Failover
Failover is the automatic or manual switching of operations to a backup system when the primary system becomes unavailable.
“The backup operational mode in which the functions of a system that becomes unavailable are assumed by a secondary system.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Failover?
Failover ensures service continuity by transferring processing to redundant hardware, software, or infrastructure after a failure occurs.
Redundancy: Backup systems remain ready to take over when needed.
Automatic recovery: Many systems perform failover without user intervention.
Testing focus: Verify failover occurs correctly and minimizes downtime.
Real World Example
A national travel service is preparing for a public holiday sale where thousands of users may search, reserve, and pay for tickets at the same time.
A feature that works for one tester may fail under traffic, resource pressure, or infrastructure disruption. Failover helps the team focus on behavior under operational conditions.
The tester defines realistic traffic, failure, and recovery situations, then watches response time, errors, data consistency, and whether users can continue critical actions.
The release decision improves because Failover gives stakeholders evidence about service behavior when demand or disruption is no longer theoretical.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Failover in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Failover to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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