Which of the following BEST describes RAID 5?

RAID 5 is best characterized by its combination of high performance and fault tolerance. It achieves fault tolerance through data striping with parity, which means it spreads data across multiple disks and includes parity data that allows for the recovery of lost information in case one disk fails. This method not only enables recovery after a failure but also allows for read operations to be performed simultaneously across the striped disks, enhancing performance. Consequently, RAID 5 strikes a balance between read performance and data protection, making it suitable for environments where both are crucial. The presence of parity provides a safety net against data loss while allowing for efficient data reading.

In contrast to the other options, the combination of zero configuration isn't representative of RAID 5, as configuration is still needed during setup. Likewise, while RAID 5 does enhance performance, the crucial aspect of fault tolerance it provides is what distinguishes it. Therefore, the characteristics of high performance and fault tolerance define RAID 5 accurately.