Single point of failure

Single Point of Failure (SPOF) is a part of a system that, if it fails, will stop the entire system from working. SPOFs are undesirable in any system with a goal of high availability or reliability, be it a business practice, software application, or other industrial system.

Overview

In systems engineering, a single point of failure is a part of a system that, if it fails, will stop the entire system from working. These are undesirable in any system with a goal of high availability or reliability, be it a business practice, software application, or other industrial system.

Identification and Mitigation

Identifying single points of failure is crucial in disaster recovery planning (DRP), or business continuity planning (BCP). The identification methods are often used in the field of risk analysis.

Mitigation of SPOFs is achieved by adding redundancy to the vulnerable system by duplicating critical components or functions in a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the case of a backup or fail-safe.

In Technology

In computing, a single point of failure is a part of a system that, if it fails, will stop the entire system from working. Examples include data centers, computers, routers, switches, hubs, cabling, and wireless access points.

In Business

In business, a single point of failure is a part of a business process that, if it fails, will stop the entire business operation. Examples include supply chain, business operations, personnel, and business procedures.

See Also

• Fault tolerance
• High availability
• Redundancy (engineering)
• Reliability engineering
• Risk analysis

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