After replacing a failed disk in a RAID 5 array, which step is BEST to prevent slow response after a drive failure?

In a RAID 5 array, if a drive fails and is replaced, the array rebuilds the data onto the new drive using the parity information from the remaining drives. During this rebuild process, the performance of the RAID array can be significantly impacted because the system is busy reconstructing data while also managing read and write operations.

Choosing to convert the volume to a RAID 6 configuration after replacing the failed drive is advantageous because RAID 6 provides an additional layer of data protection through dual parity. This means that even if another drive fails during the rebuild process, the array can still function without losing data. Additionally, while RAID 5 can handle a single drive failure, RAID 6 can tolerate two simultaneous drive failures, therefore increasing the overall reliability and reducing the risk of data loss during the critical rebuild phase. This characteristic can lead to better performance stability under heavy load, as the risk of encountering an additional failure becomes mitigated.

Adopting a RAID 10 configuration instead, though offering benefits in terms of performance and fault tolerance, typically requires a higher number of drives and can be less efficient in utilizing disk space compared to RAID 6. Meanwhile, configuring a cold spare or a hot spare would not directly improve performance during the rebuild, as those drives