Recoverability
Recoverability is the degree to which a software system can restore its data and resume normal operation after a failure occurs.
“The degree to which a component or system can recover the data directly affected by an interruption or a failure and re-establish the desired state of the component or system.”
(Definition reproduced from the ISTQB Glossary. Copyright belongs to ISTQB.)
View the complete ISTQB GlossaryWhat is Recoverability?
Recoverability evaluates backup, restoration, failover, and recovery mechanisms to minimize downtime and data loss.
Failure recovery: Systems should restore normal operation efficiently.
Data protection: Recovery should preserve important information.
Testing focus: Recovery procedures must be verified regularly.
Real World Example
A regulated product team is preparing a release where Recoverability appears in reviews, test design conversations, or defect triage rather than as an isolated glossary word.
The risk is that the team treats Recoverability as interchangeable with nearby ISTQB terms. That makes test scope blurry and can lead to weak evidence for the release decision.
The tester anchors the discussion in the official definition, asks where the concept appears in the product, and designs examples that show the difference between Recoverability and similar ideas.
The page becomes useful in practice because Recoverability is connected to a specific testing decision, not memorized as a detached definition.
Practice Questions
Question 1
Which statement BEST describes Recoverability in the context of ISTQB terminology?
Question 2
A tester needs to explain Recoverability to a non‑technical stakeholder. Which approach is MOST appropriate?
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