What is a key characteristic of fault-tolerant systems?

A key characteristic of fault-tolerant systems is that they utilize high-quality components and redundancy. This approach ensures that if one component fails, there are backup systems in place that can take over seamlessly, allowing the system to continue functioning without interruption. Redundancy can be achieved through various means, such as having multiple servers, data storage systems, or power supplies working together. The design principles of fault tolerance are focused on minimizing downtime and ensuring reliability, which directly supports the need for high-quality components that are less likely to fail.

In contrast, relying on single components threatens the reliability of the system, as any single point of failure could lead to total system downtime. Minimizing hardware usage to reduce costs could compromise the system’s reliability and performance, increasing the risk of failure. Lastly, while some level of monitoring may be necessary, requiring constant human oversight is not a defining feature of fault-tolerant systems. Instead, these systems are designed to operate automatically and recover from failures independently, which enhances their resilience and reduces the necessity for continuous monitoring.