Database High Availability and Failover
If your business depends on its database being online, a single server is a single point of failure. High availability is the practice of arranging things so that, when one component fails, another takes over with little or no interruption.
This article explains the common approach, called failover, and what it means for your uptime.
The Idea
A standby copy of your database is kept ready and in step with the primary. If the primary fails — hardware fault, crash or network loss — the system promotes the standby to take its place, often within seconds.
What It Protects Against
- Hardware failure on a single machine.
- An unplanned crash of the database process.
- Routine maintenance, by failing over deliberately.
What It Does Not Replace
High availability is not a backup. It protects against failure, but a bad import or accidental deletion would copy straight to the standby. You still need backups and point-in-time recovery for mistakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this guarantee zero downtime?
It dramatically reduces it, but no system is perfect. We pair it with monitoring and backups for full protection.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.