Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Practice Exam

Failover is a critical function in computer systems that enhances reliability and availability. It refers to the process where, in the event of a failure of the primary system, operations are automatically or manually transitioned to a secondary, standby system. This ensures that services remain uninterrupted, minimizing downtime and maintaining business continuity.

When a primary system encounters a failure—whether due to hardware issues, software faults, or other disruptions—the failover mechanism seamlessly activates, providing an alternative system that takes over the workload. This is particularly important in environments where uptime is essential, such as in financial services, telecommunications, and healthcare, where even brief outages can have significant consequences.

In contrast, functions like performing system upgrades, creating duplicates of systems, or monitoring performance do not directly address the need for immediate continuity in the face of system failure. While these functions can be important in their own contexts, they do not encapsulate the essence of failover, which is focused specifically on maintaining operational availability and resilience.