 employs block-level parity for data recovery. This method involves storing parity information distributed across all drives in the RAID array, allowing data to be reconstructed if one drive fails. Each block of data has an associated parity block that contains the information required to recover the lost data, providing fault tolerance while maximizing storage efficiency.

In a RAID 5 configuration, data and parity are spread across three or more disks. When a disk fails, the system can utilize the parity information from the remaining disks to reconstruct the lost data on the fly, ensuring minimal downtime and data loss. This approach strikes a balance between performance, redundancy, and efficient use of storage space, making RAID 5 a popular choice for many applications requiring reliable data storage.

Other options, such as mirroring, involve duplicating entire disks rather than just storing parity, which is not the case in RAID level 5. The other types of parity mentioned do not align with the definition and implementation of RAID 5, which specifically focuses on block-level parity for its data recovery mechanism.