What term best describes the activation of backup systems at an alternate location after a power outage?

What term best describes the activation of backup systems at an alternate location after a power outage?

• A. Failover
• B. High availability
• C. Log shipping
• D. Recovery Point Objective

Answer: (A)

The term that best describes the activation of backup systems at an alternate location after a power outage is "failover." Failover refers to the process of switching to a standby database, server, or network if the primary system fails or is temporarily unavailable. This ensures that services can continue running with minimal disruption, allowing for business continuity in critical situations such as power outages.

Failover involves the automatic or manual transfer of control from a failed component to one that is operational. In this context, when a power outage occurs, the failover mechanism kicks in, directing operations to backup systems located at an alternate site, thereby maintaining functionality.

Other terms in the list pertain to different aspects of data and system reliability. High availability refers to systems designed to be continuously operational for a long period, emphasizing minimal downtime. Log shipping involves sending transaction logs from one database to another as a form of disaster recovery, rather than the immediate activation of systems in response to outages. Recovery Point Objective (RPO) is a metric indicating the maximum tolerable period during which data might be lost due to a major incident, but it does not describe the action taken during a power outage. Therefore, failover is the most fitting term for this scenario.