In a RAID 6 configuration, what is the MAXIMUM number of drives that can fail while maintaining data integrity?

In a RAID 6 configuration, data integrity is maintained even if two drives fail simultaneously. RAID 6 achieves this by utilizing double parity, which means that it writes two sets of parity information across the disks in the array. This dual parity allows the system to reconstruct data even when it loses up to two drives, ensuring that the remaining drives continue to hold enough information to restore the lost data.

This feature distinguishes RAID 6 from other RAID levels, such as RAID 5, where only single parity exists and only one drive can fail without risking data loss. Therefore, the correct answer highlights the resilience of RAID 6 systems and their ability to handle the failure of multiple drives while preserving data integrity.