Certified Reliability Engineer Practice Test

The primary purpose of fault tolerance in a system is to ensure that the system can continue to operate effectively in the presence of faults. This capability allows the system to maintain its performance level even when certain errors or failures occur within its components. In essence, a fault-tolerant system is engineered to automatically detect errors, isolate the problematic component, and manage the fault so that the overall system remains functional and efficient.

While maintaining operational performance despite faults is crucial, other aspects related to system availability and error prevention play supporting roles in the broader context of system reliability. A system that only aims to be operational without interruptions may not adequately handle the complexity of possible faults or may sacrifice performance under such conditions. Therefore, while ensuring constant operation is important, it isn’t the sole focus of fault tolerance, which prioritizes maintaining high performance alongside operating capability.