What are some case studies on fault tolerance in systems?

What are some case studies on fault tolerance in systems?

Fault tolerance refers to the ability of a system to continue operating in the event of a failure. Some notable case studies include Google's distributed systems, which use redundancy to ensure uptime, and NASA's spacecraft systems, which are designed to handle component failures.

Can you explain how Google's system achieves fault tolerance?

Google employs a technique called replication, where data is copied across multiple servers. If one server fails, others can take over, ensuring no data loss and continuous service.

What challenges do these systems face in maintaining fault tolerance?

Challenges include managing data consistency across replicas, handling network partitions, and ensuring that the system can recover quickly from failures.

Are there any specific examples of failures that were successfully managed?

Yes, for instance, during a major outage in 2017, Google's systems automatically rerouted traffic to healthy servers, minimizing downtime and impact on users.