NIST 800-53 REV 5 • SYSTEM AND INFORMATION INTEGRITY
SI-13(5) — Failover Capability
Provide {{ insert: param, si-13.05_odp.01 }} {{ insert: param, si-13.05_odp.02 }} for the system.
Supplemental Guidance
Failover refers to the automatic switchover to an alternate system upon the failure of the primary system. Failover capability includes incorporating mirrored system operations at alternate processing sites or periodic data mirroring at regular intervals defined by the recovery time periods of organizations.
Practitioner Notes
Ensure your failover capability actually works by testing it regularly. An untested failover is just a hope, not a plan.
Example 1: Schedule quarterly failover tests for your critical systems. Deliberately fail the primary database server and verify the secondary takes over cleanly. Measure the failover time and document any issues for improvement.
Example 2: Test your backup power (UPS, generators) under load. Simulate a power failure and verify that the UPS sustains operations long enough for the generator to start and stabilize. Test annually and document results.